What the action involves
This action’s aim is to provide varied root structures. This purpose of this is to help improve and maintain the soil’s structure, carbon, biology and fertility.
When to do it
If you’re doing this action on the same area of land for the 3-year duration of your SFI agreement, you must:
- establish the herbal leys within the first 12 months of your SFI agreement
- maintain the area of herbal leys in each subsequent year of your SFI agreement
If you’re rotating this action around your farm, each year of your SFI agreement you must do it for a period of time that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
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 herbal leys, 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 2023 offer includes 1 action for moorland (MOR1: Assess moorland and produce a written record). It combines the 3 actions from the introductory level of the SFI moorland standard we introduced in 2022.
From 2024, we will introduce more actions and payments, beyond those already available in environmental land management schemes, which will pay you to carry out activities on the moorland that maintain or enhance the environmental benefits it provides.
Moorland areas may also be eligible for other funding, such as:
- Countryside Stewardship, which has a range of options for moorland areas
- Farming in Protected Landscapes
- Landscape Recovery
- private sector schemes
(Credit: Ian Condliffe)
Assess moorland habitat
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.
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 SAM3.
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 Improved permanent grassland PG01 Permanent grassland
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.
This action is rotational. You can do this action on the same area of eligible land each year of your 3-year SFI agreement, or you can move the area each year.
You must not enter any area within a land parcel into this action that:
- is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), because herbal leys are not appropriate for these settings and can cause significant damage
- contains historic or archaeological features identified in your SFI HEFER – read the information about historic and archaeological features, including scheduled monuments (section 4.3.2) to find out more about the SFI HEFER
You should also not enter any area of land into this action that has peaty soil because this action could damage peat. Peaty soil means there’s around 20% or more organic matter to a depth of 40cm or more. The SOM test results from completing SAM1 will tell you if this is the case.
