188体育

顿耻谤补迟颈辞苍听

3 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid聽

拢765 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim聽

This action鈥檚 aim is that there鈥檚 an in-field grass strip:

• on land at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff
• with an intact grass sward throughout the year

The purpose of this is to:

• reduce the quantity of sediment, nutrients and pesticides transported through surface runoff water
• improve water quality
• provide habitats for wildlife
• support an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas

Where you can do this action聽聽聽

You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that鈥檚:

• identified by you as being at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff 鈥� you must keep evidence of this
• 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

This is a 鈥榣imited area鈥� action. The total eligible area you enter into any combination of one or more of the 鈥榣imited area鈥� actions must not be more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm. Read section 1.3 鈥�SFI actions with a limited area鈥� in the SFI scheme information for more details (including a list of the 鈥榣imited area鈥� actions).

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	Arable land	TG01
Arable land lying fallow	Arable land	FA01

Eligibility of protected land

Protected land	Eligibility
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) in a land parcel	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聽into this action

Part of the available area in a land parcel.

Rotational or static action聽

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 and maintain an in-field grass strip which has:

• an intact grass sward
• no evidence of damage from vehicle or stock access routes

During late summer after the bird breeding season, you must cut the entire strip to encourage a dense sward with a variety of grasses to grow.

You must not:

• apply fertilisers or manures
• apply pesticides except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, or nettles
• allow livestock to access the strip

You can maintain an existing in-field grass strip to get paid for this action if it:

• meets this action鈥檚 requirements
• is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship (CS) option SW3 (in-field grass strips)

When to do it聽

You must:

• establish the in-field grass strip within 12 months of this action鈥檚 start date
• maintain the in-field grass strip throughout each subsequent year of this action鈥檚 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 written evidence that land entered into this action is at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff. You can use the soil management plan produced for CSAM1 or SAM1 to identify this.

You must also 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	OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, AGF1, AGF2, PRF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1
SFI 2023 actions	IPM1, NUM1, SAM1
CS options	OR3, OR4, OT3, OT4
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.

How and where to establish the in-field grass buffer strip

You can establish the in-field grass buffer strip by either:

• sowing a seed mix
• using natural regeneration

If you鈥檙e sowing a seed mix, to help the grass buffer strip to establish you can:

• remove any subsoil compaction to prepare a seedbed (except on land with historic or archaeological features
• cut regularly in the first 12 to 24 months to encourage the grasses to tiller 鈥� try to avoid cutting when the soil is wet as that may cause compaction

To help you achieve this action鈥檚 aim, you can establish the in-field grass strip on:

• natural drainage pathways (for example, the bottom of a valley) to prevent runoff water from creating rills and gullies
• long, sloping fields with the strip placed parallel to the slope and alternated with wide, cultivated strips to slow runoff water and trap sediment and organic material

Try to avoid establishing the in-field grass trip on a public right of way. This is because the ground is likely to be compacted which means the strip may not establish as well.

Maintaining the established grass strip

Once the grass strip is established, this action requires you to cut the entire strip during late summer. Before you cut the sward, check it for signs of nesting birds. Birds, nests and eggs are protected by law, so if you see signs of nesting birds, delay cutting until the birds have fledged.

If possible, remove the cut vegetation. If it鈥檚 impractical to do this, you can leave finely chopped cuttings, spread as thinly as possible.

If you want to do this type of action on more than around one-third of the area of a field you can consider doing WBD4 (arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input) instead to cover a larger area.