Improved Grassland for SFI (IGL2)

What is improved grassland?  

But before we look at the specific actions outlined in the SFI scheme, we need a definition of what improved grassland actually is under the government scheme. Most people know it as grassland that is activity managed for livestock grazing or the production of forage, with fewer varieties of plant than more natural, unimproved grassland.

But is there more to it than that?  

Certainly, for the purposes of SFI, there is.  

According to the government, to qualify as improved grassland the sward composition must include at least two of the following:  

• More than 30% cover of rye-grass and white clover 
• No more than eight species per m2, including grasses 
• Less than 10% cover of wildflowers and sedges, excluding white clover, creeping buttercup, docks, thistles and ragwort 

As well as the sward composition, the government’s definition of improved grassland also extends to how it is managed. To qualify, management of the land is likely to include:  

• Regular re-seeding, or within the last 15 years 
• Regular fertilising with typically at least 100kg per hectare of nitrogen as compound fertiliser or animal manures and slurries 
• Boom spraying herbicides to treat weeds 
• Active, well-maintained field drains 
• Taking any conserved forage as silage at least once a year 

Grassland defined as improved encompasses a wide range of farm and land types, including organic systems.  

As well as improved grassland, there is a classification of pasture which is considered semi-improved. Semi-improved grassland is grassland that has been modified in some way through agricultural interventions such as fertilising, drainage or grazing, but still has a greater diversity of species compared to improved grassland.  

Like improved grassland, semi-improved grassland is consider eligible land under the SFI scheme. To qualify, the grassland must have been managed in certain ways, including: 

• Not reseeding for at least 15 years 
• Applying low or no artificial fertiliser or animal manures and slurries 
• Applying localised or no herbicide to treat weeds 
• Leaving field drains unmaintained or maintaining them infrequently 
• Taking conserved forage as hay or haylage no more than once a year 

Improved grassland SFI actions 

As stated, there are a number of SFI actions in the 2023 scheme that can be carried out on improved grassland that aim to improve food provision and habitat for farmland wildlife, and soil health. These include:  

• IGL1 – take improved grassland field corners or blocks out of management 
• IGL2 – winter bird food on grassland fields 
• IGL3 – 4m to 12m buffer strip on improved grassland  
• NUM2 – legumes on improved grassland 

Under the 2024 updated SFI scheme, actions that can be implemented on improved grassland include:  

• CIGL1 – take improved grassland field corners or blocks out of management 
• CIGL2 – winter bird food on grassland fields 
• CIGL3 – 4m to 12m buffer strip on improved grassland  
• BFS3 – buffer in-field ponds on improved grassland 
• CNUM2 – legumes on improved grassland  

IGL1 - take improved grassland field corners or blocks out of management 

IGL1 pays farmers to take grassland field corners or block out of management so tussocky grass can develop. The aim of this action is to provide year-round habitat for farmland wildlife, and support an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach if located near to cropped areas.  

The action is worth £333 per hectare per year, lasts for three years, and eligible land includes temporary grassland and improved grassland. It is a static action, which means it must be carried out in the same location for each of the three years.  

Under the 2023 scheme, the action could be applied to the total SFI available area in each land parcel shown in your SFI application, or part of that area.

However, it was intended to be done on part of a land parcel such as a field corner or block. 

To qualify for payments under IGL1, you must leave grassland field corners or blocks entered into the scheme unmanaged. This means you cannot:  

• Graze them 
• Cut the grass, except for localised cutting to control injurious weeds or invasive non-natives, soft or hard rush, nettles or bracken 
• Apply fertilisers, manures or lime 
• Use pesticides, except for herbicides to spot-treat or weed-wipe for the control of injurious weeds or invasive non-natives, soft and hard rush, nettles or bracken.  

IGL2 – Winter bird food on grassland fields 

The aim of this action is for improved grassland entered into the scheme to be maintained so it’s left to go to seed during the autumn and winter months, to provide winter food for farmland birds.  

IGL2 pays £515 per hectare per year, and as with the majority of SFI actions, lasts for a duration of three years. Like IGL1, IGL2 can be undertaken on temporary or improved permanent grassland. It is rotational, meaning it can be carried out in the same location each year, or it can be moved.  

How you carry out this action is up to you, as long as what you do achieves the stated outcome. However, two options include cutting it for silage or hay in a way that allows it to go to seed, and leaving it un-grazed after the final cut for silage and hay, as this will help produce adequate seed during the winter months.  

To provide winter bird food, it helps to use sites with a high cover of perennial, Italian or hybrid ryegrass, and it is best done in a variety of locations to attract different birds.  

For example, winter bird food near hedges will attract tree sparrows and yellowhammers. Away from hedgerows will attract open-country birds such as skylarks, grey partridges, and corn buntings. 

IGL3 - 4m to 12m buffer strip on improved grassland  

IGL3 aims to ensure a buffer strip with an intact grass sward throughout the year, without tracks, compacted areas, or poaching from livestock. The purpose of this is to protect existing landscape and heritage features, provide habitat for wildlife, and prevent pollutants such as sediment and nutrients leaching into nearby watercourses.  

The action pays £235 per hectare per year, lasts for three years, is applicable to temporary grassland or improved permanent grassland, and is static. 

To access the funding, you must create a grass buffer of 4m to 12m wide between improved grassland and existing features such as hedgerows, stone walls, woodland, ditches, rivers or streams, or upstanding historic or archaeological features such as earthworks, in-field structures, or buildings. 

You can also locate the grass buffer strip next to trackways that channel runoff water directly into a watercourse or fence lines that form links between areas of wildlife habitat.  

Buffers can be wider than 12m but you will only get paid for the 12m width. 

NUM2 – Legumes on improved grassland 

NUM2 aims to increase soil health by growing legumes on improved grassland. It does this by managing nutrient efficiency, protecting the soil surface, improving soil structure, and supporting an IPM approach if located close to cropped areas.  

The action pays £102 per hectare per year, last for three years, can be carried out on temporary grassland or improved permanent grassland, and is rotational.  

To access the funding, you can sow one or more of the following:  

• Red clover 
• White clover 
• Alsike clover 
• Sainfoin 
• Lucerne 
• Bird’s foot trefoil  

You can sow these by adding them to an existing grassland or by mixing grass seed and legumes as part of a reseed. 

Once sown, the legumes must be maintained in a way that meets the action’s objectives.  

CIGL1, CIGL2, GICL3, and CNUM2  

These actions are the 2024 updated versions of IGL1, IGL2, IGL3, and NUM2, which appeared in the 2023 SFI scheme. They are all essentially the same as the 2023 versions expect for one crucial factor.  

CIGL1, CIGL2, GICL3, and CNUM2 are all ‘limited area’ actions. Limited area actions, whether it is a single action or a combination of them, cannot constitute more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm. So, whereas the aim of these actions remains the same as their 2023 counterparts, and they are achieved in the same way, the area over which they can be applied has been reduced.  

The ‘limited area’ stipulation was introduced by the government in 2024 in an attempt to protect food security.  

BFS3 – buffer in-field ponds on improved grassland 

BFS3 pays farmers to created grass buffers around ponds that are located in improved grassland. The aims of the action are to protect ponds from nutrient leaching and sediment runoff, improve water quality, and provide a habitat for wildlife.  

The action pays £311 per hectare per year, last for three years, is applicable to temporary grassland and improve permanent grassland, and is static.  

To access the funding, you must create a grass buffer of 10m – 20m wide between the edge of the pond and the edge of the improved grassland. The buffer does not need to surround the whole pond – you can choose how much of it you want to buffer – but of course, the less you buffer, the less money you will be able to claim.  

To establish the grass buffer, you must let the area regenerate naturally, and then manage it in a way that achieves the aims of the action. This means you cannot:  

• Cut the grass strip, except to prevent scrub from developing on more than half of its area 
• Cut the grass strip during the bird breeding season  
• Let livestock poach more than a third of the grass strip 
• Apply fertilisers or manures 
• Apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken 

Summary  

As this article shows, there are a number of options open to farmers wanting to bring improved grassland into the SFI scheme. All of these actions are aimed at either improving biodiversity by providing more habitat for farmland wildlife, or improving soil health and water quality. And with some actions paying as much as £515 per hectare per year, they offer an excellent incentive to increase your environmental credentials while still being able to produce high quality grazing and forage.  

For more advice on the SFI scheme and improved grassland, speak to one of our specialists today.