SOH2: Multi-species spring-sown cover crop
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
£163 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s a well-established spring-sown multi-species cover crop which is present either:
- between harvesting a cash crop, until the next cash crop is established
- after a winter cover crop is destroyed or oversown, until the next cash crop is established
The purpose of this is to:
- protect the soil surface
- provide root growth that benefits soil structure
- support soil biology and minimise nutrient leaching, soil erosion and runoff
- add organic matter
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, excluding temporary grassland | Arable land | Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops |
| Arable land lying fallow | Arable land | FA01 |
| Horticultural permanent crops | Permanent crops | TC01 |
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
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 establish a multi-species cover crop mix during the spring months (usually between March and May) which will not be harvested as a ‘cash crop’.
A ‘cash crop’ means a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use.
You must use a rapid growing seed mix that contains at least 4 species. This must include 2 species from two or more of the following plant families:
- brassicas
- legumes
- cereals and grasses, with grasses making up no more than 25% of the total mix by weight
- herbs
The seed mix must not contain:
- Japanese reed millet
- maize
- miscanthus or reed canary grass
- sorghum (all varieties)
- artichokes
- sweet fennel
You must avoid growing deep rooted species on any area within a land parcel with historic or archaeological features identified in your SFI HEFER. Read section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI scheme information for more details.
You must maintain the multi-species cover crop in a way, and for a period of time, that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
For the purposes of this action’s aim, the cover crop will be well-established if there’s:
- leafy vegetation that’s sufficiently well grown to protect the soil surface
- minimal bare soil
You must not do the following on the well-established cover crop:
- cut it or graze it with livestock (other than when destroying the cover crop)
- mechanically apply any fertilisers or manures
- destroy it more than 2 weeks before you intend to sow the next main crop
When you destroy the cover crop, you should try to minimise risks such as compaction, poaching, soil runoff or erosion.
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. For example, if there’s prolonged adverse weather. 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.
You must not use the following to meet this action:
- a multi-species temporary grass ley, such as a mix of grass and clover, that is being used for grazing
- a multi-species crop which you intend to harvest as a cash crop, such as a mix of wheat and clover
You can only use an existing multi-species cover crop to meet this action’s requirements if you overseed it. This includes a cover crop already paid for under an environmental land management scheme action, such as SAM2 or CSAM2 (multi-species winter cover crop).
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.
If this action’s start date means it’s too late for you to do this action, you must start doing it within 12 months of the action’s start date.
In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do this action until the next main crop is sown, or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.
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, including details of the seed mix used
- 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 | AHW6, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, AGF1, AGF2, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH3, SOH4, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2 |
| SFI 2023 actions | AHL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2 |
| CS options | AB2, AB9, HS3, HS9, SW5, SW6, OP5, OR4, OP1, OR3, OT3, OT4 |
| 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.
Growing cover crops on land used for permanent horticultural crops
If you’re doing this action on land used to grow permanent horticultural crops, you can plant cover crops:
- around fruit or nut trees
- between rows of trees
Choosing a seed mix
This action explains the minimum requirement for species in the seed mix (under ‘What to do’). Table 1 shows examples of what you could use.
Table 1: Species you could use
| Plant family | Species |
|---|---|
| Brassicas | Yellow mustard, brown mustard, oil radish, tillage radish, stubble turnip, kale |
| Legumes | Common vetch, hairy vetch, red clover, white clover, alsike clover, sweet clover, crimson clover, lucerne, black meddick, peas and beans |
| Cereals or grasses | Italian ryegrass, festulolium, black oats, forage rye, barley, winter triticale |
| Herbs | Phacelia, buckwheat, linseed |
Choosing a varied mix (with multiple species from different plant families and with different characteristics) will normally bring greater benefits to your soil.
If you’re in an area with a shorter growing season, you may need to choose plants that germinate and grow in cooler weather.
Your seed supplier can help you choose a seed mix that’s the best match for your land and local conditions.
You may find it helpful to read the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) information sheet about cover crops.
How to sow the cover crop
Your seed supplier can advise you on an overall sowing rate for the seed mix you choose.
You can drill or broadcast the seed mix. Drilling seeds is usually more reliable and gives a higher germination success than broadcasting. However, broadcasting is cheaper.
After you have sown the seed mix you can roll the seeds if the soil is dry enough. This can help to:
- improve seed-to-soil contact
- retain moisture
- reduce the risk of slug damage
Maintaining the cover crop
The cover crop will usually provide the most benefits to your soil if you maintain it for a period of at least around 8 consecutive weeks. However, this may differ depending on your crop rotation and geographical location.
How to destroy the cover crop
If you’re destroying the multi-species cover crop, you can choose what method you use.
Improving soil health
You can increase the benefits to soil of cover crops by combining them with:
- minimum tillage or no tillage (‘no-till’) systems – you may want to consider SOH1: No-till farming
- organic farming – there are several SFI actions which support this (search ‘organic’ in the ‘Find funding for land or farms’ tool)
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. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. What to do - you must avoid growing deep-rooted species on land with historic or archaeological features. Other actions or options you can do on the same area - OFA6, OFC4 and OFM5 added to SFI 2024 actions. HS3 and OT4 added to 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.