GRH6: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland (endorsed)
What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.
Duration
5 years
How much you’ll be paid
£646 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s priority habitat species-rich grassland with:
- a good cover of flowering grasses and wildflowers from late spring and during the summer months, including 4 frequently occurring and 2 occasionally occurring ‘indicator’ species typical of your type of priority habitat grassland
- a variety of plant heights appropriate for your type of priority habitat grassland by autumn
- enough flowering grasses and wildflowers left to go to seed to maintain or increase the presence and abundance of ‘indicator’ plant species typical of your type of priority habitat grassland
- scattered areas of scrub and rushes, as appropriate for your type of priority habitat grassland
- any historic or archaeological features left undamaged
The purpose of this is to:
- maintain and improve the biodiversity of priority habitat grassland
- increase the number and frequency of important plant species
- benefit priority species, such as bumblebees, butterflies, birds or bats
- protect historic or archaeological features, where present on the land
Where you can do this action
You must get written approval (‘endorsement’) before you can include this action in your SFI agreement. Read section 1.2 ‘SFI actions which require endorsement’ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to get endorsement.
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
- endorsed as being suitable for this action – read ‘How endorsement works for this action’
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Species-rich permanent grassland | Permanent grassland | PG01 |
| Species-poor permanent grassland* | Permanent grassland | PG01 |
| 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 |
*only on land where you’re restoring or creating priority habitat species-rich grassland
How endorsement works for this action
The required endorsement for this action will be done by either:
- a Natural England adviser
- an adviser approved by Natural England to act on their behalf
To endorse this action, the adviser will check that the land you want to do the action on is one of the following:
- already priority habitat species-rich grassland – it does not need to be mapped on the Priority Habitat Inventory (PHI)
- has potential for the restoration or creation of priority habitat species-rich grassland
For the purposes of this action, types of ‘priority habitat species-rich grassland’ include:
- lowland calcareous grassland
- lowland dry acid grassland
- lowland meadows
- upland hay meadows
- purple moor-grass and rush pasture
The adviser may contact you to visit your land to endorse this action.
If you’re intending to restore or create priority habitat species-rich grassland, you must provide the adviser with a map and soil analysis for the land before the visit.
Your map must show the location of either:
- the species-poor permanent grassland which you want to restore to priority habitat species-rich grassland
- the arable land, temporary grassland or land lying fallow where you want to create priority habitat species-rich grassland
To allow the adviser to confirm whether your land has good potential for the introduction of wildflowers, your soil analysis must:
- include the soil available phosphorus (using the ‘Olsen P’ test)
- have been carried out within the last year, or within the last 5 years if there have been no fertiliser applications or increase in stocking levels since the last soil analysis
Read Natural England’s guidance on ‘soil sampling for habitat recreation and restoration’ to find out how to carry out this soil analysis.
Eligibility of protected land
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 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
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 manage the land entered into this action in a way that can reasonably be expected to maintain either:
- existing priority habitat species-rich grassland
- priority habitat species-rich grassland you’re restoring or creating
To do this, you must do the following on the area entered into this action:
- graze it with livestock or cut it, or a combination of both, in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim on your type of priority habitat species-rich grassland – read the ‘advice to help you to do this action’ to find out which ‘indicator’ species and vegetation heights are typical for each type of priority habitat species-rich grassland
- make sure there’s an intact grass sward throughout the year, without compacted areas or poaching
- minimise bare ground, so the soil is covered by vegetation and is not directly exposed to the elements
- manage scrub and soft and hard rushes on the area in each land parcel entered into this action in way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim on your type of priority habitat species-rich grassland – read the ‘advice to help you do this action’ to find out what’s appropriate for your type of species-rich grassland
- maintain a continuous sward on any historic and archaeological features, with minimal scrub, bracken and bare ground – if you cut the sward, you must avoid damaging the features
In years when you cut the area for hay or haylage, you must:
- not graze the area for a continuous period of at least 8 weeks during the spring and summer months before you harvest the hay or haylage crop – this is to allow flowering grasses and wildflowers to develop
- harvest the hay or haylage crop after enough flowering grasses and wildflowers have set seed to reasonably achieve this action’s aim – in the majority of cases, this will usually be mid to late July (but you must not cut it earlier than the end of June on land outside severely disadvantaged areas (SDAs) or mid-July on land in an SDA)
- in each land parcel, leave an uncut margin around the edge of the area entered into this action to provide shelter for invertebrates and small mammals
- apply no more than 6 tonnes per ha per year (or no more than 12 tonnes per ha every 2 years) of cattle, sheep or horse farmyard manure – you must not increase your application rate if it’s currently less than this
If, in a particular year, you believe that you have an exceptional case to cut earlier than the end of June or mid-July (as relevant), and the timing can still reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim, you must:
- notify the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) about this in writing before you cut the area – use ‘SFI GRH6 early cutting’ as the subject heading
- supply evidence with your written notification to show how the timing of the cutting can still reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim – the RPA may review this evidence if they check you’re complying with your SFI agreement
For such exceptional cases, you can cut the area for hay or haylage once you’ve notified the RPA and supplied the required evidence.
You must not do the following on the area entered into this action:
- plough, cultivate or reseed it, unless you’re restoring or creating priority habitat species-rich grassland (as confirmed in this action’s written endorsement)
- carry out supplementary feeding, except for mineral blocks
- carry out mechanical activities, including hay and haylage cutting, in a way that may disturb breeding birds or damage nests
- apply digestate or any other industrial by-product, including paper waste
- apply inorganic fertiliser or manures, apart from cattle, sheep or horse farmyard manure in years when the land is cut for hay or haylage
- apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken – unless the use of herbicides will affect wildflowers in the sward
- damage any archaeological or historic features
- carry out drainage works, including modifying existing drainage
- top more than half of the total area, except in patches to control injurious weeds, invasive species, bracken or areas dominated by rushes
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its 5-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 and 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, OFC2, OFM2 |
| SFI 2023 actions | IPM1, NUM1, SAM1 |
| CS options | OR2, OT2 |
| 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 one of the following supplemental actions (unless indicated otherwise) on land entered into this base action:
- GRH7: Hay making supplement – you can also do GRH11 on the same area as GRH7
- GRH8: Hay making supplement (late cut) – you can also do GRH11 on the same area as GRH8
- GRH11: Cattle grazing supplement (non-moorland) – you can also do GRH7 or GRH8 on the same area as GRH11
- SPM2: Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (50-80%)
- SPM3: Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (more than 80%)
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 species-rich grassland
To help you achieve this action’s aim, the way you manage each type of species-rich grassland will be different. This is so there’s the appropriate variety of plant heights and sward structure for:
- its plant community – including the number and frequency of ‘indicator’ species typical to the type of species-rich grassland
- the invertebrate species usually found on the type of species-rich grassland
Grazing with livestock will benefit most species-rich grassland and is usually needed to manage it. Read ‘Grazing with livestock’ for more information.
Where grazing is not possible or practical, you can:
- cut patches of the grassland at different heights and times of the year, so there are areas of cut and uncut vegetation
- remove the cuttings to keep the nutrient levels low - this can help maintain a wider range of flowering plants
Where your species-rich grassland is already managed as a hay meadow or has traditionally been a hay meadow, you can continue to cut it for hay. Read ‘Cutting hay meadows’ for more information.
Without regular grazing or cutting, coarse grasses and scrub will smother the wildflowers in the species-rich grassland.
Before cutting, check for signs of nesting birds. Birds, nests and eggs are protected by law, so if you see signs of nesting birds, delay cutting until the birds fledge.
For more information on managing different types of species-rich grassland, you may find it helpful to read Buglife’s guidance on:
- lowland calcareous grassland
- lowland dry acid grassland
- lowland meadows
- upland hay meadows
- purple moor grass and rush pastures
You can also read Natural England’s illustrated guides to:
- lowland chalk and limestone grassland
- purple moor grass and rush pasture
- managing historic environment features
Grazing with livestock
Grazing your species-rich grassland with cattle will create a mix of vegetation heights, as they graze less evenly than sheep.
Cattle also usually disturb the ground more with their hooves. This can help to create small areas of bare ground where:
- wildflower seeds can germinate
- invertebrates can warm up and burrow
Grazing with sheep or native ponies can be useful on some types of species-rich grassland where there needs to be short vegetation. For example, lowland dry acid grassland.
You may find it helpful to use a rotational grazing system so:
- there are areas where plants can flower and set seed
- you avoid overgrazing, which can destroy plant communities
You may need to:
- manage the grazing of the species-rich grassland flexibly in response to seasonal variations in vegetation growth, so there’s an appropriate sward height and structure for your type of species-rich grassland
- remove livestock for a period in spring or summer to allow plants to flower and set seed – you can start grazing again once most plants have flowered and set seed
Cutting hay meadows
You can cut your hay meadow once flowering grasses and wildflowers have developed and set seed.
After you’ve cut the hay or haylage crop and removed it, you can graze the aftermath. You can do this until the ground becomes too damp (usually around early November), when the risk of poaching is likely to increase.
Typical ‘indicator’ species for the type of priority habitat species-rich grassland
See a list of the typical ‘indicator’ species for each type of priority habitat species-rich grassland.
Checking how often the ‘indicator’ species occur
To assess how frequently the ‘indicator’ species occur on your species-rich grassland you can:
- do a W-shaped walk across the area
- stop at regular intervals or random points along the W-shape
- each time you stop, look at the vegetation within a square metre in front of you and write down which indicator species you see
For most habitats, stopping around 10 times is enough. For very large blocks of similar vegetation, you may need to stop around 20 times. You may find it helpful to use a handheld global positioning system (GPS) to record the location of your stops.
The indicator species will usually be:
- ‘frequently occurring’ if you see it at 5 or more stops out of 10
- ‘occasionally occurring’ if you see it at 3 or 4 stops out of 10
Lowland calcareous grassland: appropriate variety of plant heights
To help you achieve this action’s aim on lowland calcareous grassland, you can graze it lightly:
- in the summer, so there’s a mixture of short and taller vegetation to allow as many plants as possible to flower and set seed – the average sward height will usually be between around 5 centimetres (cm) and 15 cm
- in the autumn or winter (or both) to remove rank vegetation, so smaller plants are not swamped in the following year
If the grassland is parched and lichen dominated, you can graze it throughout the year to maintain a short sward height (usually around 5cm or less).
Lowland dry acid grassland: appropriate variety of plant heights
To help you achieve this action’s aim on lowland dry acid grassland, you can graze it lightly throughout the year to maintain:
- a short sward height (usually around 5cm or less)
- areas of taller vegetation, such as tussocky grasses, as these can support invertebrates
Lowland meadows: appropriate variety of plant heights
To help you achieve this action’s aim on lowland meadows, you can graze lightly:
- throughout the summer (except when fields are shut up for a cut of hay), so there’s a mixture of short and taller vegetation – the average sward height will usually be between around 5cm and 15cm
- through late summer and autumn to remove rank vegetation, so the sward height by winter means smaller plants are not swamped in the following year - the average sward height will usually be between around 5cm and 10cm
Upland hay meadows: appropriate variety of plant heights
To help you achieve this action’s aim on upland hay meadows, you can graze lightly:
- in spring (before fields are shut up for a cut of hay) to maintain a shorter sward height (usually around at least 5cm)
- after hay cutting, to graze the aftermath so there’s a mixture of short and taller vegetation – the average sward height will usually be between around 5cm and 10cm
Purple moor grass and rush pasture: appropriate variety of plant heights
To help you achieve this action’s aim on purple moor grass and rush pasture you can graze it with cattle to:
- provide a mix of medium to tall vegetation (for example, with an average sward height of around 8cm to 25cm by winter)
- avoid a uniform, short sward, which may be the case if you graze with sheep
Managing scrub on different types of species-rich grassland
You can manage scrub encroachment by grazing. You may need to cut the grassland to manage scrub encroachment if grazing does not maintain scattered areas of scrub. Try to do this between October and February to avoid disturbing nesting birds.
The appropriate level for scattered areas of scrub cover will vary in different types of species-rich grassland.
On lowland calcareous grassland or lowland dry acid grassland, you can manage scrub so there are small, scattered areas covering between around 5% and 10% of the field.
On lowland meadows (which are not cut for hay) and purple moor-grass and rush pasture, you can manage scrub so there:
- is less than around 5% in-field cover
- are ditches (where present) which are largely open and unshaded by scrub or tall vegetation
On lowland meadows cut for hay or upland hay meadows, scrub cover ideally needs to be around the edges of the field.
Managing soft and hard rushes on different types of species-rich grassland
You may need to manage soft and hard rushes if their tussocks become too dense and you see a high increase of rushes. Left unmanaged, they can:
- prevent the growth of other vegetation
- reduce the grazing value of your field
The appropriate level of soft and hard rush cover will vary in different types of species-rich grassland. For example, you can manage soft and hard rushes on:
- damp species-rich meadows, including purple moor-grass and rush pasture, so they cover no more than around 25% of the field
- most other types of species-rich grassland so they cover no more than around 10% of the field
You can cut rushes or combine cutting with aftermath grazing. Try to cut the rushes:
- before they set seed (after ground nesting birds have fledged)
- as close to the ground as possible at least once a year to reduce vigour – you can graze them before cutting to reduce the amount of cut material (unless the field is a hay meadow)
If there is regrowth during the autumn, you can either:
- cut a second time before the end of the growing season if the field is not too wet
- use livestock to graze it – cattle are usually best, as sheep may not graze rush
Managing weeds, nettles and bracken
Try to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native weeds, nettles and bracken so they cover no more than around 5% of your species-rich grassland.
Ideally, manage non-native weeds and nettles by cutting, hand pulling and grazing.
You can manage bracken by cutting or bruising, including forage harvesting where the litter layer is partially removed. This leaves bracken fronds susceptible to frosts and livestock trampling.
If you need to use herbicides, it will help you to apply them to target weed species if you:
- use weed wiping or spot treating equipment correctly
- graze down the wildflowers and grasses so you can treat the weeds without touching the non-target plants
Restoring or creating species-rich grassland
For this action, you can manage priority habitat species-rich grassland you’re restoring or creating.
You can restore existing:
- priority habitat grassland that is in poor condition – for example, by restoring the natural hydrology removing scrub, controlling rushes, changing grazing and cutting management
- species-poor permanent grassland by sowing wildflower seed
You can create species-rich grassland on arable land or temporary grassland by introducing wildflower seed.
You may need a feasibility study or implementation plan to restore or create species-rich grassland. You can apply for capital grants for this and other activities such as:
- sowing seed
- removing scrub
- managing water levels
Choosing a site to restore or create species-rich grassland
Sites with high or medium potential to create or restore species-rich grassland will ideally:
- have infertile soils, with low levels of soil available phosphate (index 0 or 1) – you can find this out by soil testing and analysis
- have minimal weeds, such as black-grass, couch grass or creeping thistle)
- not be dominated by aggressive plant species, such as white clover, ryegrass, creeping buttercup and Yorkshire fog
Try to avoid sites which have species which could be harmed by restoring or creating species-rich grassland. For example, if there are rare arable plants or farmland birds which need the land to be managed in a different way. If this is the case, it’s likely to be more appropriate to restore or create the grassland somewhere else on your farm.
To manage the species-rich grassland you’re creating or restoring, you’ll need to have:
- livestock available to graze the site
- the potential for hay cutting if it’s a hay meadow
To help you carry out the required soil analysis if you’re restoring or creating species-rich grassland, you may find it helpful to read Natural England’s guidance on: