AF1: Plant an agroforestry woodland tree

Find out about eligibility and requirements for planting an agroforestry woodland tree.

From:
Rural Payments Agency and Natural England
Published
5 August 2024
Last updated
16 December 2024 — See all updates
Grant type:
Capital item
Land use:
Trees (non-woodland)
Tiers or standalone items:
Standalone capital items
Funding (per unit per year):
More than 50% actual costs

This item is part of Capital Grants 2024. You must read the Capital Grants 2024 guidance to understand the rules and how to apply.

How much you’ll be paid 

£5.40 per tree

How this item benefits the environment

An agroforestry system creates a range of benefits and supports the main output of the farm by:

  • reducing soil erosion
  • providing shelter and shade for livestock
  • mitigating the impacts of climate change
  • improving water and air quality
  • helping to mitigate flood risk

Where you can use this item 

You can use this item to plant trees that make up an in-field agroforestry system before applying for a maintenance action (see the ‘Other items and actions you can use with this item’ section below for more information).

In-field agroforestry is where trees are deliberately combined with agriculture on the same piece of land.

Before you plant in-field agroforestry trees, you must check the sensitivity of the land you plan to plant on using the SFI Agroforestry data layer.

If a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) action has ‘less sensitive land’ in its title, it refers to land marked as ‘low sensitivity’ on the data layer.

Planting on low sensitivity land

If you’re planning to plant trees on low sensitivity land, you do not need an agroforestry plan if you’re planning to plant at a:

  • very low density (30 to 50 trees per hectare)
  • low density (51 to 130 trees per hectare)

If you’re planning to plant trees at a medium or high density (131 trees or more per hectare), you must have an agroforestry plan approved by the Forestry Commission before you can apply for this capital item.

You may also need to complete a forestry Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – the Forestry Commission will advise you on this. Read the Environmental Impact Assessments for woodland guidance for more information.

Planting on more sensitive land

You must have an agroforestry plan approved by the Forestry Commission before you can apply for this capital item on more sensitive land, regardless of the planned density of the trees.

More sensitive land is any land not classed as low sensitivity on the SFI Agroforestry data layer.

You may also need to complete a forestry EIA – the Forestry Commission will advise you on this. Read the Environmental Impact Assessments for woodland guidance for more information. This also includes a list of sensitive land.

You should before you start planting and consider any local guidance on tree planting.

You should also check if you need a forestry environmental impact assessment (EIA).

The Forestry Commission may serve you an enforcement notice if it finds you:

  • are carrying out work subject to forestry EIA regulations without consent
  • have breached the conditions of a previously granted consent

An enforcement notice will require you to restore the land to its previous condition, among other things. Failure to comply with an enforcement notice carries a penalty on conviction of an unlimited fine.

You may also require a screening decision under the agricultural EIA regulation when planting:

  • on uncultivated land and semi-natural areas (including historic features) to avoid damage through increases in agricultural productivity
  • on rural land to prevent damage from physical restructuring (including but not limited to adding, removing or changing the type of fencing or adding, removing or moving materials including soil)

When you may need an agricultural EIA

You may require a screening decision under the agricultural EIA regulation when planting:  

  • on uncultivated land and semi-natural areas (including historic features) to avoid damage through increases in agricultural productivity 
  • on rural land to prevent damage from physical restructuring (including but not limited to adding, removing or changing the type of fencing or adding, removing or moving materials including soil) 

If you have an agroforestry plan that records the proposed project as needing consent under the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations, you must obtain consent before any works (subject to that decision) begin.

Breeding waders on low sensitivity land

If you have breeding waders on your land you must do an agroforestry plan to show how you will mitigate any impact on them. Breeding waders include:

  • lapwing
  • redshank
  • curlew
  • snipe
  • oystercatcher
  • stone curlew

You must not plant trees where they could damage areas of ecological, archaeological or historic interest.

If you’re planting trees on low sensitivity land at a low or very low density (130 trees or fewer per ha), you must not plant on any historic or archaeological features identified on your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).

You must also not plant trees where they could damage protected sites, including:

  • sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)
  • special areas of conservation (SACs)
  • special protection areas (SPAs)
  • Ramsar sites

Buffer zones

You may need to create a treeless buffer zone if you’re planting near:

  • protected sites
  • scheduled monuments
  • registered parks and gardens
  • registered battlefields

If you’re planting on low sensitivity land and have chosen to create an agroforestry plan, it should include details of any buffer zones you may need to create.

What you must do to use this item

If you use this item for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, you must ensure you have any consents or permissions in place before you start work.

When planting in-field agroforestry trees you must:

  • follow the agroforestry plan for planting, if applicable
  • plant trees according to the sensitivity of the land, using the pattern of planting and densities set out in table 1
  • plant young trees (select the most suitable by checking the agroforestry eligible species list)
  • use trees that are free from pests and diseases (get your plants from nurseries with plant health management standards in place, such as nurseries with Plant Healthy certification or similar)
  • retain trees for at least 10 years and keep the same number of trees as agreed in your agreement
  • replace all dead plants in the following planting season (each grant-funded tree must be alive and in good condition by the end of an agreement)

Your trees must be healthy. To establish healthy trees, you must:

  • use a planting method that helps survival, with roots fully inserted in the ground with the root collar at ground level (the tree must be firmed in without damaging the stem)
  • create a suitable planting position by spraying herbicide in advance, scarifying in lines or preparing a bare patch of land (screefing) with a spade
  • keep young trees weed-free for 3 years after planting using a mulch, an appropriate herbicide or weeding by hand
  • use tree species appropriate for the soil and climatic conditions that support the planting objectives
  • plant trees when dormant and protect straight away
  • protect young trees from grazing animals and maintain protection until the trees are big enough to survive potential threats

You must not:

  • plant within 5 metres (m) of a parcel boundary , hedge or existing tree canopy
  • displace any existing priority habitat, including woody priority habitats like existing woodland, wood pasture and parkland and traditional orchards
  • plant on peat deeper than 30 centimetres (cm) without the agreement of Natural England or the Forestry Commission
  • allow tree guards to cause damage to the growing tree, such as by fastening tree guards to the tree itself

Table 1: SFI in-field agroforestry tree spacing requirements

Land sensitivity and tree density Number of trees (per ha) Agroforestry plan required? Planting pattern Tree spacing
Less sensitive land, very low density (eligible for SFI actions) 30 to 50 Optional Informal and grid pattern (evenly spaced across the parcel) Plant trees at least 15m apart
Less sensitive land, low density (eligible for SFI actions) 51 to 130 Optional Row or alley pattern Create rows between 24m and 45m apart, plant trees within these rows least 3m apart

Table 2: CSHT in-field agroforestry tree spacing requirements

Land sensitivity and tree density Number of trees (per ha) Agroforestry plan required? Planting pattern Tree spacing
All land, very low density 30 to 50 Yes Informal and grid pattern or row or alley pattern Plant trees between 5m and 45m across the area under agreement or create rows between 10m and 45m apart, plant trees within these rows at least 3m apart
All land, low density 51 to 130 Yes Informal and grid pattern or row and alley pattern Plant trees between 5m and 45m across the area under agreement or create rows between 10m and 45m apart, plant trees within these rows at least 3m apart
All land, medium density 131 to 250 Yes Informal and grid pattern or row and alley pattern Plant trees between 5m and 45m across the area under agreement or create rows between 10m and 45m apart, plant trees within these rows at least 3m apart
All land, high density 251 to 400 Yes Informal and grid pattern or row and alley pattern Plant trees between 5m and 45m across the area under agreement or create rows between 10m and 45m apart, plant trees within these rows at least 3m apart at least 3m apart

You can contact your local Forestry Commission adviser for more information.

Additional trees to protect in-field agroforestry trees

When planting trees through an agroforestry plan you can plant additional trees, such as hawthorn, to protect the main in-field agroforestry tree.

Additional trees must:

  • not be funded through another government scheme
  • be planted within 2m of the trees funded through AF1 or AF2

Additional ‘protection’ trees planted in this way do not count towards the overall density of your agroforestry system.

Evidence you must keep

You must keep and provide with your claim:

  • receipted invoices showing the number of trees purchased
  • photographs of the completed work

Please see the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.

Other items and actions you can use with this item

Capital items

You can use this item with:  

SFI actions 

You can use this item with these maintenance actions:

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier actions

You can use this item with:

Advice to help you use this item

The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.    

Planning your agroforestry system    

You can design your agroforestry system to benefit crops and livestock, such as by providing shelter and reducing erosion from heavy rainfall or strong winds.

 To do this, consider the:  

  • interaction between your trees and the understory management (how you’re managing the land underneath), particularly with actions on the same parcel
  • compatibility of tree species with your crops and livestock, for example competition for light and nutrients
  • potential benefits such as shade, shelter and forage
  • potential issues such as toxic berries or seeds
  • water requirements of your trees and any effects your trees may have on local hydrology

Consider the intended purpose of agroforestry (such as timber, fruit or nut products). This will affect the tree:  

  • density
  • location
  • species

Choose a planting pattern to best suit the purpose of your trees and agricultural system. For example, you can design silvoarable systems to allow room for arable operations. 

You can find recommendations for planting patterns and tree species using the:  

Before establishing an agroforestry system, consider the impact on birds and other wildlife. You can read more about tree planting and breeding waders.

Updates to this page

Published 5 August 2024
Last updated 16 December 2024 + show all updates

  1. Updated Table 2:CSHT in-field agroforestry tree spacing requirements. "More sensitive" land, low and very low density amended to "All" land, low and very low density.

  2. The page has been updated to add when the items can be used to plant on more sensitive land and the density and planting requirements to use to be eligible for CSHT actions plus the CSHT actions that can be used to maintain the trees once planted.

  3. First published.

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