CIPM4: No use of insecticide on arable crops and permanent crops
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
£45 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that no plant protection products containing insecticide are applied on an arable crop or permanent crops.
The purpose of this is to:
- support an integrated pest management approach by managing crop pests in a more sustainable way
- improve water and air quality
- increase biodiversity
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 (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
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code |
|---|---|---|
| Arable land used to grow crops (not temporary grassland or fallow land) | Arable land | Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops |
| Permanent crops – horticultural and non-horticultural (not miscanthus) | Permanent crops | Land use codes for permanent crops |
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
Total or part of the available area in a land parcel.
Rotational or static action
For arable crops (including non-permanent horticultural crops) this action is rotational. This means you can either:
- do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration
- move its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration
For permanent crops, 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 not apply any plant protection products containing insecticide on land entered into this action, including:
- insecticide seed dressings
- nematicides and acaricides
- other insecticides, such as silica insecticides and orange oil
You can apply herbicides, fungicides or plant growth regulators.
If the land is being used to grow arable crops (including non-permanent horticultural crops), you must do this action on one ‘cash crop’ from when it’s sown until it’s harvested.
A ‘cash crop’ means a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use.
For the purposes of this action, an arable crop includes:
- combinable crops, such as cereals and oilseed rape
- root crops
- field vegetables and salad crops
- soft fruit crops which do not occupy the land for 5 years or more and provide repeated harvests (also known as permanent crops)
You can choose which arable crop to do this action on, but it must not be:
- a cover crop which you will not harvest for commercial sale
- a short-term specialist crop, such as crops which are only in the ground for around 2 months
If something happens which means you cannot complete this action, you must tell the Rural Payments Agency about this in writing as soon as possible. Read section 13.2 ‘What you must do if you cannot comply with your agreement’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this.
When to do it
For arable crops, you must do this action on at least one crop that’s sown during each year of this action’s 3-year duration. You can harvest it in a subsequent year of this action’s duration if you sow the next crop for this action in the same year.
This means you must do this action on a crop that’s sown during:
- the first year of this action’s duration – you can harvest it in the second year of this action’s duration
- the second year of this action’s duration – you can harvest it in the third year of this action’s duration
- the third year of this action’s duration – you must do this action until you harvest the crop or this action’s end date (whichever is earlier)
If you’re already growing an arable crop on the land entered into this action when the action starts, you must do this action on a crop that’s sown within 12 months of the action’s start date.
For permanent crops, you must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of this action’s 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 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 | AHW6, AHW7, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, SOH4, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2 | |
| SFI 2023 actions | AHL2, IPM1, IPM3, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2 | |
| CS options | AB2, AB9, HS3, HS9, OP1, OP2, OP5, OR3, OR4, OR5, OT3, OT4, OT5, SW5, SW6 | |
| ES options | No ES revenue options | |
| SFI pilot standards |
SFI pilot arable and horticultural land standard – all levels SFI pilot arable and horticultural soils standard – all levels |
(*the other Arable CS options not contained in the table above prohibit the use of insecticides as part of the CS option, so cannot be located on the same area as CIPM4 as they’re either incompatible or you’d be paid twice for doing the same activity)
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.
Managing arable and horticultural crops without using insecticide
This action requires you not to use any plant protection products containing insecticide. Insecticides are used to control invertebrate pests.
You can check:
- the product label to find out whether a plant protection product contains insecticide
- the Health and Safety Executive website for information on authorised plant protection products containing insecticides
This action allows you to apply herbicides, fungicides and plant growth regulators. You can also use molluscicides, such as slug pellets.
As an alternative to using insecticide, you can use preventative measures or other control methods as part of an IPM approach. For example, you could:
- create habitats for natural crop pest predators
- use companion cropping to provide protection from crop pests
To create habitats for natural crop pest predators, you may be able to do the following SFI actions on a different area in the same land parcel as this action:
- IPM2: Flower-rich grass margins, blocks or in-field strips
- AHL1: Pollen and nectar flower mix
- AHL4: 4m to 12m grass buffer strip on arable and horticultural land
To use companion cropping, you can do CIPM3: Companion crop on arable and horticultural land on the same area in a land parcel as this action.
You may find it helpful to do CIPM1: Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan to help you identify and discuss opportunities for using IPM with a BASIS qualified adviser.
Updates to this page
Last updated 15 August 2024 + show all updates
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AHW7 added to 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 - plant protection products containing insecticide includes insecticide seed dressings. 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.