PRF4: Mechanical robotic weeding
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
£150 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that mechanical robotic weeding technology is used to control weeds, so there’s minimal use of herbicides.
The purpose of this is to:
- improve productivity, water and soil quality
- increase biodiversity
- support an integrated pest management approach
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
It will not usually be possible for you to do this action on combinable crops.
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code |
|---|---|---|
| Arable land used to grow crops, excluding temporary grassland | Arable land | Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops |
| Arable land lying fallow | Arable land | FA01 |
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 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
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 control weeds on land entered into this action using a mechanical robotic weeder that:
- weeds between and within the rows of one crop
- has camera or GPS-guided hoes which physically remove the weeds from the ground
You must do this action on one crop from when it’s sown until it’s harvested.
For the purposes of this action, a crop includes:
- 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 crop to do this action on, but it must be a ‘cash crop’. This means it’s a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use.
You can apply residual herbicides to the crop before the sown crop plants or weeds emerge (‘pre-emergence’). This can be at the same time the crop is established (drilled or planted) or within a few days of establishment.
‘Residual’ herbicides are long-lasting selective herbicides which control certain weed species without harming the crop.
You must not use any other herbicides on the crop from when it’s sown until it’s harvested.
When to do it
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 that crop or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier
If you’re already growing a crop on the land entered into this action when this action starts, you must do this action on a crop that’s sown within 12 months of this action’s start date.
How to do it
You must follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must.’
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:
- data from the tractor’s job recording system identifying the mechanical robotic weeder, the date and areas weeded
- field operations at a land parcel level, including the land parcel reference number and the dates the crop was sown and harvested
- 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 | AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, AHW10, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFM4, SOH4, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2 |
| SFI 2023 actions | AHL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2 |
| CS options | AB2, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB10, AB14, HS3, HS9, SW5, SW6, SW12, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, 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.
Using mechanical robotic weeding equipment
The mechanical robotic weeding equipment you use can be either tractor mounted or autonomous.
You may be able to get funding for this equipment through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF).
Updates to this page
Published 21 May 2024Last updated 5 August 2024 + show all updates
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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. Where you can do this action - it will not usually be possible for you to do this action on combinable crops. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. What to do - Deleted combinable crops, as it will not usually be possible for you to do this action on these crops. You can apply residual herbicides at the same time the crop is established (drilled or planted) or within a few days of establishment. Other actions or options you can do on the same area - deleted OR4 and OT4 from CS options. 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.