AHW12: Manage woodland edges on arable 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
£428 per hectare (ha) per year – calculate the hectarage by:
- measuring the length of the strip in metres (m)
- multiplying that length by the relevant width (up to 6m) to give the area in m2
- dividing that area by 10,000 to convert it into ha
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s an uncultivated, naturally regenerated strip of scrub and grass mosaic developing between arable land and woodland.
The purpose of this is to provide woodland edge habitat for birds, invertebrates, small mammals and other wildlife.
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
- immediately adjacent to predominantly native or ancient semi-natural woodland
- an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information) at the start of this action’s duration – if the land type changes because of this action, it will not affect eligibility (for example, allowing scrub to develop)
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
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 |
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 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this) |
| Historic and archaeological features | Ineligible – you must not enter any area that contains 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
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 allow a naturally regenerated scrub and grass mosaic strip to develop that’s:
- on arable land, adjacent to the edge of an existing woodland
- up to 6m wide (on average in each land parcel) – it can be more than 6m wide, but you’ll only be paid for the 6m width
You must maintain the strip in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
You must not:
- apply any fertilisers, manures or lime
- apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, or nettles
- carry out supplementary feeding in a way that causes poaching on the woodland edge
- cut or cultivate the strip in a way that means this action’s aim cannot reasonably be achieved
You can maintain an existing woodland 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 WD3 (woodland edges on arable land)
When to do it
You must:
- allow the woodland edge strip to develop within 12 months of this action’s start date
- maintain the woodland edge strip throughout each subsequent year of this action’s 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 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, OFM4, OFM5, AGF1, AGF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1 |
| SFI 2023 actions | IPM1, NUM1, SAM1 |
| CS options | OR3, OR4, 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.
Maintaining the woodland edge strip
To enhance the woodland edge habitat for wildlife, you can cut the strip occasionally on a rotation. This will help to encourage the development of the scrub and grass mosaic, with a mixture of vegetation heights.
The best time of year to cut the strip is usually between early September and late February in the following year.
Updates to this page
Published 21 May 2024Last updated 15 August 2024 + show all updates
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PRF2 removed from SFI 2024 actions.
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How much you’ll be paid - deleted ‘buffer’. 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. The land type needs to be eligible at the start of this action’s duration. If the land type changes because of this action, it will not affect eligibility (for example, allowing scrub to develop). Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. You can apply for this action on the area in a land parcel that does not contain an historic or archaeological feature. 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.