SOH3: Multi-species summer-sown cover crop

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 there’s a well-established summer-sown multi-species cover crop which is present between harvesting a cash crop, until either:

• the next cash crop is sown
• a winter cover crop is sown

The purpose of this is to:

• protect the soil surface
• provide root growth that benefits soil structure, supports soil biology and minimises nutrient leaching, soil erosion and runoff
• add organic matter

What you must do

You must establish a multi-species cover crop mix during the summer months (usually between June and August) which will not be harvested as a cash crop.

A ‘cash crop’ means a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use.

You must use a rapid growing seed mix that contains at least 4 species. This must include 2 species from two or more of the following plant families:

• brassicas
• legumes
• cereals and grasses, with grasses making up no more than 25% of the total mix by weight
• herbs

The seed mix must not contain:

• Japanese reed millet
• maize
• miscanthus or reed canary grass
• sorghum (all varieties)
• artichokes
• sweet fennel

You must avoid growing deep rooted species on any area within a land parcel with historic or archaeological features identified in your SFI HEFER. Read section 5.3 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details.

You must maintain the multi-species cover crop in a way, and for a period of time, that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.

For the purposes of this action’s aim, the cover crop will be well-established if there’s:

• leafy vegetation that’s sufficiently well grown to protect the soil surface
• minimal bare soil

You must not do the following on the well-established cover crop:

• cut it or graze it with livestock (other than when destroying the cover crop)
• mechanically apply any fertilisers or manures
• destroy it more than 2 weeks before you intend to establish the next main crop

When you destroy the cover crop, you should try to minimise risks such as compaction, poaching, soil runoff or erosion.

If something happens which means you cannot complete this action, you must tell the RPA in writing as soon as possible. For example, if there’s prolonged adverse weather. Read section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply with your agreement’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this.

You must not use the following to meet this action:

• a multi-species temporary grass ley, such as a mix of grass and clover, that is being used for grazing
• a multi-species crop which you intend to harvest as a cash crop, such as a mix of wheat and clover

You can only use an existing multi-species cover crop to meet this action’s requirements if you overseed it. This includes a cover crop already paid for under an environmental land management scheme action, such as SOH2 (multi-species spring-sown cover crop).

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.

If this action’s start date means it’s too late for you to do this action, you must start doing it within 12 months of the action’s start date.

In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do this action until the next main crop is sown, or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.

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

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 and 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.