188体育

Duration

3 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid

拢765 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim

This action鈥檚 aim is that there are fallow cultivated plots within an arable crop which:

• have enough bare ground for nesting lapwings
• are present from early spring until the arable crop is harvested in the summer

The purpose of this is to provide:

• nesting sites for lapwing
• habitats for other declining farmland birds, farmland wildlife and important arable plants

Where you can do this action

You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that鈥檚:

• identified by you as not being at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff 鈥� you must keep evidence of this
• an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1 鈥楨ligible land types for SFI鈥� in the SFI scheme information)
• registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
• declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover

You must not do this action on land that鈥檚 within around:

• 100 metres (m) of woods, in-field and hedgerow trees, buildings, overhead power lines, main road and public rights of way
• 200m of wind turbines

Eligible land

Eligible land type	Eligible land cover	Compatible land use code
Arable land used to grow crops	Arable land	Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops
Temporary grassland	Arable land	TG01
Arable land lying fallow	Arable land	FA01

Eligibility of protected land

Protected land	Eligibility
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)	Eligible 鈥� you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 10.3 鈥�SSSI 肠辞苍蝉别苍迟鈥� in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)
Historic and archaeological features	Ineligible 鈥� you must not enter any area that contains an historic or archaeological feature into this action. This only affects the area where the feature is located in a land parcel. You can apply for this action on the remaining area in the land parcel if it鈥檚 eligible.

Available area you can enter into this action

Part of the available area in a land parcel.

Rotational or static action

This action is rotational or static. This means you can either:

• move its location for the second and third years of this action鈥檚 duration
• do it at the same location each year of this action鈥檚 duration

What to do

By early spring, you must establish a fallow cultivated plot within the arable crop.

You must manage the fallow cultivated plot in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim. This includes managing natural regeneration if it means there is not enough bare ground for nesting birds.

You must retain the fallow cultivated plot until the arable crop is harvested in the summer and the bird nesting season is complete (usually this will be late July).

You can maintain an existing lapwing plot to get paid for this action if it:

• meets this action鈥檚 requirements
• is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship option AB5 (lapwing plots)

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.

If this action鈥檚 start date means it鈥檚 too late to establish the lapwing plot, you must do this within 12 months of this action鈥檚 start date.

In the final year of this action鈥檚 duration, you must do this action until the arable crop is harvested in the summer or this action鈥檚 end date, whichever is earlier.

How to do it

It鈥檚 up to you how you do this action, as long as you:

• follow this action鈥檚 requirements 鈥� these are identified by a 鈥榤ust鈥�
• do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim

You may find it helpful to read the 鈥榓dvice to help you do this action鈥�, but it鈥檚 not part of this action鈥檚 requirements.

Evidence to keep

You must keep written evidence that land entered into this action is not at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff. You can use the soil management plan produced for CSAM1 or SAM1 to identify this.

You must also keep evidence to show what you鈥檝e done to complete this action, such as:

• field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
• photographs or other documentation

If it鈥檚 not clear that you鈥檝e done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.

Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action

You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.

Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they鈥檙e done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read 鈥榃hat to do鈥� and 鈥榃hen to do it鈥� to find out when this action must be done.

Scheme	Action or option codes
SFI 2024 actions	AHW6, AHW7, OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2
SFI 2023 actions	IPM1, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1
CS options	AB2, AB6, AB11, AB14, AB15, HS3, HS9, OR3, OR4, OT3, OT4
ES options	No ES revenue options
SFI pilot standards	No area-based SFI pilot standards

If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6 鈥楨ligible land in other funding schemes鈥� in the SFI scheme information for more details.

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:

• SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
• SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
• CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
• the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard

Advice to help you do this action

The following advice may help you to do this action, but it鈥檚 not part of this action鈥檚 requirements.

Choosing the right location

It can help if you locate the nesting plots for lapwing:

• on level or slightly sloping ground
• next to extensively managed grassland where lapwings can feed their chicks
• on arable fields which are at least around 5 hectares (ha), or around 10ha if woodland forms at least a quarter of the field boundary
• away from waterlogged areas or land with weeds such as black-grass, wild oats or sterile brome

Size of plots

To maximise the benefits for nesting lapwing, you can establish plots which are at least around 1ha up to 5ha in size.

You can use this action in a sequence with basic overwinter stubble to provide a continuity of habitat for species such as skylark and corn bunting.

How to establish the plots

You can establish the lapwing plots by either:

• cultivation 鈥� try to create the appearance of a very rough seedbed, as lapwings rarely nest on a bare surface that鈥檚 too smooth
• spraying to create the fallow

When to establish the plots

You can establish the lapwing plots on lighter, chalky, sandy and loamy free-draining soils in February or March.

On heavier soils, you can:

• plough plots the previous autumn
• allow them to weather down to provide suitable nesting conditions by early spring

Machinery access

You can avoid damaging the lapwing plots when using machinery to carry out day-to-day farm operations (such as spraying and fertilising) if it:

• keeps to the tramlines
• is switched off when passing over the plots

Check plots and plot tramlines for signs of nests before you do these operations.