SFI Arable Options

What is classed as arable land under the SFI scheme?

Land that is eligible to be entered into SFI is divided into categories including arable, permanent crops, grass and moorland.

So, what does this mean for arable farmers?

To meet the arable criteria, your land must be cultivated to produce crops such as root crops, crops grown for animal feed such as forage rape, field vegetables and cut flowers or bulbs, or soft fruits which are not ‘permanent crops’. Land is also considered eligible for arable if it is fallow and available for crop production.

Temporary grassland, which is grassland that is part of an arable location and has been in grass for less than five consecutive years, also meets the criteria of arable land.

You can also manage arable land to create or restore species-rich grassland.

SFI actions available for arable farmers

There are more than 100 actions on the table for farmers at the moment, including more than 20 new options to support more sustainable food production.

The remainder of this article focuses on three of the best SFI options available to arable farmers, which cover precision farming, soil actions and actions for farmland wildlife on arable and horticultural land.

Precision Farming

The benefits to precision farming are that it reduces costs, improves yields and productivity, helps to benefit biodiversity and soil quality, and also improves air and water quality.

Under the SFI agreement for precision farming, there are four new actions you can carry out, which are PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, and PRF4.

PRF1: Variable rate application of nutrients

PRF1 pays farmers to apply nutrients at a variable rate which matches the needs of the crop. You can carry out this action on arable land, horticultural land, or improved permanent grassland. It is a three-year action that pays £27 per hectare per year.

PRF1 is aimed at reducing the over-application of nutrients, improving yields from more consistent crop growth and quality, and improving water and air quality.

It is both a rotational and static action, meaning you can perform it in the same place for the whole of the SFI agreement, or you can change location each year.

PRF2: Camera or remote sensor guided herbicide spraying

PRF2 concerns precision chemical applications to in an attempt to cut usage. As well as having benefits for the environment and wildlife, it should also save you money.

Like PRF1, it is also a three-year action and it pays £43 per hectare per year.

It is both a rotational and static action.

PRF3: Non-mechanical robotic weeding

This action involves the use of a laser or electric weeder to remove weeds, eliminating the need for herbicides. This is also a three-year action that will pay you £101 per hectare of land entered into the scheme per year.

For arable and non-permanent horticultural crops, including temporary grassland, this action is rotational. However, for permanent horticultural crops, this action is static so must be carried out at the same location for each year of the action’s duration.

PRF4: Robotic mechanical weeding

The final precision farming action – PRF4 – pays you to undertake robotic mechanical weeding, utilising technology that allows for precise weed control and minimises the use of chemicals. One of the more profitable actions, PRF4 pays £150 per hectare per year for a three-year period.

The aim of the action is improve productivity, water and soil quality, increase biodiversity and support an integrated pest management approach.

The action can be both rotational and static.

Soil Actions

You wouldn’t build a house without the right foundations and the same principle is why there is a strong focus on soil health in the SFI scheme. This is because if the soil health is in good order, there is a much higher chance of a decent crop, more money and the need for less chemical inputs. If soil health is poor, whatever you plant and plan for is on the back foot from the outset.

The aims behind the soil actions for SFI are to improve soil health, structure, organic matter and biology. In turn that will improve the long-term productivity of the land when it comes to food production as well as improving water quality, biodiversity, and climate resilience.

Two new elements have been added to soil actions that you can sign up to and these were drawn up following input from farmers and agricultural organisations. These are SOH1 and SOH2.

SOH1: No-till farming

SOH1 pays farmers to adopt a no-tillage approach to crop production on parcels of land. The action has a three-year duration and pays £73 per hectare per year.

The purpose of the action is to improve soil health, fertility, structure, soil water storage and reduce soil runoff, help to keep organic matter and nutrients in the soil, provide benefits for carbon, water quality and biodiversity, and help protect historic environment features.

SOH1 is a static action so much be carried out on the same parcel of land each year for the duration of the SFI agreement.

SOH2, 3, and 4: Cover cropping

SOH2, 3, and 4 all involve growing multi-species cover crops at different times of the year. SOH2 concerns spring-sown cover crops; SOH3 concerns summer-sown cover crops; and SOH4 concerns a winter cover crop grown after maize.

Each of these actions has a duration of three years. SOH2 and 3 pay £163 per hectare per year and SOH4 pays £203 per hectare per year.

Each of them can be either static or rotational.

Farmland wildlife on arable and horticultural land

Improving biodiversity, wildlife, and habitat is a major factor in the SFI actions and their desired outcomes.

As a result, many of the actions dedicated to this have a much higher financial value per hectare than the precision farming and soil health actions, so it is definitely worth considering whether these can work for you.

They include AHL1, AH2, and AHL3.

AHL1: Pollen and nectar flower mix

To achieve this action, you need to sow a pollen and nectar flower mix which produces areas of flowering plants from late spring and during the summer. The mix must be grass-free and contain at least six flower species to qualify. No one species can exceed 50% of the total seed mix, which must include at least two of the following – Common Knapweed, Musk Mallow, Oxeye Daisy, Wild Carrot and Yarrow.

The aim of AHL1 is to provide food for beneficial pollinators such as bees, butterflies and hoverflies, and to encourage natural crop pest predators.

It pays £739 per hectare per year but is a ‘limited area’ action so you can only do this on a maximum of 25 per cent of the total agricultural area of your farm.

AHL1 is a rotational action.

AHL2: Winter bird food on arable and horticultural land

The objective of AHL2 is to provide much-needed food for farmland birds which have seen dramatic losses over recent years. It also encourages flowering plants in summer, which will benefit insects, bees and butterflies.

To be eligible for this action, you must establish and maintain blocks or strips of winter bird food on land entered into this action, and you must sow at least six crops that will provide an extended supply of small seeds for farmland birds.

The mix must not include any of the following:

• Artichokes
• Reed canary grass
• Giant and intermediate sorghum
• Maize
• Miscanthus
• Sweet clover
• Tic beans

As these are not suitable for the small farmland birds the action is meant to help.

The action has a duration of three years and pays £853 per hectare per year. It is a rotational action and like AHL1, is limited to 25 percent of the total agricultural area of your farm.

AHL3: Grassy field corners or blocks

The third action for farmland wildlife on arable and horticultural land is AHL3: Grassy field corners or blocks. This is designed to make sure that there is a year-round habitat for a range of wildlife by having an intact grass sward throughout the year, without tracks, compacted areas or poaching, so tussocky grass can develop.

To establish the grassy field corners or blocks you must either sow them or allow the areas to naturally regenerate. You are allowed to control annual weeds and encourage new grass shoots to develop in the first year and then you must maintain them once they are established.

AHL3 is for a three-year agreement and is worth £590 per hectare per year. Again, as with AHL1 and AHL2, you can only apply this action on less than 25 per cent of what could be food producing land.

AHL3 is a static action.

Summary

The SFI actions that have been made available for arable farmers are varied in type and financial worth. They have been designed to cover a broad spectrum of environmental benefits from soil health to bird populations.

The three actions we have focused on in this article, from the updated SFI arable offer, look at precision farming, soil health and wildlife.

Between them, they aim to reduce the chemicals being put into the ground, reduce disturbance and damage to soil, and to have a variety of crops, grass and flowers on the farm throughout the year to create better habitats and food sources for insects, birds and wildlife.

Ultimately, the aim of arable SFI actions are to increase the productivity and resilience of your farm, improve environment performance and guard food security.