WBD6: Remove livestock from intensive grassland during the autumn and winter (outside SDAs)

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

• you enter the parcel's whole available area, and that area is measured as it stands when you apply
• minor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions

This action’s aim is that, during the autumn and winter months, there’s intensive grassland next to a watercourse, with:

• no livestock on it
• minimal waterlogging, compaction and poaching

The purpose of this is to:

• improve soil structure
• reduce surface runoff and risk of diffuse pollution to the watercourse
• help to reduce the risk of flooding

What you must do

You must remove all livestock from the land for at least 5 consecutive months during the autumn and winter months. This period will usually be between October and March.

For the purposes of this action, livestock includes cattle, sheep, goats, ponies and horses, as relevant.

You must keep a written record of:

• grazing activity on each land parcel entered into this action to show you’ve met the minimum livestock removal period required by this action
• input records showing that the grassland has received at least 100kg of nitrogen per hectare per year

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 the action until the end of your chosen minimum 5-month livestock removal period or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.

Where you can do it

You can do this action on agricultural land which drains directly into a watercourse (stream, river or lake) that’s:

• located outside severely disadvantaged areas (SDAs) below the moorland line
• typically receiving at least 100 kilograms (kg) of nitrogen per ha per year
• identified by you as being prone to waterlogging, compaction and poaching – you must keep written evidence of this
• 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.

Evidence to keep

You must keep written evidence that land entered into this action is prone to waterlogging, compaction or poaching. You can use a soil management plan you’ve already produced for SFI24 action CSAM1 or SFI23 action SAM1 to identify this.

You must also keep the required written record of grazing activity and nitrogen application

You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.