WBD8: Manage grassland to reduce nutrient levels in groundwater

What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.

This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.

Duration

3 years

How much you鈥檒l be paid

拢396 per hectare (ha) per year

Action鈥檚 aim

This action鈥檚 aim is that there鈥檚 an intact grass sward throughout the year, with:

  • a medium sward height during the winter months
  • minimal bare ground
  • reduced level of nutrient inputs applied

The purpose of this is to:

  • reduce nutrient inputs to grassland in priority Water Framework Directive (WFD) groundwater failure areas
  • help slow or reverse nutrient levels in groundwater

Where you can do this action

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

  • managed intensively 鈥� this usually means it鈥檚 been receiving more than 200 kilograms (kg) of nitrogen per ha per year before it鈥檚 entered into this action
  • identified as a priority WFD groundwater failure area within the Countryside Stewardship (CS) targeting 鈥� you can find this on the
  • 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 Eligible 鈥� you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6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 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:

  • make sure there鈥檚 an intact sward throughout the year
  • cut or graze the sward in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action鈥檚 aim 鈥� a medium sward height will usually be an average of around 5 centimetres (cm) to 15cm
  • minimise bare ground, so the soil is covered by vegetation and is not directly exposed to the elements

You must not do the following on the grassland:

  • plough, cultivate or re-seed it
  • carry out supplementary feeding of livestock, except for providing non-energy based mineral blocks
  • apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, or nettles
  • apply manures or fertilisers, apart from when you cut the grassland for hay or silage

When you cut the grassland for hay or silage, you must not apply more than either:

  • 12 tonnes of cattle farmyard manure per ha per year
  • equivalent amounts of available nutrients as fertiliser or other organic manures as an alternative to cattle farmyard manure

When to do it

You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.

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

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
  • grazing activity at a land parcel level
  • 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 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

Updates to this page

Published 21 May 2024
Last updated 5 August 2024 show all updates
  1. Where you can do this action - replaced 鈥榠ntensive grassland鈥� with 鈥榤anaged intensively 鈥� this usually means it鈥檚 been receiving more than 200 kilograms of nitrogen per ha per year before it鈥檚 entered into this action鈥�. An eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 鈥楨ligible land types for SFI鈥� in the SFI scheme information. Removed conditions relating to recommended fertiliser management system and low intensity farmer. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 鈥楽SSI 肠辞苍蝉别苍迟鈥� in the SFI scheme information. What to do - deleted 鈥榳ell-rotted鈥� from cattle farmyard manure.

  2. First published.