PRF2: Camera or remote sensor guided herbicide spraying

No substantive changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version). There have only been minor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions.

This action’s aim is that camera or remote sensing guided technology is used to apply systemic herbicides to control weeds, so they’re targeted precisely.

The purpose of this is to:

• reduce the volume of herbicide applied
• increase biodiversity
• improve water quality, soil quality and productivity
• support an integrated pest management approach

What you must do

You must apply systemic (contact) herbicides on land entered into this action using camera or remote sensing technology that:

• identifies specific weeds to be controlled
• automatically switches on individual nozzles to apply the herbicides directly to the identified weeds

Systemic herbicides kill the whole weed, from leaf to root.

You must only carry out a ‘blanket’ application of herbicides if you’re applying:

• glyphosate to destroy a cover crop or create a stale seedbed before drilling
• residual herbicides before sown crop plants or weeds emerge (‘pre-emergence’) – this can be at the same time the crop is established (drilled or planted) or within a few days of establishment
• pre-harvest herbicide or desiccant to combinable crops

A ‘blanket’ application means you apply herbicides uniformly across an area, rather than targeting the application to identified weeds.

When to do it

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

Where you can do it

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

• receiving systemic herbicides to control weeds which camera or remote sensing guided technology can recognise
• 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 land cover

Camera recognition is currently available for:

• docks and nettles in grass or leys containing clover
• all weeds in maize
• certain crops grown on wide row spacings (such as potatoes)
• stubbles – where there’s green growth

Remote sensing technology uses artificial intelligence to recognise target weeds.

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

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:

• ‘as applied’ data, such as a map showing where individual nozzles switch on to apply herbicide
• a record of any permitted blanket application of herbicide, including the date it was applied
• contractor’s invoice if you use a contractor to do this action

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.