WBD3: In-field grass strips
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
£765 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s an in-field grass strip:
- on land at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff
- with an intact grass sward throughout the year
The purpose of this is to:
- reduce the quantity of sediment, nutrients and pesticides transported through surface runoff water
- improve water quality
- provide habitats for wildlife
- support an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
- identified by you as being at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff – you must keep evidence of this
- 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
This is a ‘limited area’ action. The total eligible area you enter into any combination of one or more of the ‘limited area’ actions must not be more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm. Read section 1.3 ‘SFI actions with a limited area’ in the SFI scheme information for more details (including a list of the ‘limited area’ actions).
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 |
Eligibility of protected land
| Protected land | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) in a land parcel | 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
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 establish and maintain an in-field grass strip which has:
- an intact grass sward
- no evidence of damage from vehicle or stock access routes
During late summer after the bird breeding season, you must cut the entire strip to encourage a dense sward with a variety of grasses to grow.
You must not:
- apply fertilisers or manures
- apply pesticides except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, or nettles
- allow livestock to access the strip
You can maintain an existing in-field grass strip to get paid for this action if it:
- meets this action’s requirements
- is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship (CS) option SW3 (in-field grass strips)
When to do it
You must:
- establish the in-field grass strip within 12 months of this action’s start date
- maintain the in-field grass strip throughout each subsequent year of this action’s 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 written evidence that land entered into this action is at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff. You can use the soil management plan produced for CSAM1 or SAM1 to identify this.
You must also 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 | OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, AGF1, AGF2, PRF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1 |
| SFI 2023 actions | IPM1, NUM1, SAM1 |
| CS options | OR3, OR4, 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.
How and where to establish the in-field grass buffer strip
You can establish the in-field grass buffer strip by either:
- sowing a seed mix
- using natural regeneration
If you’re sowing a seed mix, to help the grass buffer strip to establish you can:
- remove any subsoil compaction to prepare a seedbed (except on land with historic or archaeological features
- cut regularly in the first 12 to 24 months to encourage the grasses to tiller – try to avoid cutting when the soil is wet as that may cause compaction
To help you achieve this action’s aim, you can establish the in-field grass strip on:
- natural drainage pathways (for example, the bottom of a valley) to prevent runoff water from creating rills and gullies
- long, sloping fields with the strip placed parallel to the slope and alternated with wide, cultivated strips to slow runoff water and trap sediment and organic material
Try to avoid establishing the in-field grass trip on a public right of way. This is because the ground is likely to be compacted which means the strip may not establish as well.
Maintaining the established grass strip
Once the grass strip is established, this action requires you to cut the entire strip during late summer. Before you cut the sward, check it 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 have fledged.
If possible, remove the cut vegetation. If it’s impractical to do this, you can leave finely chopped cuttings, spread as thinly as possible.
If you want to do this type of action on more than around one-third of the area of a field you can consider doing WBD4 (arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input) instead to cover a larger area.
Updates to this page
Last 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. 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.