CAHL3: Grassy field corners or blocks

The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version):

• you can now put all or part of a parcel's available area into this action – this only applies to SFI26 agreements, not existing SFI23 and SFI24 agreements
• minor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions

This action’s aim is that there’s a grassy field corner or block with:

• an intact grass sward throughout the year, without tracks, compacted areas or poaching
• tussocky grass allowed to develop

The purpose of this is to:

• provide year-round habitat for a range of wildlife
• support an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas

What you must do

You must establish and maintain grassy field corners or blocks on arable and horticultural land entered into this action.

To establish the grassy field corners or blocks you must either sow them or allow the areas to naturally regenerate.

During the first 12 months after sowing them, or allowing them to naturally regenerate, you can regularly cut or graze them to:

• control annual weeds
• encourage new grass shoots to develop

The grassy field corners or blocks will usually be established around 12 months after they’re sown or allowed to regenerate naturally.

Once established, you must maintain the grassy field corners or blocks. To do this, you must manage them in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.

You must not do the following on the grassy field corners or blocks once they’re established:

• graze them with livestock in a way that means this action’s aim cannot reasonably be achieved
• cut them, except for localised cutting to control injurious weeds or invasive non-natives, soft and hard rush, nettles or bracken
• use them for regular vehicular access, turning or storage (for example, storing bales or machinery)
• carry out activities that may disturb breeding birds or damage nests, as birds, nests and eggs are protected by law
• apply any fertilisers, manures or lime
• use pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken

You can maintain existing grassy field corners or blocks to get paid for this action, if they meet this action’s requirements.

When to do it

You must:

• establish the grassy field corners or blocks within 12 months of this action’s start date
• maintain the same area of grassy field corners or blocks in each subsequent year of this action’s 3-year duration

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 static. This means you must 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
• 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.