What the action involves
This action’s aim is that there’s an intact grass sward throughout the year, without tracks, compacted areas or poaching, so tussocky grass can develop. The purpose of this to:
- provide year-round habitat for a range of wildlife
- support an IPM approach if located close to cropped areas
When to do it
You must:
- establish the grassy field corners or blocks during the first 12 months of your
SFI agreement
- maintain the same area of grassy field corners or blocks in each subsequent year of your 3-year SFI agreement
How to do it It’s up to you how you complete this action, as long as you do it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
You may find it helpful to read the voluntary guidance on how to establish and maintain grassy field corners or blocks, but you do not have to follow it.
What evidence to keep You should keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action. This will help if it’s not clear that you’ve completed the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it. This evidence could include photographs and other documentation to show what you’ve done to complete this action. It could also include field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices. If you choose to take photographs, read the guidance on how to take photographic evidence (annex A).
The SFI actions for farmland wildlife on improved grassland are focused on providing habitat and food sources for farmland birds, pollinators and a range of other farmland wildlife.
They include:
- IGL1: Take grassland field corners or blocks out of management
- IGL2: Winter bird food on improved grassland
Provide habitat and food sources for farmland wildlife
The same action appears in the other schemes under a different code. The work is broadly the same; the rate and the length of the commitment are not.
- SFI26 — CAHL3: £590 per hectare per year, over 3 years
- SFI26 pays the same rate.
Where you can do it
You can do this action on eligible agricultural land located below the moorland line. The table below sets out what land is eligible for AHL3.
Eligible land type Eligible land use code Compatible land cover Arable crops Arable land Leguminous and nitrogen- Arable land fixing crops Arable land, including temporary grassland FA01 Arable land TG01 Arable land Permanent crops – horticultural TC01 Permanent crops
The glossary (annex C) explains what we mean by land types, land use codes and compatible land covers.
The SFI application service will automatically calculate what area may be eligible for this action in each land parcel. This is called the ‘SFI available area’. You must check this area is an eligible land type. Find out how the SFI available area is calculated in the information on land that’s eligible for the SFI actions (section 4.1.2).
You can apply for this action on either the total SFI available area in each land parcel shown in your SFI application, or part of that area. However, this action is normally intended to be done on part of a land parcel as a field corner or block.
For SFI applications submitted on or after 26 March 2024, 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 the guidance on ‘SFI actions with an area limit’ (at the start of section 2) for more information and a list of the ‘limited area’ SFI actions. This action is static. You must do it on the same area of eligible land each year of your 3- year SFI agreement. You cannot move the area each year.
