188体育

Duration

3 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid

拢553 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim

This action鈥檚 aim is that there鈥檚 an uncultivated, naturally regenerated grass buffer which:

• is around an in-field tree on arable land
• has minimal weeds and bare ground

The purpose of this is to:

• protect the tree roots from damage by agricultural cultivation
• retain the trees as important features in the local landscape
• provide standing and fallen deadwood habitats for invertebrates

Where you can do this action

To be eligible for this action, the tree can be dead or alive. It must:

• be in-field
• have a trunk that鈥檚 at least 30 centimetres (cm) diameter at around 1.5 metres (m) above ground level (also known as diameter breast height)
• not be part of a group or line of 4 or more trees with overlapping canopies

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

• an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1 鈥楨ligible land types for SFI鈥� in the SFI scheme information) 鈥� at the start of this action鈥檚 duration, if the land type changes because of this action, it will not affect eligibility (for example, allowing scrub to develop)
• registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
• declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover

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	Eligible 鈥� you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6鈥�鈥橪and with historic or archaeological features鈥� in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this)

Available area you can enter into this action

Part of the available area in a land parcel.

Rotational or static action

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action鈥檚 duration.

What to do

You must:

• allow a naturally regenerated grass buffer to establish around the in-field tree
• protect the tree from damage by livestock and wild animals
• make sure tree guards do not damage growing trees

The grass buffer area around the in-field tree must be wide enough that it can reasonably be expected to protect the tree鈥檚 roots.

The width that鈥檚 likely to achieve this will depend on the tree鈥檚 diameter breast height (DBH). This means the grass buffer around the in-field tree will usually be at least:

• 10m if the tree鈥檚 DBH is 30cm to 99cm 鈥� which means the area per tree will be 0.03ha
• 20m if the tree鈥檚 DBH is 100cm to 199cm 鈥� which means the area per tree will be 0.12ha
• 30m if the tree鈥檚 DBH is 200cm or more 鈥� which means the area per tree will be 0.28ha

Once the grass buffer is established, you must maintain it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim.

You must not:

• plough, cultivate, re-seed, harrow or roll
• apply any fertilisers, manures or lime
• apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, or nettles
• carry out supplementary feeding in a way that causes poaching on the grass buffer
• remove any tree limbs, including lower limbs or mature ivy growth

You can maintain an existing grass buffer around an in-field tree 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 BE1 (protection of in-field trees on arable land)

When to do it

You must:

• establish the grass buffer within 12 months of this action鈥檚 start date
• maintain the grass buffer throughout each subsequent year of this action鈥檚 duration

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 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	OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, PRF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1
SFI 2023 actions	IPM1, NUM1, SAM1
CS options	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.

Leaving fallen branches

If there are any fallen tree limbs (branches), this action requires you to not remove them from the area.

Dead wood can provide:

• sources of food and shelter for a wide range of wildlife
• nutrients to the soil as it decays

To benefit wildlife and help the wood decay, you can leave the fallen branches uncut and stack them in piles:

• in a mix of sunny and shady areas
• not too high, to stop the timber drying out
• with as much timber as possible in contact with the ground