https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/aims-of-the-sustainable-farming-incentive-pilot-standards/
Aims of the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot standards
The guidance on this page is for SFI pilot participants only. Please visit GOV.UK for the official Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme guidance.
Each standard has a set of aims that participants should achieve if they have followed all the actions. These aims are the primary focus for site visits.
Applications for the pilot have now closed. The Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 offer launched in summer 2023. To find out more about the SFI 2023 offer, read the SFI Handbook for the SFI 2023 offer.
Site visits will check the aims for land in the standard agreement only.
Arable and horticultural land standard
There are 3 aims at introductory level, 4 aims at intermediate level and 5 at advanced level.
1. Provision of habitats for wildlife
Habitats will provide year-round food and shelter for birds, pollinators and other beneficial insects. There will be roughly equal amounts of:
- sites rich in insects and flowers
- areas with sown winter seed
There will be wildlife habitats created on a percentage of land in the standard, depending on the level:
- 5% at introductory level
- 8% at intermediate level
- 10% at advanced level
Intermediate and advanced levels only
On at least 0.5% of the farmed area there will be one or more of the following habitats to support wildlife:
- cultivated plots for ground nesting birds
- beetle banks
- ungrazed legume fallows
- supplementary winter bird feeding
Advanced level only
Habitats will be located where they can support integrated pest management, for example next to or within areas of crops.
There will be areas of tall vegetation, scrub and ponds on an additional 2% of the farmed area included in the standard.
2. Use of buffers to protect trees
Where there are in-field trees, there will be 10m buffers to protect tree roots. Any ivy, low hanging and fallen, dead or dying branches will be kept on the tree or beneath the canopy.
There will be buffers for a percentage of all trees on land in the standard, depending on the level:
- at least 50% at introductory and intermediate levels
- at least 75% at advanced level
3. A plan to reduce nutrient losses and emissions
A nutrient management plan will ensure that applications of manure and fertiliser meet crop and soil requirements. This will reduce the impact of nutrient loading on the local environment.
Low emission technologies will be used when applying slurries, other liquid manures, and organic and composted manures. Use efficient precision application equipment to apply fertilisers and pesticides.
Intermediate and advanced levels only
There will be:
- a nutrient budget and action plan to improve efficiency of nutrient use
- soil mapping across the farm to better target nutrient applications
4. Ditch maintenance (intermediate and advanced only)
Ditch channels will be maintained no more than once every 3 years, during the autumn or winter. At least half the length of ditch bank vegetation will be left uncut in any one year.
5. Targeting nutrient and pesticide applications (advanced level only)
Efficient precision application equipment will be used to apply fertilisers and pesticides.
Arable and horticultural soils standard
The aims are listed in the arable and horticultural soils standard.
Farm woodland standard
There are 6 aims but only one level in the farm woodland standard.
1.Internal open spaces
Where the woodland is not an ancient woodland there will be 10% to 20% internal open spaces and rides, within each established woodland block. Established woodland means woodland that’s over 15 years old.
No new open space will be created in ancient woodland.
2. Woodland condition assessment
Farmers will have completed this assessment in all the woodland parcels in the standard. Each woodland parcel will contain at least one survey plot.
3. Dead wood in woodland
There will be at least 20m3 per hectare of standing and fallen dead wood within each established woodland block.
4. Newly planted trees (optional)
There will be new trees with appropriate capital items installed.
5. Young trees (optional)
Woodlands that are less than 15 years old will be well maintained.
6. Woodland threats webinar
Farmers will have attended the woodland threats webinar and taken the online test.
Hedgerows standard
There are 2 aims at introductory level, and 4 aims at intermediate and advanced levels in this standard.
1. Uncut hedgerows
Every year at least half the total length of hedges in the agreement will be left uncut.
Intermediate and advanced levels only
Every year, either at least two thirds of the total length of hedges will be left uncut, or up to half will be trimmed with the cutting height raised by 10cm each time, leaving wood for fruit and flowers to form.
2. Hedgerow trees
At introductory level, there will be an average of one hedgerow tree for every 400m along the hedgerows in the agreement.
At intermediate level, there will be an average of one hedgerow tree for every 200m along the hedgerows in the agreement.
At advanced level, there will be an average of one hedgerow tree for every 100m along the hedgerows in the agreement.
At all levels, it is acceptable for some stretches to have no trees, especially where there are ground nesting birds.
3. Short hedges (intermediate and advanced levels)
Tops of hedges shorter than 2m will be left uncut.
4. Buffer strip (intermediate and advanced levels)
Measuring from the centre of the hedge, there will be a 4m tussocky grass buffer strip beside at least 50% (intermediate) or 75% (advanced) of hedgerows.
Improved grassland standard
There are 5 aims at introductory level, 7 at intermediate level and 8 at advanced level for the improved grasslands standard.
1. Grazing fields
At introductory and intermediate levels there will be a range of grass heights. The sward will either:
- have an average height of 5cm over 75% of the area or
- be grazed rotationally with rest periods
There will be continuous grassland cover in areas with visible historic features.
Advanced level only
The swards will be tussocky with an average height of 8cm over at least 75% of the area. The area will include patches of wild or sown flowers left to go to seed.
2. Hay and silage fields
At least a third of margins will be left uncut, encouraging flowers and seed.
Intermediate and advanced levels only
In addition to the introductory level aim, at least two-thirds of silage fields will be left uncut until the end of May, or given 8 weeks to regrow between cuts.
3. Habitat for wildlife
Field corners and small areas will be taken out of management to allow tall vegetation and scrub to develop. This area will be increased in the intermediate and advanced levels.
4. Tree buffers
Where there are in-field trees, there will be a buffer around them extending at least 2m beyond the edge of the canopy.
Any ivy, low hanging and fallen, dead or dying branches will be kept on the tree or beneath the canopy.
There will be no livestock feeding within the buffer area.
5. Nutrient management plan
Participants must have a nutrient management plan in place. The plan is there to ensure:
- manures and fertilisers meet crop and soil requirements
- nutrient loading and emissions of ammonia and greenhouse gases are reduced
Intermediate and advanced levels
In addition to the nutrient management plan, there must be a whole-farm nutrient budget that will take account of:
- nutrient inputs from feed, fertiliser and manures
- nutrient outputs in crop and livestock products
The nutrient budget will be informed by slurry, manure and soil testing that’s been done within the past 3 years.
There will be an action plan to improve the efficiency of nutrient use. This will include using low emission technologies to apply organic manures and restrict the amount of slurry in a single application to 30m3 or less per hectare.
At advanced level, the action plan will include using precision equipment for fertiliser and manure.
Advanced level only
Soil mapping will be carried out across the farm to:
- test nutrient variations in fields
- better target nutrient applications
Nutrients will be reduced to a maximum of 100kg per ha N from manures, or 50kg per ha N from inorganic fertiliser, on at least 5% of the improved grassland area, ideally where applications have typically been higher than this near watercourses.
6. Introduce or retain clover or other legumes
Intermediate level
There will be patches of clover or other legumes on 15% of improved grassland.
Advanced level only
Diverse herb and legume swards will cover at least 20% of the improved grassland area.
7. Ditch channels (intermediate and advanced levels only)
Ditch channels will be maintained no more than once every 3 years, during autumn and winter. At least half the length of ditch bank vegetation will be left uncut every year.
8. Winter bird food (advanced level only)
A small area, with high rye grass content, will be left to provide winter seed for birds.
Improved grassland soils standard
The aims are listed in the improved grassland soils standard.
Low and no input grassland standard
There are 7 aims at introductory level, 8 at intermediate and 9 at advanced for land in this standard.
1. Nutrient application
Application of inorganic fertiliser or manure will be reduced to no more than 50kg of N per hectare in total. If the current application rate is already below this, it will not be increased.
Intermediate and advanced levels
No nutrients will be applied to grazed pasture, to encourage diversity of plant species.
On fields cut for forage nutrient inputs will be further reduced to farmyard manure only, and limited to replace the nutrients lost when cut - with no more than 12 tonnes per ha
2. Grazing fields
The sward will have a range of heights. It will either:
- have an average height of 5cm over at least 75% of the area
or
- be grazed rotationally with rest periods, allowing wild or sown flowers to flower and produce seed
On priority habitat and grassland on sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), management will be adapted to the grassland type.
Intermediate and advanced levels
The sward will be tussocky with a range of heights. It will either:
- have an average height of between 8 and 12cm over at least 50% of the area
or
- be grazed rotationally with rest periods, allowing wild or sown flowers to flower and produce seed
On priority habitat and on sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), management will be adapted to the grassland type.
3. Fields cut for forage
At least a third of margins will be left uncut to encourage flowers and seed.
Intermediate and advanced levels only
In addition to the aims at introductory level, on at least 50% (for intermediate) or 75% (for advanced) of the mowing area, the crop will be:
- taken as field-dried hay or haylage
- cut when most plants have flowered and gone to seed
4. Weed and invasive species control
Weeds and invasive species will be managed by hand pulling, cutting, grazing, weed wiping or spot treatment.
5. Buffer around trees
There will be a buffer around in-field trees that extends to at least 2m beyond the edge of the canopy. Ivy, low hanging and fallen or dead branches will be kept on the tree or beneath the canopy.
There will be no livestock feeding within the buffer area.
6. Ditch channel maintenance
Ditch channels will be maintained no more than once every 3 years, during autumn and winter. At least half the length of ditch bank vegetation will be left uncut in any one year.
7. Supplementary feeding
Supplementary feeding will:
- ideally use home produced forage
- be located away from sensitive areas
- will not cause poaching, overgrazing or disturbance to ground-nesting birds
8. Tall vegetation, scrub, ponds and rush management (intermediate and advanced levels only)
There will be areas of tall vegetation and scrub and wet features such as ponds. Where these areas are less than 10% of the grassland area, more areas should be allowed to develop without grazing or cutting.
Scrub cover will be lower on historic sites, areas managed for breeding waders and on species-rich grassland. Tussock-forming, non-jointed rushes will be limited to 30% cover or less
9. Managing wetlands (advanced level only)
Wetland areas will be improved by one of the following:
- on wetland and damp grassland, drains will be blocked to hold water in the soil and extend wetland vegetation
- on floodplain grasslands, water will be retained on fields in pools, scrapes and low areas over winter
On sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) the land will be managed to achieve ‘favourable condition’ targets for the designated feature.
Water body buffering standard
There is one aim in the water body buffering standard.
1. Dense and ungrazed grass cover
Alongside at least half of all water bodies there will be an ungrazed grass buffer strip capable of protecting water bodies from pollutants carried in field runoff. The buffer strips will measure:
- 6m wide at introductory level
- 6m wide for at least 20% of water bodies, at intermediate and advanced levels
- 10m wide for at least 30% of water bodies, at intermediate and advanced levels
These measurements include the 2m cross-compliance buffer.
The location of the buffers will be informed by the soil and runoff assessment, and should complement field-scale actions to reduce soil compaction and runoff at source.
Advanced level only
A mixture of wild flowering plants will be established in some of the buffers to introduce more diverse rooting depths, aid good soil structure and intercept nutrients.
Further information
For more information read the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot: overview
See all the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot guidance.
