https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/improved-grassland-standard/
Improved grassland standard of the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot
The guidance on this page is for SFI pilot participants only. Please visit GOV.UK for the official Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme guidance.
Find out about the standard for improved grassland, what land is eligible and how much you can get paid.
Applications for the pilot have now closed. The Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 offer is due to launch from summer 2023. To find out more about the SFI 2023 offer, read the SFI Handbook for the SFI 2023 offer.
This information is for farmers piloting the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
How the standard works
There are 3 levels to the standard. Each level has a set of actions you must complete, where relevant, to get paid.
The levels build on one another - each one includes the actions from the previous levels.
If you’re already doing activities on your land that fulfil the actions in this standard, you can use these areas instead of creating new ones. This means you can maintain existing areas to complete actions that require you to ‘create’ or ‘establish’ something.
Anything you’re doing to complete an action only counts towards that action. It will not count towards the standard’s other actions, unless this guidance says otherwise.
When to complete actions
Because agreements will start from November 2021 at the earliest, it will be too late to complete some actions that must take place after harvest - for example, establishing a green cover by the end of September or mid-October.
Complete these actions within 12 months of your agreement start date. This means you can complete the post-harvest actions after harvest 2022.
Actions that need you to create a new habitat may not be practical during the winter months - for example, sowing a winter bird food mix. You should complete these actions within 12 months of your agreement start date.
If you're amending your agreement to add this standard, or to change the ambition level of this standard in an existing agreement, you'll need to complete all of the actions listed below within 12 months from when the amendment starts. For example, if you're adding this standard to an agreement with a 1 November 2021 start date for the second year of that agreement, the amendment would be effective from 1 November 2022 and the actions for this standard would need to be completed by 31 October 2023.
How much you’ll be paid
In January 2024, we reviewed the payment rates for the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot standards following our previous review in 2023.
Payment rates for the introductory, intermediate and advanced levels of the improved grassland standard were increased.
For your agreement to show the revised payment rates, you need to sign into the Rural Payments service to ‘Generate’ and ‘Download’ an updated version of your agreement. Doing this will update your agreement document.
The levels and payments for this standard are set out in the table. These payment rates are annual.
| Level | Payment per hectare | Previous payment rate |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory | £32 | £29 |
| Intermediate | £73 | £70 |
| Advanced | £97 | £97 |
You’ll be paid for all the eligible land that’s in your agreement and you’ll have to complete the actions on all that land.
Some actions affect a smaller percentage of this land – for example, allowing tall vegetation and scrub to develop on 2% of grassland. You’re still paid for all the eligible land in your agreement, not just the 2%.
You can also apply for funding for capital items.
What land is eligible
All grassland that meets the definition of improved grassland is eligible for this standard, including:
- improved grassland on mixed farms
- temporary grassland - land that’s been in grass or other herbaceous forage for five years or less
To qualify as improved grassland, the sward composition should include at least 2 of the following:
- more than 30% cover of rye-grasses and white clover
- up to 8 species per m2, including grasses
- less than 10% cover of wildflowers and sedges, excluding white clover, creeping buttercup, docks, thistles and ragwort
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 herbicide to treat weeds
- active, well-maintained field drains
- taking any conserved forage as silage at least once a year
Grassland defined as improved grassland encompasses a wide range of farm and land types, including organic systems.
Grassland which is defined as improved grassland could be eligible for the low and no input grassland standard if you can follow the actions of that standard and it meets these criteria:
- helps to sustainably manage or buffer sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) and priority habitat
- protects historical or archaeological features
- targets ground-nesting wading birds, when in-field scrub is less than 1%
- is on parcels next to a permanent water course
Read how to assess the number of plant species per square metre of land.
Ineligible land
The following land is ineligible for this standard:
- sites of special scientific interest (SSSI)
- areas of peat soils greater than 20% soil organic matter to a depth of 40cm or more
Changes to the land because you’re completing actions
The land must be eligible at the start date of your agreement.
Changes to the land’s use, composition or cover that happen because you’re completing the actions in this standard do not affect eligibility, and you’ll continue to be paid under this standard, at your chosen ambition level.
Measuring areas for actions where there are hedgerows or water bodies
Some actions must be fulfilled on a percentage of the eligible land entered into the standard. For example, having a mix of herbs, legumes and grass on 5% of eligible land.
If you’ve entered the same land into the hedgerows standard or water body buffering standard, the percentage area for an action to be fulfilled under another standard cannot overlap with the hedgerow or water body buffer strips. Measure the percentage area from the edge of these buffer strips. If this is not the case, measure from the edge of the hedgerow or water body.
The area can include the 2-metre or 1-metre cross-compliance buffers required under GAEC 1, and the 2-metre green cover requirement under GAEC 7a, where relevant.
Introductory level: actions
You must do the following actions to be paid £32 per hectare (previous payment rate £29 per hectare).
Read the section of this guide about evidence you should keep.
1. Manage fields for grazing
This action will increase biodiversity and help reduce run-off.
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
Information on managing fields for grazing
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to:
2. Manage historic features in grassland
This action will protect visible features of historic interest.
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
Information on managing historic features in grassland
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to manage historic features in grassland.
3. Leave margins uncut to encourage flowers and seed
This action will increase habitat and food for mammals and insects.
Where you have 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 2 metres), rather than locating them all in one area.
Information on leaving margins uncut
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to:
4. Create buffers around in-field trees
Where you have in-field trees:
- maintain a buffer to at least 2 metres 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 use the buffer area for the supplementary feeding of livestock
You do not need to exclude livestock from the buffer area.
You’ll be paid £4 per tree.
You cannot claim the in-field trees buffer payment if the land is conditionally exempt from Inheritance Tax (Heritage Property Relief).
Information on creating buffers around in-field trees
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to:
5. Use a nutrient management plan
Follow a nutrient management plan to:
- make sure manures and fertilisers you apply meet crop and soil requirements
- minimise losses of nutrients to the environment
Required documents
You must keep your nutrient management plan for us to monitor. You do not need to send this to us unless we ask for it.
Information on nutrient management plans
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to create and use a nutrient management plan.
6. Allow tall vegetation and scrub to develop on 2% of grassland
This action will provide habitats for wildlife.
Take or keep field corners and small areas up to 0.5 hectares out of grazing and cutting management to allow tall vegetation and scrub to develop.
This should cover a minimum of 2% of grassland area.
Information on allowing tall vegetation and scrub to develop
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to:
Intermediate level: actions
At the intermediate level you must do the actions in the introductory level, plus the following actions, to be paid £73 per hectare (previous payment rate £70 per hectare).
1. Allow tall vegetation and scrub to develop on 5% of grassland
This action will provide more habitats for wildlife.
Take or keep field corners and small areas up to 0.5 hectares out of grazing and cutting management to allow tall vegetation and scrub to develop.
This should cover a minimum of 5% of grassland area - this includes the 2% from the introductory level.
Information on allowing tall vegetation and scrub to develop
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to:
2. Control cutting on silage fields
This action will increase biodiversity and improve habitats for breeding birds.
Where you have silage fields, on at least 60% of them 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
3. Manage ditches
This action will increase available habitats for farm and aquatic wildlife.
Where you have ditches:
- 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 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.
Information on managing ditches
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to create and manage ditches for wildlife.
4. 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
Required documents
You must keep your records of soil, slurry and manure testing for us to monitor. You do not need to send these to us unless we ask for them.
Information on testing your manures and soils
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to create and use a nutrient management plan.
5. Complete a whole farm nutrient budget
This action will improve your nutrient use efficiency and reduce nutrient losses to the environment.
Complete 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.
Required documents
You must keep your nutrient budget documents for us to monitor. You do not need to send these to us unless we ask for them.
Information on whole farm nutrient budgets
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to use a whole farm nutrient budget.
6. Limit inputs of liquid manures
This action will limit the loss of nutrients to water bodies and reduce the impact of slurry application on soil biology.
Limit inputs of slurry or other liquid manures to 30 cubic metres per hectare in a single application.
Do not increase your application rate if your current rate is less than this.
Supporting evidence
You may want to keep supporting evidence for this action. This is in case actions you have undertaken and aims or outcomes achieved are not clear from remote monitoring or at site visits.
7. Use low emission technologies
This action will reduce emissions of ammonia.
Apply organic manures (slurry, other liquid manures) using low emission technologies (trailing hose and shoe or shallow injection) to grassland.
Information on low emission technologies
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to use precision application of fertiliser, manure and other inputs.
8. Introduce clover and other legumes on 15% of improved grassland
Introduce or keep clover or other legumes on at least 15% of improved grassland to:
- improve soil structure, soil carbon and soil biology
- provide habitat for pollinators
- reduce fertiliser application
Information on introducing clover and other legumes
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to grow legumes in grassland to replace nutrient inputs.
Advanced level: actions
For the advanced level you must do the actions in the introductory and intermediate levels, plus the following actions, to be paid £103 per hectare.
1. Introduce diverse grass, herb and legumes on 20% of improved grassland
This action extends the intermediate action to a larger percentage of your land.
Introduce or keep more diverse grass, herb and legume swards on 20% of improved grassland to:
- improve soil structure, soil carbon and soil biology
- provide habitat for pollinators
- reduce fertiliser application
Information on introducing diverse grass, herb and legumes
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to:
2. Manage grazing on improved grassland
This action will increase biodiversity of your grassland, increase habitats available for wildlife, and reduce run-off.
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
Information on managing grazing on improved grassland
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to:
- manage grazing on improved grassland
- make field-dried hay or haylage
- use controlled cutting of grasslands to promote wildlife
3. Allow ryegrass to bear seed
This action will increase food available for birds in winter.
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.
Information on ryegrass
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to provide ryegrass seed-set for birds over winter.
4. Reduce nutrient inputs
This action will reduce nutrient run-off, leaching, emissions of ammonia and greenhouse gases.
Reduce nutrient inputs to a maximum of 100kg per hectare total nitrogen from manures, or 50kg per hectare 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
Information on reducing nutrient inputs
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to:
- use less fertiliser, manure and lime
- reduce grassland management intensity next to watercourses
- complete a runoff and soil erosion risk assessment
5. Do soil mapping
This action will help you to:
- better target nutrient application
- use nutrients more efficiently
- minimise nutrient losses
Do 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
Required documents
You must keep your soil mapping documents for us to monitor. You do not need to send these to us unless we ask for them.
Information on soil mapping
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to create and use a nutrient management plan.
6. Use efficient precision application equipment
Use efficient precision application equipment for fertilisers and organic manures.
Information on using precision application equipment
How you complete this action is up to you, but you can read information on how to use precision application of fertiliser, manure and other inputs.
Further advice and information
For further advice on doing the actions in this standard read the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot: summary of advice.
Read more about how this standard will meet the environmental outcomes and benefits of the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot.
Funding for capital items
As a Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot participant, you can apply for funding to support your standards.
Capital items which may support the aims of this standard:
- fencing
- sheep netting
- permanent electric fencing
- rabbit fencing supplement
- wooden field gate
- small wildlife box
- medium wildlife box
- large wildlife box
You can apply for these through Countryside Stewardship (CS) capital grants in the Rural Payments service. This is subject to the items being used as described in the ‘Where to use this item’ section for each item. To check where items can be used and the records you must supply you can use the CS Grants Finder.
If you’re successful you’ll be offered a separate Countryside Stewardship capital grant agreement. To be eligible for this funding you must not start capital items work (or order materials) until your Countryside Stewardship capital grants agreement starts.
You may also be able to get funding from other programmes for precision fertilizer application equipment.
Under the Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants (SFI pilot) offer the following items were previously available:
Monitoring and support
The Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot will use a new model for monitoring agreements. It will focus on outcomes and improvement instead of penalties.
Once your agreement has started, we’ll use various techniques to see whether you’re achieving the aims of the standards.
Read more about:
Additional standards you can apply to this land
Land parcels you use for this standard can also be used for the:
If you apply more than one standard to the same land, the actions for each must be delivered separately.
Further information
See all the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot guidance.
