AHW4: Skylark plots
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
£11 per plot per year (minimum 2 plots per hectare (ha))
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there are fallow plots for nesting skylarks within a winter cereal crop, until the crop is harvested in the summer.
The purpose of this is to provide skylarks with suitable nesting habitats in winter cereal crops throughout their breeding season.
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
- identified by you as not being at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff – you must keep evidence of this
- 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 must not do this action on land that’s bounded by tree lines or adjacent to woods, unless the land parcel is larger than 10ha. This is because it increases the risks of predator attack.
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 | Eligible – you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this) |
Available area you can enter into this action
Not applicable – you’ll apply per plot (minimum 2 plots per ha).
Rotational or static action
This action is rotational or static. This means you can either:
- move its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration
- do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration
What to do
During the autumn and winter, you must create fallow plots within a winter cereal crop.
For each land parcel where you do this action, there must be at least 2 plots per ha of winter cereal crop you’re growing. For example, if you’re growing 5ha of winter cereal crop in a land parcel, there must be at least 10 plots.
You must make sure that the plots are large enough to meet this action’s aim. This will usually mean they need to be at least 3m wide and around 16 square metres in area.
You must retain the fallow plots until the winter cereal crop is harvested in the summer.
You must not locate the fallow plots in tramlines, boundaries or margins, as this increases risk of attacks on skylark nests by predators.
You can maintain an existing skylark plot 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 AB4 (skylark plots)
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.
If this action’s start date means it’s too late to establish the skylark plot, you must do this within 12 months of this action’s start date.
In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do this action until the winter cereal crop is harvested, or this action’s end date whichever is earlier.
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 written evidence that land entered into this action is not at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff. You can use the soil management plan produced for CSAM1 or SAM1 to identify this.
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 | CSAM1, CNUM1, CIPM1, OFM4, OFC3 |
| SFI 2023 actions | SAM1, IPM4, NUM1, IPM1 |
| CS options | HS3, HS9, OR3, OT3 |
| 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.
Choosing the right location
To help make sure there is easy landing and foraging access for skylarks, you can locate the plots:
- in large, open winter cereal fields – this will usually be around at least 5ha (or at least around 10ha where fields are bordered by mature scrub, tall hedgerows, trees and woodland)
- in field where skylarks are present or have nested in the past
- on land with little or no spring cropping, where possible
- between tramlines, away from telegraph poles and pylons (and at least around 80 metres from field edges)
- close to complementary wildlife habitats that are insect and seed rich – such as, cultivated areas for arable plants, flower-rich margins, enhanced overwintered stubble and winter bird food
How to establish the plots
You can establish the skylark plots by either:
- turning off the drill during sowing to leave an unsown plot
- drilling the field and spraying the plot areas with a non-selective herbicide by the end of December
If you establish the plots by spraying, this can reduce foraging opportunities for the insects which skylarks forage for. This is because these areas will not have much vegetation for longer.
Managing the plots
After drilling, you can apply fertiliser and spray treatments to the skylark plots, as well as the adjacent crop. You do not need to keep the plots weed-free.
Birds, nests and eggs are protected by law. To avoid damage to skylark nests, avoid mechanically weeding the winter cereal crop between April and harvesting.
You can control weeds (such as black-grass and wild oat) by spot spraying using a hand-held device (such as a knapsack or hand lance) before they flower and set seed.
Updates to this page
Published 21 May 2024Last updated 15 August 2024 + show all updates
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CIPM4 removed from SFI 2024 actions.
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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. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. What to do - updated example – if you’re growing 5ha of winter cereal crop, there must be at least 10 plots. 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.