CIPM1: Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan
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
£1,129 for the assessment and plan per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that you:
- understand the benefits, costs, impacts and risks of your current approach to crop pest, weed and disease management for your land
- effectively plan how to adopt a range of integrated pest management (IPM) methods appropriate to your farm
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on all agricultural land located below the moorland line. The IPM assessment and plan should cover all of the relevant areas of your farm.
This is an ‘agreement level’ SFI action. This means you apply to include it in your agreement instead of entering specific areas of land.
You can only apply for this action:
- if at least one land parcel is linked to your Single Business Identifier (SBI), so it’s shown on your digital maps
- in one SFI agreement – once you’ve included it in an agreement, you cannot apply for this action again until after its 3-year duration in that agreement ends
Eligibility of protected land
| Protected land | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) | Eligible – you do not need to get SSSI consent for this action as it’s an assessment and plan |
| Historic and archaeological features | Eligible – you do not need to get a SFI HEFER for this action as it’s an assessment and plan |
Available area you can enter into this action
Not applicable as this is an agreement level SFI action.
Rotational or static action
Not applicable as this is an agreement level SFI action.
What to do
You must arrange for a member of the BASIS Professional Register who’s qualified with the relevant BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection for the crops you’re growing (a ‘BASIS qualified adviser’) to visit your farm to:
- assess your current approach to crop pest, weed and disease management for your land
- identify and discuss opportunities for using IPM on that land
- help you to produce a written IPM plan
You must make sure that the BASIS qualified adviser does what’s required above.
If you’re a BASIS qualified adviser, as defined above, you can complete this action yourself.
You can use an existing written IPM plan, informed by an IPM assessment, to get paid for this action if it was:
- carried out by a BASIS qualified adviser
- written within the last 12 months
When to do it
You must make sure that a BASIS qualified adviser visits your farm to:
- complete the IPM assessment and help you produce a written IPM plan within 12 months of this action’s start date
- reassess your approach to crop pest, weed and disease management and review your written IPM plan in 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:
- a written record of your IPM plan, including the IPM assessment
- evidence that the adviser is a BASIS qualified adviser, such as their name and BASIS registration number
You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.
Other actions or options you can do with 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 actions | All SFI actions, except CMOR1 or MOR1 | |
| CS options | All CS management options | |
| ES options | All ES revenue options | |
| SFI pilot standards | All SFI pilot standards |
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.
Finding a ‘BASIS qualified adviser’
You can use the BASIS ‘Find an Adviser’ tool to help you find a BASIS qualified adviser.
Completing an IPM assessment
You can choose how the BASIS qualified adviser completes this action’s IPM assessment. There is no standard format.
You can find more general guidance about IPM which may help with the assessment in the following:
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB) IPM hub
- Linking Environment and Farming’s (LEAF) ‘Simply Sustainable Integrated Pest Management’ guidance
You may also find it helpful to read the Agricultural Industries Confederation’s (AIC) examples of opportunities for using IPM, which have been promoted by the Voluntary Initiative in:
Producing a written IPM plan
You can choose how to produce this action’s written IPM plan. There is no standard format. You may find it helpful to use the Voluntary Initiative’s IPM plan templates.
Your written IPM plan could include information such as how you could use an IPM approach to help minimise risks associated with the use of plant protection products. For example:
- using crop rotations
- using resistant crop varieties
- establishing habitat for natural crop pest predators close to cropped area, such as flower-rich grass margins
- using companion cropping
Updates to this page
Last updated 5 August 2024 + show all updates
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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.