188体育

Duration

3 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid

拢102 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim

This action鈥檚 aim is that there are legumes growing from spring until early autumn.

The purpose of this is to:

• manage nutrient efficiency
• protect the soil surface
• provide root growth that maintains soil structure, supports soil biology, and minimise nutrient leaching, soil erosion and runoff
• 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

Eligible land

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

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聽	Ineligible 鈥� you must not enter any area with 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

Total or 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

You must establish and maintain legumes on improved grassland entered into this action.

You can use one or more type of legume, such as:

• red clover
• white clover
• alsike clover
• sainfoin
• lucerne
• bird鈥檚 foot trefoil

You can establish the legumes by:

• adding them to an existing grass sward
• sowing a mix of grass and legumes

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

You can maintain existing areas of legumes on improved grassland to get paid this action if they:

• meet this action鈥檚 requirements
• are not already being for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as (Countryside Stewardship (CS) option GS4 (legume and herb-rich swards)

When to do it

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

• establish the legumes within 12 months of this action鈥檚 start date
• maintain the area of legumes in each subsequent year of this action鈥檚 duration

If you鈥檙e rotating this action around your farm, each year of your SFI agreement you must do it for a period of time that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim.

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	OFC1, OFC3, OFM1, OFM4, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1
SFI 2023 actions	IPM1, NUM1, SAM1
CS options	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.

Choosing a seed mix

Sainfoin, lucerne and alsike clover are more suited to grassland that you cut.

Your seed supplier can help you choose a seed mix that鈥檚 the best match for your land and local conditions.

Where to sow the seed mix

When you establish the legumes, 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.

It can help to sow the seed mix where you want to reduce fertiliser use.

To help you plan where and how to do this action, you may find it helpful to do CNUM1 (assess nutrient management and produce a review report).

Nitrogen fixation from the legumes will reduce if the soil phosphate and pH are not at optimal levels.

Spreading the legume areas across the farm can help to provide a network of habitats for farmland wildlife.

How and when to sow the seed mix

Your seed supplier can advise you on an overall sowing rate for the seed mix you choose.

You can sow the seed mix shallowly into a firm seedbed or overseed into an established grass sward.

Sowing the seed mix in March or April can help germination.

Alternatively, you can sow after a silage cut, as the grassland is likely to be more open.聽You may get better results after the second silage cut (or late hay cut), as the regrowth is less vigorous.

Legumes sowed after August may not establish before the winter.

During establishment of the legumes

It鈥檚 advisable to keep livestock off the areas of legumes while the seedlings establish. This will prevent new grasses or legumes being grazed out.

Maintaining established legumes

Once the legumes are established, you can cut them or graze them with livestock providing you do it in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim. This will help to reduce competition from existing plants.

You may find it helpful to read . This includes guidance on how you could manage the legume areas under 鈥榦ngoing management鈥�.