PRF1: Variable rate application of nutrients
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
£27 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that precision farming equipment is used to apply all nutrients:
- at a variable rate, which means the nutrient application rate is automatically varied
- to match the nutrient needs of crops on different areas of land
The purpose of this is to:
- reduce over-application of nutrients
- improve yields from more consistent crop growth and quality
- improve water and air quality
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
- receiving more than 12 tonnes of cattle farmyard manure (or equivalent amounts of available nutrients as fertiliser or other organic manures as an alternative to cattle farmyard manure)
- an eligible land type (read section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’)
- 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 |
| Improved permanent grassland | Permanent grassland | PG01 |
| Horticultural permanent crops | Permanent crops | TC01 |
Eligibility of protected land
| Land or features with protection | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) | Eligible – you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 5.5 ‘Land that’s a site of special scientific interest (SSSI)’) |
| 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’) |
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 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
You must apply all nutrients across the land entered into this action using variable rate application (VRA) equipment that’s either:
- pre-programmed with a ‘variable rate file’ using data from zonal soil or crop testing and analysis or remote sensing
- linked to a tractor or sprayer mounted crop reflectance sensor
‘Zonal’ soil testing means you divide land parcels into soil management zones and take soil samples within each zone.
For the purposes of this action, nutrients include:
- manufactured fertilisers – solid or liquid
- solid manures – such as farmyard manure, poultry litter, sewage sludge or biosolids
- slurry or digestate
You must make sure the VRA equipment automatically varies the application rate of the nutrients in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
The data from zonal soil testing and analysis must cover a minimum of:
- phosphorus (P)
- potassium (K)
- magnesium (Mg)
- soil acidity (pH)
When to do it
You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 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
Advice to help you do this action will be published before applications are fully launched from summer 2024. It will not be 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:
- invoices for zonal soil testing and analysis
- the ‘variable rate file’ uploaded to the VRA equipment
- an ‘as applied’ VRA record
- field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
- contractor’s invoice if you use a contractor to do this action
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 | AHW1, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW10, AHW11, OFA1, OFA6, OFC1, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM1, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, SOH4, WBD4, WBD5, WBD6, WBD7, WBD8, AGF1, AGF2, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, CAHL2, CIGL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CNUM2, CSAM1, CSAM2, CSAM3 |
| SFI 2023 actions | AHL2, IGL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, NUM2, SAM1, SAM2, SAM3 |
| CS options | AB1, AB2, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB8, AB9, AB11, AB13, AB14, AB15, AB16, GS3, GS4, HS2, HS3, HS9, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8, SW9, SW10, SW12, SW13, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR1, OR3, OR4, OR5, OT1, OT3, OT4, OT5 |
| ES options | No ES revenue options |
| SFI pilot standards |
SFI pilot arable and horticultural soil standard – all levels SFI pilot arable and horticultural land standard – introductory and intermediate levels SFI pilot improved grassland standard – introductory and intermediate levels SFI pilot improved grassland soils standard – all levels |
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’ for more information.
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