188体育

Duration

3 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid聽

拢28 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim聽

This supplemental action鈥檚 aim is that there鈥檚 a sward with a range of shorter and taller grasses.

The purpose of this is to:

• create habitats for spiders and other insects (including grasshoppers and beetles)
• provide spring and summer invertebrate food for birds (such as yellowhammers, reed buntings and skylarks)

Where you can do this action聽聽聽聽聽

You can only do this supplemental action on eligible land entered into the base action: CLIG3: Manage grassland with very low nutrient inputs (or LIG1 and LIG2 in the SFI 2023 offer).

The land parcel must meet one of the following conditions:

• have at least one boundary that鈥檚 a hedgerow
• there鈥檚 scrub cover close to the parcel (usually around 200 metres (m) away)

You cannot do this action on land that鈥檚 already entered into the following equivalent base actions in a Countryside Stewardship agreement:

• GS2 (permanent grassland with very low inputs 鈥� outside SDAs)
• GS5 (permanent grassland with very low inputs 鈥� SDAs)

Eligibility of protected land

Protected land	Eligibility
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)	Same as your selected base action
Historic and archaeological features	Same as your selected base action

Available area you can enter into this action

This is the same as your selected base action.

Rotational or static action聽

This is the same as your selected base action.

What to do聽

During the growing season, you must manage the sward in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim. This includes lightly grazing it with cattle, or a combination of cattle and sheep.

You must not cut the area for hay or silage.

When to do it聽

You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.

How to do it聽

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聽

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

• stocking records to show grazing activity at a land parcel level
• field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
• photographs or other documentation to show management undertaken

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聽

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 actions	Same as your selected base action
CS options	Same as your selected base action
ES options	Same as your selected base action
SFI pilot standards	Same as your selected base action

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.

Advice to help you do this action聽

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

Choose the right location

To give the most benefits for farmland birds, it鈥檚 best if you locate this supplemental action:

• on areas next to hedgerows or scrub for yellowhammers and reed buntings
• away from trees, hedgerows or other tall structures for skylarks
• so the fields are not more than around 500 metres (m) apart, as these birds do not usually feed more than 300m from their nests
• on grassland that contains herbs and wildflowers, as it鈥檚 usually more effective 鈥� but you can also do it on grassland with few herbs or wildflowers (if any)

To provide sufficient spring and summer invertebrate food for birds, you鈥檒l usually need to have at least 1 hectare (ha) of this supplemental action per 100ha of your farm.

Managing the sward

To help you achieve this action鈥檚 aim, grazing can be rotational or intermittent. However, to avoid the sward becoming rank during rest periods, try to allow your livestock (cattle, or a combination of cattle and sheep) to eat the sward down well during the grazing periods.