188体育

Duration

3 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid

拢590 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim

This action鈥檚 aim is that there鈥檚 a grassy field corner or block with:

• an intact grass sward throughout the year, without tracks, compacted areas or poaching
• tussocky grass allowed to develop

The purpose of this is to:

• provide year-round habitat for a range of wildlife
• support an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas

Where you can do this action

You can do this action 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)
• registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
• declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover

This is a 鈥榣imited area鈥� action. The total eligible area you enter into any combination of one of more of the 鈥榣imited area鈥� actions must not be more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm. Read section 1.3 鈥�SFI actions with a limited area鈥� in the SFI scheme information for more details (including a list of 鈥榣imited area鈥� actions).

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
Permanent crops 鈥� horticultural	Permanent crops	TC01

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聽鈥�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聽鈥楲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 establish and maintain grassy field corners or blocks on arable and horticultural land entered into this action.

To establish the grassy field corners or blocks you must either sow them or allow the areas to naturally regenerate.

During the first 12 months after sowing them, or allowing them to naturally regenerate, you can regularly cut or graze them to:

• control annual weeds
• encourage new grass shoots to develop

The grassy field corners or blocks will usually be established around 12 months after they鈥檙e sown or allowed to regenerate naturally.

Once established, you must maintain the grassy field corners or blocks. To do this, you must manage them in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim.

You must not do the following on the grassy field corners or blocks once they鈥檙e established:

• graze them with livestock in a way that means this action鈥檚 aim cannot reasonably be achieved
• cut them, except for localised cutting to control injurious weeds or invasive non-natives, soft and hard rush, or nettles
• use them for regular vehicular access, turning or storage (for example, storing bales or machinery)
• carry out activities that may disturb breeding birds or damage nests, as birds, nests and eggs are protected by law
• apply any fertilisers, manures or lime
• use pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, or nettles

You can maintain existing grassy field corners or blocks to get paid for this action, if they meet this action鈥檚 requirements.

When to do it

You must:

• establish the grassy field corners or blocks within 12 months of this action鈥檚 start date
• maintain the same area of grassy field corners or blocks in each subsequent year of this action鈥檚 3-year 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 with 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, OFC5, OFM4 OFM5, OFM6, AGF1, AGF2, PRF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1
SFI 2023 actions	IPM1, NUM1, SAM1
CS options	OR3, OR4, OR5, OT3, OT4, OT5
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.鈥�

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.

Where to locate the field corners or blocks聽

When you establish the grassy field corners or blocks, by law you cannot cultivate or apply fertilisers or pesticides to land within 2m of the centre of a hedgerow. Read the guidance on Hedgerow management rules; buffer strips to understand how these rules apply to you.

You can choose to locate the field corners or blocks on areas:

• which are less productive or difficult to reach with machinery to square up cultivated areas 鈥� this could help to speed up farm operations
• close to existing nectar and pollen sources to benefit insects, or existing winter bird food sources to benefit farmland birds
• close to cropped areas to help with an integrated pest management (IPM) approach 鈥� for example, once tussocky grass develops it can provide habitat for ladybirds which eat aphids
• close to existing habitat (such as woodland, hedgerows, waterbodies, heathland, fallow land, wildflower-rich grassland) to help farmland wildlife to move across your land

To create a network of habitats, you can have a number of smaller areas (for example, between 0.5 hectares (ha) and 1ha) spaced as evenly as possible across your land. For example, you could space 5 blocks of 0.5ha evenly across 100ha to allow pollinators, flying insects and birds to move between the areas.

Sowing a seed mix聽

Sowing a seed mix can establish the area more quickly than using natural regeneration. This can reduce the risk of soil erosion.

You can choose a seed mix that contains native grass species, such as:

• timothy
• cocksfoot
• crested dog鈥檚 tail
• red fescue
• smooth-stalked meadow grass

It can help the seeds to germinate if they鈥檙e sown into a seedbed that鈥檚:

• firm, consolidated, fine, level and weed free
• moist, which will usually be the case in the autumn 鈥� you can sow in the spring, but you may need to increase the sowing rate, depending on weather and soil type

You can either:

• broadcast the seeds onto the surface of the seedbed to help germination
• shallow-drill the seeds up to a depth of 1 centimetre (cm). Small seeds may struggle to germinate when sown deeper than 1cm

If the soil is dry enough, rolling after you have sown the seeds can:

• improve seed-to-soil contact
• keep moisture
• reduce the risk of slug damage

Your seed supplier can:

• help you choose a seed mix that鈥檚 the best match for your land and local conditions
• advise you on an overall sowing rate for the seed mix you choose

Establishing grassy field corners and blocks through natural regeneration聽

Natural regeneration is likely to be most successful on light, free-draining alkaline soils without many weeds. It can take longer (usually around 1 year) to establish the grassy field corners and blocks, but it may cost less.

To encourage the seeds that are already in the soil to germinate, you can cultivate the soil between spring and late summer.

Maintaining established grassy field corners or blocks聽

Once the grassy field corner or block is established, you can manage it by cutting or grazing it with livestock providing it:

• meets this action鈥檚 requirements
• is done in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve the aim of this action

You may need to control weeds when they appear. To control injurious weeds or invasive non-natives, soft and hard rush, or nettles, you can:

• carry out localised cutting
• use herbicides to spot-treat or weed wipe

You can also control weeds by hand roguing (removing entire plants by hand) before they have finished flowering.