SUSTAINABLE FARMING INCENTIVE – PILOT STARTING 2021 – LOW AND NO INPUT 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 
• where this standard is used on SSSIs and priority habitats, graze or cut to maintain the appropriate sward height for the grassland type. 

Advice: 

• maintain permanent grassland with very low inputs 
• use rotational grazing on permanent grassland 
• graze with livestock to maintain and improve habitats 
• maintain species-rich grassland 

1. Same as Introductory level

Do one of the following: 

• graze to keep an average sward height of at least 8 to 12cm over at least 50% of the area of grazed pasture during the growing season 
• graze rotationally, with rest periods 
• where this standard is used on SSSIs and priority habitats, graze or cut to maintain the appropriate sward height for the grassland type 

2. Maintain areas of tall vegetation, scrub and wet features

• Where these features occupy less than 10% of the grassland area, allow additional areas to develop without cutting or grazing, or create more wet features. 
• Allow individual trees to become established through the cover of scrub where they regenerate naturally. 
• To meet local objectives, scrub cover should be lower on: 
• historic sites 
• areas managed for breeding waders and on priority habitat 
• species-rich grassland 

1.  Same as Intermediate level

2. Same as Intermediate level

Advice: 

• create scrub and scrub mosaics 
• manage scrub and scrub mosaics 
• remove tree and scrub cover from sensitive features 
• maintain species-rich grassland 
• create ponds and lakes 
• maintain and enhance ponds and lakes 

1. Leave margins uncut

In fields cut for forage, leave at least one third 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. 

2. Manage weeds and invasive or competitive species

Manage weeds and invasive or competitive species by hand pulling, cutting, grazing, weed wiping or spot treatment. 

Manage grazed pasture with limited nutrient inputs

Apply no more than 50kg per ha N, from either inorganic fertiliser or manures, or a combination of both. If your current rate is less than this, do not increase your application. 

Advice: 

• make field-dried hay or haylage.  
• manage weeds in grassland 
• manage rushes in grassland 
• use precision pesticide application systems 
• maintain permanent grassland with very low inputs.

1. Same as Introductory level

2. Same as Introductory level

3. Manage grazed pasture with limited nutrient inputs

• On grazed pasture, manage without nutrient inputs.
• On fields which are cut for forage, manage your land with farmyard manure only at sufficient quantities to replace the nutrients lost in the crop in the years when cut, or less frequently. 

Do not apply more than 12 tha-1 FYM. If your current rate is already less than this, do not increase your application rate. 

4. Manage 50% of conserved forage area as hay meadow 

This action will maintain and increase botanical diversity. 

• Manage at least 50% (or proportion required to meet SSSI requirements, where greater than this) of conserved forage area as hay meadow. 
• Close fields by mid-May for at least 6 weeks and make field-dried hay or haylage with aftermath grazing (with cattle where available). 

5. Rushes in grassland

Where they are present, manage non-jointed rushes (soft and hard rush), to limit cover to 30%, or current levels if less than this, in scattered patches. 

1. Same as Introductory level

2. Same as Introductory level

3. Same as Intermediate level

4. Manage 75% of conserved forage area as hay meadow 

• Manage at least 75% (or proportion required to meet SSSI requirements, where greater than this) of conserved forage area as hay meadow. 
• Close fields by mid-May for at least 6 weeks and make field-dried hay or haylage with aftermath grazing (with cattle where available). 

5. Same as Intermediate level 

Advice: 

• manage rushes in grassland. 

• 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.

Advice: 

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

• manage your ditches between 1 September and 1 April to minimise disturbance to wildlife 
• 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.

Advice: 

• create and manage ditches for wildlife.

1. Supplementary feeding must not cause poaching or overgrazing, and where possible should be restricted to home-produced forage.

Do not supplementary feed: 

• on historic features 
• on areas of species-rich grassland 
• within 10m of water courses or wet features 
• within the buffer zone of in-field trees 
• during the breeding season where ground nesting birds are present, or are a SSSI feature

Advice: 

• graze with livestock to maintain and improve habitats 
• manage historic features in grassland 
• maintain in-field trees

1. Provide habitat for wading birds

This action will increase botanical diversity, provide habitat for waders and wildfowl and contribute to natural flood management. . 

Choose one of the following: 

• Block drains where there is potential to create or extend small wetland areas within grazing land – this does not apply to floodplain and damp upland hay meadows. You’ll get an additional £127/ha. 
• Manage floodplain grassland to keep water on the fields over winter, in pools, scrapes and other low areas. Allow these to dry out gradually during the spring. You’ll get an additional £127/ha 

Advice: 

•  manage lowland wet grassland for birds.  
• block drains in grassland 
• sites of special scientific interest: managing your land.