https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/sustainable-farming-incentive-pilot-guidance-cultivate-and-drill-across-slopes/
Cultivate and drill across slopes
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 how land managers can reduce soil erosion and runoff by changing how they work on sloping land.
If you’re completing this action as part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot, how you do it is up to you.
The advice on this page can help you get better environmental and business benefits, but you do not have to follow it to get paid.
Why you should reduce soil erosion and runoff on slopes
The slope of cultivated fields affects soil erosion and runoff, especially where:
- long unbroken slopes allow powerful flows of water to erode the soil
- water flow is channelled in depressions or hollows, causing soil wash and gullies even on gentler slopes
- soil has become compacted
- land is waterlogged, meaning water will run off
You can plough and drill across slopes of 7 degrees (1 in 8, or 12%) or less. This will reduce soil erosion and runoff from all cultivated land, but especially on:
- long slopes
- fields where root crops can be safely harvested across the slope
- crops with more bare ground, like field vegetables, salads, flowers and soft fruit
On slopes over 7 degrees (1 in 5, or 19%) only use strip tillage or no tillage (direct drilling).
It’s important to prevent soil erosion or runoff on temporary grass leys, forage maize or areas where you’ve reseeded grass. You could use whole crop cerealon slopes over 7 degrees as a low-risk forage alternative to maize.
You should try to reduce runoff on fields that:
- slope directly down to water bodies
- slope towards other fields connected to water bodies
- slope towards farm tracks or gateways
Do not cultivate and drill across slopes if:
- it’s too steep for machinery to operate safely
- valley features could channel surface runoff and cause severe erosion
If there’s a high risk of soil loss, convert arable land to permanent grassland, woodland or scrub instead.
Benefits of cultivating and drilling across slopes
Soil is a finite resource. Manage slopes to reduce soil erosion and runoff, which will:
- improve crop growth, as you’ll lose less soil, organic matter, nutrients and chemicals
- reduce the need for re-drilling or repeat planting of crops
- improve water availability for crops, as more water can infiltrate the soil
- help to keep water in your soil, to increase flood protection
- lower accident risk and insurance claims, from mud on roads or flooding incidents
- reduce harmful silt deposits to water bodies, hedgerows and field margins
When to cultivate and drill across slopes
Soil erosion and runoff can occur on any soil type or slope at any time of the year. To minimise these risks, cultivate across the slope from before crop establishment to post-harvest, if it’s safe.
You’ll get most benefit if you manage the slopes of:
- autumn-sown crops
- high-risk spring crops like maize, asparagus, potatoes and field vegetables
To minimise the time soil is bare, sow earlier in the autumn to provide more vegetation cover and protection from autumn and winter rain. Bare light-textured soils can form a hard surface crust or cap following heavy rain.
To maintain good soil structure, do not work land that is too wet. Heavier-textured soils can easily deform and compact at high moisture contents.
Take particular care with row crops as:
- establishing potatoes, sugar beet and maize can be difficult on the contour
- harvesting on slopes may worsen machinery performance, with potential crop damage
- wet ground can make harvesting sites unsafe
Before you start
Use a runoff and soil erosion risk assessment to identify sloping fields prone to soil erosion and runoff. This should account for farm-based factors like:
- soil type
- field size
- how steep and uniform the slope is, and its direction
- connection to water bodies and sensitive habitats, through tracks, roads, gateways and other fields
Steeper land and fields with erosion-prone soils do not suit cultivation. This includes soils with a low clay, calcium or organic matter content, and especially where the land slopes down to water.
Try to work out what is happening upslope if you see signs of erosion like:
- shallow channels or gullies in your fields
- mounds or fans of soil at the bottom of slopes
You must follow the farming rules for water. These require you to take steps to stop manure, fertiliser or soil getting into water bodies.
How to cultivate and drill across slopes
For best results:
- cultivate or plant across slopes, ideally using min-till or no-till farming
- establish tramlines and do field activities across the slope
- turn the soil upslope of the tractor where ploughing is allowed
- try to reduce cultivation depth
You can use green manures and cover crops. Green manures will help add soil organic matter and cover crops can help avoid bare ground.
Reduce soil compaction to encourage better water movement through the soil.
You could break slope length to slow runoff and filter out suspended sediment. You can:
- create grass strips in the middle of a field
- convert arable land to permanent grassland on higher-risk slopes
- establish beetle banks to disrupt cultivated areas
- plant hedges or lines of trees (shelter belts) across slopes
- plant riparian trees and grass buffer strips to protect water bodies prone to sediment deposits
Drains, farm tracks, gateways and roads can directly or indirectly connect fields to water bodies. Read about how to apply for grants for capital items, including resurfacing of gateways.
How to tell if cultivating and drilling across the slope is working
You’ll see:
- clearer water in nearby watercourses, with no signs of excess algae
- ditches that require less frequent cleaning
- no or little mud on adjacent tracks and roads
- less silting up of field edges, hedgerows and sensitive terrestrial habitats
- fewer occasions where downstream homes, properties and roads flood
You’ll see less:
- soil wash
- mounds of soil at slope bases
- in-field gullies or channels
