188体育

Duration

3 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid

拢73 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim

This action鈥檚 aim is that no-tillage (鈥榥o-till鈥�) farming techniques are used, so soil disturbance is minimised.

The purpose of this is to:

• improve soil health, fertility, structure, soil water storage and reduce soil runoff
• help to keep organic matter and nutrients in the soil
• provide benefits for carbon, water quality and biodiversity
• help protect historic environment features

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

You cannot do this action on land where you鈥檙e tilling narrow strips of soil to plant crops, leaving the areas between the rows untilled. This is known as 鈥榮trip tillage鈥�.

Eligible land

Eligible land type	Eligible land cover	Compatible land use code
Arable land used to grow crops	Arable land	Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops
Temporary grassland (only if it鈥檚 part of the crop rotation and present for no more than 2 years of this action鈥檚 duration)	Arable land	TG01
Arable land lying fallow (only if it鈥檚 part of the crop rotation and present for no more than 2 years of this action鈥檚 duration)	Arable land	FA01

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 available area in a land parcel.

Rotational or static action

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action鈥檚 duration.

What to do

You must establish crops on land entered into this action using a 鈥榥o-till鈥� direct drill or broadcasting equipment.

For the purposes of this action:

• crops include 鈥榗ash crops鈥�, cover crops and temporary grassland (a 鈥榗ash crop鈥� means a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use)
• direct drills include tine drills, disc drills and precision seed drills
• any following harrow tines must be rearward facing

You must not use conventional or shallow min-till cultivation machinery (except for a stubble rake or straw harrow with rearward facing tines):

• to prepare the land for sowing crops
• between harvesting (or destroying cover crops) and sowing crops

Where necessary, you can carry out the following on land that does not contain historic or archaeological features:

• low disturbance subsoiling to reduce soil compaction during the crop rotation - for example, if there鈥檚 bad weather when you harvest the crop
• mole draining to help natural drainage

You must keep evidence if you do subsoiling or mole draining.

You must not carry out subsoiling or mole draining on land with historic or archaeological features. This includes scheduled monuments (which would require scheduled monument consent). Read section 10.1 鈥楽cheduled monument 肠辞苍蝉别苍迟鈥� in the SFI scheme information for further details.

When to do it

You must do this action:

• from its start date, unless you have a crop in place when this action starts which does not meet this action鈥檚 requirements
• throughout each year of this action鈥檚 duration

If there鈥檚 a crop in place when this action starts which does not meet this action鈥檚 requirements, you must do this action:

• as soon as possible after the crop is harvested or destroyed
• within 12 months of this action鈥檚 start date

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 (including if you鈥檝e had to carry out low-disturbance subsoiling to reduce compaction or mole-draining) 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

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	AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, AHW10, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFM4, SOH4, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH2, SOH3, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2, CIGL2	听	听
SFI 2023 actions	AHL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2, IGL2	听	听
CS options	AB1, AB2, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB9, AB10, AB11, AB13, AB14, AB15, GS3, SW5, SW6, OP1, OP2, OP5, OR3, OT3	听	听
ES options	No ES revenue options	听	听
SFI pilot standards	SFI pilot arable and horticultural soils standard 鈥� introductory level	听	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. See 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.

How to prepare for a no-till system

No-till works best on drier, more stable, well-structured and well-drained soils.

Before you enter land into this action, it may help you to:

• ask your agronomist to assess your land鈥檚 suitability for a no-till system
• do the soil assessment and management plan for CSAM1 to assess your soil鈥檚 structure and work out how no-till can fit in with your wider farm operations
• identify and deal with any soil compaction

You may find it helpful to read the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) factsheet on .

Choosing equipment for no-till

To introduce a no-till farming system, you鈥檒l need to either:

• adapt existing cultivation equipment and seed drills for no-till 鈥� you can speak to machinery manufacturers for advice on this
• buy a no-till or zero till direct drill 鈥� you may be able to get funding for no-till machinery through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF).

A no-till or zero till direct drill drills seeds directly into the stubble of a previous crop that鈥檚 had no cultivation after harvest. This leaves the majority of the previous crop residue undisturbed after drilling, which can help:

• increase organic matter in the soil
• rainfall to soak into the soil, which can reduce surface runoff and soil erosion

The most suitable direct drill type for your land will depend on local conditions and soil type.

Establishing crops

Crop yields can sometimes decline during the first 3 years. Yields normally recover as the health of the soil improves.

Crop residues can retain nitrogen, which is needed in the soil to help crops grow. This can delay crops establishing in the short term. Over time, microbes in the soil will adapt so nitrogen can be absorbed by crops better. This helps crops to establish quicker.

In systems where straw is chopped, you can spread the chopped straw and chaff evenly across the field using a stubble rake or straw harrow with rearward facing tines. This can help to encourage germination.

You can use rolling post drilling.

How to control weeds, pests and diseases

Weed, pest and disease control can be difficult in no-till systems.

To help you control weeds for a no-till system, you can:

• increase the seed rate
• rotate the type of crops you grow from year to year
• sow cover crops to improve the health of soil
• use non-selective herbicides before drilling

You can use precision pesticide application systems, like a spot sprayer or weed wiper, to reduce your use of pesticides. To help you do this, you can get paid under SFI to do the following precision farming actions:

• PRF2: Camera or remote sensor guided herbicide spraying
• PRF3: Non-mechanical robotic weeding

You may need to control slugs during crop establishment.

You may find it helpful to do CIPM1: Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan to help you identify and discuss opportunities for using听IPM听with a BASIS qualified adviser.

Improving natural drainage

This action allows you to use mole drains to improve natural drainage, where necessary. This can help to prevent compaction. You may find it helpful to read the AHDB鈥檚 guidance on .