What the action involves
This action’s aim is that there’s an established herbal ley with:
- a mixture of grasses, legumes and herbs or wildflowers to provide varied root structures
- areas of flowering plants from late spring and during summer months
The purpose of this is to:
- produce a high volume of forage with minimal use of inorganic fertiliser
- improve resilience to drought
- help improve and maintain the soil’s structure, carbon, biology and fertility
What you must do
Your Natural England adviser will assess your land. They’ll work with you to adapt and agree the activities you must do to achieve this action’s aim. All mandatory activities will be set out in your agreement document.
To get paid for this action, you must:
- establish a sward in the first 12 months of agreement that includes at least 5 species of grass, 4 species of legumes and 4 species of herb or wildflowers – you should agree a seed mix and minimum cover of each species with your Natural England adviser (you can maintain an existing herbal ley if it meets these requirements)
- maintain the required area of mixed sward for the remainder of the agreement
- re-establish the sward (if necessary) on the same or a different field
- manage the sward throughout the year by cutting or grazing
- shut the field up for an agreed period before cutting or grazing – typically for 5 weeks between May and the end of July
- keep a monthly record of stock numbers grazing on land parcels and provide this record if requested
You must not:
- apply any inorganic fertilisers containing nitrogen
- apply pesticides – you may be able to use herbicides to spot-treat or weed-wipe for the control of injurious weeds, invasive non-native plant species, nettles or other plants if this has been agreed with your Natural England adviser
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its duration.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you have done to complete this action. If it’s not clear that you have done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if they ask for it.
The same action appears in the other schemes under a different code. The work is broadly the same; the rate and the length of the commitment are not.
Where you can do it
You can do this action on eligible land that’s located below the moorland line .
You cannot do this action on:
- a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
- land that contains historic or archaeological features identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER) assessment
- peaty soils – read the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) guidance on characteristics of different soils for more information
- a priority habitat, including good quality semi-improved grassland – these are mapped on the Priority Habitat Inventory on Magic.
Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh that is managed as improved grassland may be eligible for this action, if agreed with your Natural England adviser.
Eligible land
You can do this action on land that’s:
- an eligible land type
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
Available area
Total or part of the available area in the land parcel.
Rotational or static
This action is rotational or static. This means you can either:
- move the action’s location as agreed with your Natural England adviser
- keep it at the same location
Consents and permissions
To apply for this action, you’ll need:
- Scheduled Monument Consent from Historic England for any work on scheduled monuments
- consent from Natural England for any activity on land designated as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)
You may need to:
- agree an implementation plan or feasibility study with your Natural England adviser
- get advice from your Forestry Commission woodland officer or Natural England adviser if you have other historic or archaeological features on your agreement land
- get a wildlife licence from Natural England if your activities affect a protected species or their habitat
- apply for an Environmental Impact Assessment screening or consent decision if you intend to reseed existing permanent grassland
All historic and archaeological features (including scheduled monuments) are identified in your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).
If you’re a tenant, it’s your responsibility to check whether your tenancy agreement allows you to complete what’s required in the actions you choose. You may need your landlord’s consent.
Capital grants that support it
If you need to complete an implementation plan or a feasibility study before you apply, you can apply for capital grants plans funding.
You can also apply for capital items to help you achieve the action’s aims. Your Natural England adviser will discuss eligible capital items with you.
