188体育

Duration

3 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid听

拢55 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim听

This action鈥檚 aim is that there鈥檚 companion crop growing with a main arable or horticultural crop.

The purpose of this is to do one or more of the following:

• support an integrated pest management (IPM) approach by acting as a trap crop for pests or by supressing weeds
• provide a habitat for birds and invertebrates, including pollinators and natural crop pest predators
• manage nutrient efficiency
• protect soil and improve its condition

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:

• 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

Eligible land

Eligible land type听	Eligible land cover听	Compatible land use code听
Arable land used to grow crops听	Arable land听	Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops听
Temporary grassland听	Arable land听	TG01听
Arable land lying fallow听	Arable land听	FA01听
Permanent crops 鈥� horticultural听	Permanent crops听	TC01听

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

Total or 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:

• 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 establish a companion crop on land entered into this action, so it鈥檚 growing with the main arable or horticultural crop.

The companion crop does not have to be present for the full growing period of the arable or horticultural crop, as long as it鈥檚 managed in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve the action鈥檚 aim and its intended purpose.

You can establish the companion crop by:

• trap cropping 鈥� sowing a trap crop to attract crop pests away from the main arable or horticultural crop
• inter-cropping 鈥� sowing the companion crop with the main arable or horticultural crop
• undersowing 鈥� sowing a companion crop to form a living mulch beneath the arable or horticultural crop

You must avoid growing deep rooted species of companion crop on any area within a land parcel with historic or archaeological features identified in your SFI HEFER. Read section 5.6鈥�鈥楲and with historic or archaeological features鈥� in the SFI scheme information for more details.

You can use an existing companion crop to get paid for this action if it meets this action鈥檚 requirements.

When to do it听

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 for you to do this action, you must start doing it within 12 months of the action鈥檚 start date.

For example, if you鈥檝e already sown the main arable and horticultural crop before this action starts, you can establish the companion crop within 12 months of this action鈥檚 start date.

How to do it听

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听

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 and 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	OFA1, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM4, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2	听
SFI 2023 actions	AHL2, IPM1, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2	听
CS options	HS3, HS9, OP1, OR3, OR4, OR5, OT3, OT4, OT5, SW6	听
ES options	No ES revenue options	听
SFI pilot standards	SFI pilot arable and horticultural soils standard 鈥� all levels	听

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听

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

Choosing what to sow and how to establish a companion crop

When you establish the arable or horticultural crop to grow with the companion crop, 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.

The species and type of companion crop you choose to sow will be determined by:

• the main arable or horticultural crop you鈥檙e growing
• soil conditions
• the crop pest to be controlled

You can establish the companion crop by trap cropping, inter-cropping or undersowing.

To help you decide what companion crop to use for this action and how to establish it, you may find it helpful to do CIPM1:Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan.

Your seed supplier can help you choose what to sow and advise you on an overall sowing rate.

Establishing a trap crop

To establish the companion crop as a trap crop, you can sow it:

• around the field in plots or in between the main arable or horticultural crop
• before, at the same time or as a separate pass into the main arable or horticultural crop

This can help attract pests away from the main crop.

Find out more about trap cropping in the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) guidance on .

Establishing an intercrop

To establish the companion crop as an intercrop, you can sow the companion crop with the main arable or horticultural crop. You can then harvest them together.

This can help suppress weeds, reduce disease and crop pests, and provide nutrients.

Find out more about intercropping on the .

Establishing the companion crop by undersowing

To establish the companion crop by undersowing, you can sow it either:

• at the same time as the main arable or horticultural crop
• as a separate pass into the main arable or horticultural crop

You can then leave the companion crop to grow on after you harvest the main crop. This can help to suppress weeds, retain nutrients and protect against soil erosion.

Find out more about undersowing in the AHDB guidance on:

• or grass