188体育

Duration

3 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid聽

拢150 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim聽

This action鈥檚 aim is that mechanical robotic weeding technology is used to control weeds, so there鈥檚 minimal use of herbicides.

The purpose of this is to:

• improve productivity, water and soil quality
• increase biodiversity
• support an integrated pest management approach

Where you can do this action聽

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

It will not usually be possible for you to do this action on combinable crops.

Eligible land

Eligible land type	Eligible land cover	Compatible land use code
Arable land used to grow crops, excluding temporary grassland	Arable land	Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops
Arable land lying fallow	Arable land	FA01

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 into this action

Total or part of the available area in a land parcel.

Rotational or static action聽

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 control weeds on land entered into this action using a mechanical robotic weeder that:

• weeds between and within the rows of one crop
• has camera or GPS-guided hoes which physically remove the weeds from the ground

You must do this action on one crop from when it鈥檚 sown until it鈥檚 harvested.

For the purposes of this action, a crop includes:

• root crops
• field vegetables and salad crops
• soft fruit crops which do not occupy the land for 5 years or more and provide repeated harvests (also known as 鈥榩ermanent crops鈥�)

You can choose which crop to do this action on, but it must be a 鈥榗ash crop鈥�. This means it鈥檚 a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use.

You can apply residual herbicides to the crop before the sown crop plants or weeds emerge (鈥榩re-emergence鈥�). This can be at the same time the crop is established (drilled or planted) or within a few days of establishment.

鈥楻esidual鈥� herbicides are long-lasting selective herbicides which control certain weed species without harming the crop.

You must not use any other herbicides on the crop from when it鈥檚 sown until it鈥檚 harvested.

When to do it聽

You must do this action on at least one crop that鈥檚 sown during each year of this action鈥檚 3-year duration. You can harvest it in a subsequent year of this action鈥檚 duration if you sow the next crop for this action in the same year.

This means you must do this action on a crop that鈥檚 sown during:

• the first year of this action鈥檚 duration 鈥� you can harvest it in the second year of this action鈥檚 duration
• the second year of this action鈥檚 duration 鈥� you can harvest it in the third year of this action鈥檚 duration
• the third year of this action鈥檚 duration 鈥� you must do this action until you harvest that crop or this action鈥檚 end date, whichever is earlier

If you鈥檙e already growing a crop on the land entered into this action when this action starts, you must do this action on a crop that鈥檚 sown within 12 months of this action鈥檚 start date.

How to do it聽聽

You must follow this action鈥檚 requirements 鈥� these are identified by a 鈥榤ust.鈥�

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:

• data from the tractor鈥檚 job recording system identifying the mechanical robotic weeder, the date and areas weeded
• field operations at a land parcel level, including the land parcel reference number and the dates the crop was sown and harvested
• contractor鈥檚 invoice if you use a contractor to do this action

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 2024 actions	AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, AHW10, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFM4, SOH4, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2
SFI 2023 actions	AHL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2
CS options	AB2, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB10, AB14, HS3, HS9, SW5, SW6, SW12, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR3, 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聽

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

Using mechanical robotic weeding聽equipment

The mechanical robotic weeding equipment you use can be either tractor mounted or autonomous.

You may be able to get funding for this equipment through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF).