This action’s aim is that there’s an established pollen and nectar flower mix which:
- is growing in blocks or strips
- produces areas of flowering plants from late spring and during the summer months
The purpose of this is to:
- provide food for beneficial pollinators, such as bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies
- encourage natural crop pest predators as part of an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas
What you must do
You must establish a nectar flower mix as a block or strip on land entered into this action.
You must use a grass-free seed mix which includes at least 6 flower species, with no individual species being more than 50% of the total mix by weight.
The seed mix must include at least 2 of the following flower species:
- common knapweed
- musk mallow
- oxeye daisy
- wild carrot
- yarrow
Once the pollen and nectar flower mix block or strip is established (usually from the second spring after sowing), you must maintain it. To do this, you must manage it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
You must not do the following on the established pollen and nectar flower mix block or strip:
- cut or graze it with livestock in a way that means this action’s aim cannot reasonably be expected to be achieved
- use it for regular vehicular access, turning or storage (for example, storing bales or machinery)
- apply any fertilisers and manures
- apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken
You can maintain an existing pollen and nectar flower mix block or strip to get paid for this action if it:
- meets this action’s requirements
- is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as CS option AB1 (nectar flower mix)
When to do it
You must:
- establish the pollen and nectar flower mix block or strip between early spring and early autumn, within 12 months of this action’s start date
- maintain the mix at the same location for a period of time that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim – this will usually be until the end of the second summer after sowing
- after this period of time, re-establish the pollen and nectar flower mix block or strip between early spring and early autumn (either at the same location or a different location) and maintain it until this action’s end date
Where you can do it
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
- an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 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
Rotational or static
This action is rotational or static. This means you can either:
- move its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration
- do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration
It counts toward the 25% limit
This is a ‘limited area’ action. The total eligible area you enter into any combination of one or more of the ‘limited area’ actions must not be more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm. Read section 4.5 ‘Limited area SFI actions’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details (including a list of ‘limited area’ actions).
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
- field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices, including details of the seed mix used
- photographs or other documentation
If it’s not clear that you’ve 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.
