AGF2: Maintain low density in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land
What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.
This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£385 per hectare (ha) per year – the hectarage can include:
- the area used to grow agroforestry trees
- the areas between the trees, used for arable or horticultural crops, grassland or other eligible environmental land management scheme actions or options
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s an established low density in-field agroforestry system that’s maintained, so there’s a combination of both:
- trees (including shrubs)
- arable or horticultural crops, grassland for forage or areas used for other eligible environmental land management scheme actions or options
The purpose of this is to:
- reduce soil erosion and flooding
- improve water and air quality
- provide shelter for crops and livestock
- contribute to carbon capture and storage
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on an eligible in-field agroforestry system on less ‘sensitive’ agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
- an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information)
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
You can use the Forestry Commission’s SFI Agroforestry map to identify ‘less sensitive land’ (shown as ‘sensitivity: low’). Less sensitive land does not include:
- sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) or other sensitive areas which are listed in the guidance on forestry environmental impact assessments (forestry EIA)
- priority habitats such as species-rich grassland - you can find a list of priority habitats on GOV.UK
To be eligible for this action, the in-field agroforestry system must:
- contain established trees – these can be at any stage of maturity, including newly planted saplings if they’ll be left to become mature trees
- be grown on semi-vigorous or vigorous rootstocks if they are fruit trees – these will usually produce trees at least 4 metres (m) tall
- be very low density
For the purposes of this action, ‘low density’ means that across the area you enter into this action in each land parcel:
- there’s an average of 51 to 130 trees per hectare, usually planted in rows or a grid
- the trees are spaced in a way that means you do not need to apply for a forestry EIA – read the ‘advice to help you do this action’ for further information
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code |
|---|---|---|
| Arable land used to grow crops | Arable land | Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops |
| Temporary grassland | Arable land | TG01 |
| Arable land lying fallow | Arable land | FA01 |
| Improved permanent grassland | Permanent grassland | PG01 |
| Horticultural permanent crops | Permanent crops | TC01 |
Eligibility of protected land
| Protected land | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) | Ineligible – you must not enter any area that’s designated as an SSSI into this action |
| Historic and archaeological features | Ineligible – you must not enter any area with an historic or archaeological feature into this action. This only affects the area where the feature is located in a land parcel. You can apply for this action on the remaining area in the land parcel if it’s eligible. |
Available area you can enter into this action
Total or part of the available area in a land parcel.
Rotational or static action
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
What to do
You must maintain the low density in-field agroforestry system in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. This includes:
- replacing dead trees, where necessary to make sure the density continues to be an average of at least 51 trees per hectare across the area you enter into this action in each land parcel
- protecting the trees from grazing livestock and pests, such as deer and rabbits, to prevent serious damage - you can apply for Capital Grants to help you do this
- managing weeds around the base of establishing trees
- pruning and shaping the trees once they are established
When to do it
You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.
How to do it
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
- follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
- do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
You may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
- field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
- photographs and other documentation
If it’s not clear that you’ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action
You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action. Some actions or options can only be done on the same area if they’re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read ‘What to do’ and ‘When to do it’ to find out when this action must be done.
| Scheme | Action or option codes |
|---|---|
| SFI 2024 actions | AHW1, AHW3, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, AHW10, AHW11, AHW12, BFS1, BFS2, BFS3, OFA1, OFA6, OFC1, OFC3, OFC4, OFM1, OFM4, OFM5, SOH4, WBD3, WBD4, WBD5, WBD6, WBD7, WBD8, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIGL1, CIGL2, CIGL3, CIPM1, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CLIG3, CNUM1, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM1, CSAM2, CSAM3, HEF8 |
| SFI 2023 actions | AHL1, AHL2, AHL3, AHL4, IGL1, IGL2, IGL3, IPM1, IPM2, IPM3, IPM4, LIG1, LIG2, NUM1, NUM2, NUM3, SAM1, SAM2, SAM3 |
| CS options | AB1, AB2, AB3, AB6, AB7, AB8, AB9, AB10, AB11, AB13, AB14, AB15, AB16, GS2, GS3, GS4, GS5, HS6, SW1, SW2, SW3, SW4, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8, SW9, SW10, SW13, WD3, WT1, WT2, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR1, OR3, OR4, OT1, OT3, OT4 |
| ES options | No ES revenue options |
| SFI pilot standards | No area-based SFI pilot standards |
If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6. ‘Eligible land in other funding schemes’ in the SFI scheme information for more details.
You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
- the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard
Advice to help you do this action
The following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Planning your agroforestry system
If you have not already planted your agroforestry system, before you establish your trees and apply for this action you can plan:
- which planting pattern best suits the purpose of your trees and your agricultural system – for example, designing a silvoarable system to allow space for arable operations
- how you’ll manage the land underneath the trees, particularly if you’re doing other SFI actions on that land
- which tree species are best to use with your crops and livestock – for example, if there will be competition for light and nutrients
- potential benefits of your agroforestry system, such as shade, shelter and forage
- potential issues, such as toxic berries or seeds
- the water requirements of your trees and any effects your trees may have on local hydrology
In future, you’ll be able to apply for a capital item to help you plan your agroforestry system. More details on this will be published later in 2024.
Tree spacing: forestry EIAs
This action requires that the trees in your existing agroforestry system are spaced in a way that means you do not need to apply for a forestry EIA (under ‘Where you can do this action’).
A forestry EIA is required if you plant trees on 0.5ha or more agricultural land in a way which could create ‘woodland’. The UK Forestry Standard defines woodland as ‘land that is predominantly covered in trees, with a canopy cover of at least 20%’.
You do not need to apply for a forestry EIA if you’ve planted the trees in your agroforestry system far enough apart, so the canopy cover is less than 20%. This will usually be the case if you’ve planted them in either:
- a grid pattern, with the trees at least 15m apart
- rows (including alleys) that are between 24m and 45m apart, with the trees 3m apart in each row
Read the guidance on forestry EIAs for more information.
Managing your agroforestry system: agriculture EIAs
Check if you need an agriculture EIA ‘screening decision’ from Natural England if how you’ll manage your agroforestry system will:
- increase the productivity of uncultivated land or semi-natural areas
- add, remove, move or change the nature of a field boundary
- add, remove of distribute earth or other material
Read section 10.7 ‘Permission to change uncultivated, semi-natural or rural land’ in the SFI scheme information.
Maintaining your agroforestry system
The trees in your agroforestry system may be damaged by how you manage the land around the tree. This is because the root system of your trees will usually:
- be quite shallow, with the majority of roots in the top 60 centimetres (cm) of the soil
- spread beyond the tree’s crown
To help protect the root system, you can avoid disturbing the soil within a suitable radius from the trees (a ‘root protection area’). For example, this would be a 1.5m radius from the tree for 3m wide strips of planting. Read the Woodland Trust’s guidance on root protection areas for more information.
Activities which could disturb the soil around the trees include:
- ploughing
- harrowing
- poaching by grazing livestock
When you prune and shape the trees once they are established, you may want to consider doing this in a way that means:
- competition for light is managed
- you can access between the trees with machinery
-
the trees’ yield of fruit, nuts and forage, as relevant, is optimised
- there’s a balanced tree shape and strong branches to support the fruit or nut crop
You can manage your agroforestry system for timber by early pruning and then high pruning later on. This will help you achieve a branch free clear stem of 3m to 5m from the base of the tree, which can improve the high quality of timber.
For detailed guidance on maintaining your agroforestry system, read the Soil Association’s Agroforestry Handbook.
How to increase biodiversity in your agroforestry system
Agroforestry can benefit integrated pest management by providing habitat for natural predators.
To increase biodiversity in your agroforestry system, you can consider planting:
- wildflower strips on the areas between the trees
- flower rich mixes in the understorey which are left uncut
- cover crops or herbal leys within the cropping alley, between the tree rows
There are several SFI actions that you can do between the trees to increase biodiversity. You can find these SFI actions under ‘Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action’. For example:
- CIPM2: Flower-rich grass margins, blocks or in-field strips
- CAHL1: Pollen and nectar flower mix
- CSAM3: Herbal leys
Updates to this page
Last updated 5 August 2024 + show all updates
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Where you can do this action - an eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information. Clarified wording on ‘less sensitive land’. Eligibility of protected land - you can apply for this action on the area in a land parcel that does not contain an historic or archaeological feature. What to do - added link to Capital Grants guidance. Other actions or options you can do on the same area - HEF8 added to SFI 2024 actions. SW6 added to CS options. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.
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First published.