CIPM2: Flower-rich grass margins, blocks or in-field strips

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 SFI24 or SFI23 agreements
• minor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions

This action’s aim is that there’s an established multi-annual flower-rich grass mix which:

• is growing in margins, blocks or in-field strips
• produces flowering plants during the spring and summer months, into early autumn

The purpose of this is to:

• encourage natural crop pest predators as part of an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas
• provide habitat and foraging sites for invertebrates, including natural crop pest predators, wild pollinators such as bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies, and farmland birds

What you must do

You must establish a flower-rich grass mix as a margin, block or in-field strip on land entered into this action.

You must use a seed mix which includes at least both:

• 4 grass species (not ryegrass) – these should make up no more than 90% of the total mix by weight
• 10 wildflower species – with no individual flower species being more than 25% of the total wildflower species element by weight

Once the flower-rich grass margin, block or in-field 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 flower-rich grass margin, block or in-field strip:

• cut or graze it with livestock in a way that means this action’s aim cannot reasonably be expected to be achieved
• use them for regular vehicular access, turning or storage (for example, storing bales or machinery)
• mechanically 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 flower-rich grass margin, block or in-field 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 AB8 (flower rich margins and plots)

When to do it

If you’re establishing a new flower-rich grass margin, block or in-field strip to meet this action, you must:

• sow the mix by early autumn, within 12 months of this action’s start date
• maintain the mix at the same location until this action’s end date

If you’re maintaining an existing flower-rich grass margin, block or in-field strip to meet this action, you must do this until this action’s end date. You may need to oversow it within 12 months of this action’s start date, so it can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.

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 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

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 SFI scheme information for more details (including a list of the ‘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.