SUSTAINABLE FARMING INCENTIVE – PILOT STARTING 2021 – IMPROVED GRASSLAND STANDARD

1. Manage fields for grazing

Do one of the following: 

• graze to keep an average sward height of at least 5cm, over at least 75% of the area of grazed pasture during the growing season 
• graze rotationally, with rest periods 

2. Manage historic features in grassland

In areas with visible features of historic interest, for example ridge and furrow, barrows or deserted villages you must: 

• maintain permanent grassland 
• only re-seed by direct drilling or over-sowing  

3. Allow tall vegetation and scrub to develop on 2% of grassland 

• Take or keep field corners and small areas up to 0.5ha out of grazing and cutting management to allow tall vegetation and scrub to develop. 

Advice: 

• create and maintain field corners 
• manage grazing on improved grassland 
• use rotational grazing on permanent grassland 

1. Same as Introductory level

2. Same as Introductory level

3. Allow tall vegetation and scrub to develop on 5% of grassland (expands on Introductory Level) 

• this includes the 2% from the introductory level. 

 4. Introduce clover and other legumes on 15% of improved grassland 

This will: 

• improve soil structure, soil carbon and soil biology 
• provide habitat for pollinators 
• reduce fertiliser application 

Advice: 

• create scrub and scrub mosaics 
• manage scrub and scrub mosaics 
• manage historic features in grassland. 
• grow legumes in grassland to replace nutrient inputs

1. Manage fields for grazing(expands on introductory level) 

Allow wild or sown flowers to flower and produce seed by: 

• managing grazing to produce a tussocky sward of at least 8cm average height over at least 75% of the area of grazed pasture, during the growing season 
• delaying cutting until the majority of flowers have reached seeding, in fields cut for forage 

 2. Same as Introductory level

3. Same as Intermediate level

 4. Introduce diverse grass, herb and legumes on 20% of improved grassland (expands on Intermediate level) 

 5. Allow ryegrass to bear seed

• Allow at least 2% of ryegrass swards (in addition to ungrazed areas) to bear seed through the winter. Where possible, locate them near hedges and semi-natural habitat. 

Advice: 

• make field-dried hay or haylage 
• use controlled cutting of grasslands to promote wildlife 
• provide ryegrass seed-set for birds over winter. 
• grow legumes in grassland to replace nutrient inputs 
• create and maintain herbal leys 

• In hay and silage fields, leave at least 33% of margins uncut to produce flowers and seed. Aim to distribute the uncut margins around cutting fields (minimum width 2m), rather than locating them all in one area. 

Advice: 

• make field-dried hay or haylage 
• use controlled cutting of grasslands to promote wildlife 

1. Same as Introductory level

2. Control cutting on silage fields

On at least 60% of your silage fields do one of the following: 

• delay the first cut until the last week of May 
• leave a period of 8 weeks between the first and second cuts 

1.  Same as Introductory level

2. Same as Intermediate level

• maintain a buffer to at least 2m beyond the edge of the canopy to protect the roots 
• leave mature ivy and low-hanging and fallen, dead or dying branches on the tree or beneath the canopy to provide habitats for wildlife 
• do not feed livestock within the buffer area 

You’ll be paid £3 per tree. 

You can apply for funding for capital items to protect trees from damage by livestock. 

1. Same as Introductory level

Advice:  

• maintain in-field trees 
• maintain dead wood to benefit wildlife 

• make sure manures and fertilisers you apply meet crop and soil requirements 
• minimise losses of nutrients to the environment 

Advice: 

• create and use a nutrient management plan.

1. Same as Introductory level

2. Test your manures and soils

To inform your nutrient planning: 

• test the nutrient content of slurry and manure 
• test soils every 3 years or on 30% of land each year 

3. Carry out a whole farm nutrient budget

• Carry out a whole farm nutrient budget that takes account of inputs from feed, fertiliser and manures outputs in crop and livestock products. 
• Use your budget to produce an action plan. 

4.  Limit inputs of liquid manures

• Limit inputs of slurry or other liquid manures to 30m³ per ha in a single application. 
• Do not increase your application rate if your current rate is less than this. 

5. Use low emission technologies

• Apply organic manures (slurry, other liquid manures) using low emission technologies (trailing hose and shoe or shallow injection) to grassland. 

Advice: 

• use a whole farm nutrient budget.  
• use precision application of fertiliser, manure and other inputs

1. Same as Introductory level

2. Same as Intermediate level

3. Same as Intermediate level

4. Same as Intermediate level

5. Same as Intermediate level

6. Reduce nutrient inputs

• Reduce nutrient inputs to a maximum of 100 kg per ha total nitrogen from manures, or 50 kg per ha total nitrogen from inorganic fertilizer over at least 5% of the improved grassland area. 

This applies particularly: 

• in fields that slope to a watercourse and are next to sensitive habitats 
• where inputs are typically above these levels 

7. Carry out soil mapping

Carry out detailed soil mapping to test nutrient variations within fields, for example P, K, Mg and pH, on either: 

• 20% of the farmed area each year 
• the entire farmed area once every 4 years 

8. Use efficient precision application equipment

Use efficient precision application equipment for fertilisers and organic manures. 

Advice: 

• use less fertiliser, manure and lime 
• reduce grassland management intensity next to watercourses 
• complete a runoff and soil erosion risk assessment 
• create and use a nutrient management plan 
• use precision application of fertiliser, manure and other inputs

• cut no more than half the length of bank vegetation in any year 
• carry out rotational in-channel management on a rotation of at least 3 years 

You can do in-channel management more regularly if you’ve been told to by a flood management authority. This requirement only applies where the applicant has control over the management of the ditch. Ditches managed by the Environment Agency or an Internal Drainage Board are exempt. 

Advice:  

• create-and-manage-ditches-for-wildlife