AHW1: Bumblebird mix
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
£747 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s an established multi-annual mix of seed-bearing crops and flower species which:
- is growing in blocks or strips
- produces small seeds for farmland birds from late autumn until late winter
- produces areas of pollen and nectar-rich flowering plants during the growing season
The purpose of this is to:
- provide food resources for farmland birds and nectar feeding insects, such as bumble bees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies
- increase biodiversity
- support an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
- an eligible land type (read section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’)
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
This is a ‘limited area’ action. The total eligible area you enter into any combination of one of more of the ‘limited area’ actions must not be more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm. Read section 1.3 ‘SFI actions with a limited area’ for more 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 |
| Horticultural permanent crops, such as bush orchards | Permanent crops | TC01 |
Eligibility of protected land
| Protected land | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) | Eligible – you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 5.5 ‘Land that’s a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)’) |
| Historic and archaeological features | Eligible – you must get a HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’) |
Available area you can enter into this action
Part of the available area in a land parcel.
Rotational or static action
If you’re establishing a new area of bumblebird mix to meet this action, the action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
If you’re maintaining an existing area of bumblebird mix, this action is rotational or static. This means you can either:
- move its location for the second year of this action’s duration (and the third year, depending on the timing of this action’s start date) and re-sow the mix
- do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration
What to do
You must establish a bumblebird mix as a block or strip on land entered into this action.
You must use a seed mix which includes at least both:
- 6 flower species
- 6 seed-bearing crops, with a maximum of 3 cereal crops from barley, oats, rye, triticale and wheat
Once the bumblebird mix block or strip is established, you must maintain it. To do this, you must manage it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
You must not apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken.
You can maintain an existing bumblebird mix block or strip to get paid for this action if it:
- meets this action’s requirements
- is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship option AB16 (autumn sown bumblebird mix)
When to do it
If you’re establishing a new bumblebird mix block or strip to meet this action, you must:
- sow the mix between early spring and early autumn, within 12 months of this action’s start date
- maintain the mix at the same location for a period of time that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim – this will usually be until the end of the second summer after sowing
If you’re maintaining an existing bumblebird mix block or strip to meet this action, you must:
- maintain it for a period of time that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim – this will usually be until the end of the second summer after sowing
- after this period of time, re-sow the mix between early spring and early autumn – either at the same location or a different location and maintain it until this action’s end date
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
Advice to help you do this action will be published before applications are fully launched from summer 2024. It will not be 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, including details of the seed mix used
- photographs or 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 | OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, SAM1 |
| SFI 2023 actions | IPM1, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1 |
| CS options | OR3, OR4, OR5, OT3, OT4, OT5 |
| 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’ for more information.
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