188体育

顿耻谤补迟颈辞苍听

3 years听

How much you鈥檒l be paid听

拢515 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim听

This action鈥檚 aim is that there鈥檚 improved grassland, which is maintained so it鈥檚 left to go to seed during the autumn and winter months.听

The purpose of this is to provide winter food for farmland birds.听

Where you can do this action听听听听听

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

• 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 or 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 the 鈥榣imited area鈥� actions).听

Eligible land

Eligible land type	Eligible land cover	Compatible land use code
Temporary grassland	Arable land	TG01	听
Improved permanent grassland	Permanent grassland	PG01	听

Eligibility of protected land

Land or features with protection	Eligibility
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)	Eligible 鈥� you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 10.3鈥�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听into this action

Part of the available area in a land parcel.

Rotational or static action听听听

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

• 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听

You must maintain improved grassland entered into this action.听听

To maintain the improved grassland, you must manage it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim. This includes:听

• cutting it for silage or hay in a way that allows it to go to seed
• leaving it un-grazed after the final cut for silage and hay

If you鈥檙e already maintaining improved grassland, you can use it to get paid for this action if it:听

• meets this action鈥檚 requirements
• is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship (CS) option GS3 (ryegrass seed-set as winter food for birds)

When to do it听听

If you鈥檙e doing this action on the same area of land for its 3-year duration, you must:听听

• start maintaining the improved grassland within 12 months of this action鈥檚 start date
• continue to maintain the area of improved grassland in each subsequent year of this action鈥檚 duration

If you鈥檙e rotating this action around your farm, each year of this action鈥檚 duration you must do the actions for a period of time that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim.听

How to do it听

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

• 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听

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

• 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.听

Other actions or options you can do with this action听

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	OFC1, OFC3, OFM1, OFM4, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, SOH1
SFI 2023 actions	IPM1, NUM1, SAM1
CS options	HS3, HS9, OR1, OR3, OT1, OT3
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.

Maintaining improved grassland to provide winter bird food

To maintain the improved grassland, this action requires you to manage it in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim. This includes:

• cutting it for silage or hay in a way that allows it to go to seed
• leaving it un-grazed after the final cut for silage and hay

Where to locate the winter bird food

To provide winter bird food, it will help if you use sits with a high cover (for example, at least 50% of the area) of perennial, Italian or hybrid ryegrass.

It will benefit more birds if you have a number of winter bird food areas spaced as evenly as possible across your land. For example, you could space 5 blocks of, for example, at least 0.5 hectares (ha) across 100ha.

You can use a range of locations to provide winter bird food for a wider range of bird species. For example:

• near hedgerows for birds, such as tree sparrows and yellowhammers
• away from hedgerows for open-country birds such as skylarks, corn buntings and grey partridges

If you鈥檙e using field edge strips, it鈥檒l usually help if those are at least 10 metres (m) wide and located away from busy roads.

Managing improved grassland to provide winter bird food

Leaving the improved grassland uncut and un-grazed in the summer will help to produce adequate seed during the autumn and winter months.

The timing of when to do this will depend on which ryegrass species dominates the sward. You can usually cut and graze:

• perennial ryegrass until late May
• Italian and hybrid ryegrass until late June

Once cutting or grazing has stopped, try to minimise access by people, animals and vehicles. This will help to avoid the grass being trampled and producing a grass mat, which can make it difficult for the birds to access the seeds.

If you鈥檙e leaving the ryegrass in place, you can improve next year鈥檚 yield by either:

• harrowing the field, providing it does not contain historic or archaeological features
• cutting the field and removing the cuttings

You can also continue to use fertiliser (where necessary) to help produce a good growth of grass.