Guidance for AB9 Winter bird food and OP2 Wild bird seed mixture plots
Updated 12 August 2020
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/temporary-prescription-adjustments/guidance-for-ab9-winter-bird-food-and-op2-wild-bird-seed-mixture-plots
1. Background
The prolonged drought and heatwave across England in 2018 has meant that many AB9 Winter bird food and OP2 Wild bird seed mixture plots within Countryside Stewardship agreements have struggled to establish and reach their full winter feed potential. This guidance outlines the options available for agreement holders.
Many agreement holders managed to sow their plots before 15 June, however, the majority of seed mixes were either slow to germinate, or failed due to a lack of moisture and/or prolonged periods of intense heat.
Other agreement holders held off sowing until sufficient rainfall was finally recorded in late July/early August switching to alternative seed mixes suitable for late sowing. In some cases, plots have not been sown at all due to a continued lack of rainfall.
To recognise the challenges that agreement holders have faced in 2018, the AB9/OP2 Temporary Prescription Adjustment (TPA) has been produced to:
- provide foraging for farmland birds and other wildlife
- allow agreement holders with failed or unsown plots to be eligible for payment in 2018.
The AB9/OP2 TPA is voluntary. As an agreement holder you can choose to manage your AB9/OP2 plots without adjustment, or apply to Natural England for the AB9/OP2 TPA.
The AB9/OP2 does not apply to ELS, OELS or HLS agreement holders as winter bird seed mixture options (EF2/HF2/HF12/OF2/OHF2) within these schemes do not have a prescription requirement to re-establish failed plots.
2. AB9/OP2 prescription requirement to re-establish failed plots
You must re-establish failed plots to meet the requirements of the AB9 Winter bird food and OP2 Wild bird seed mixture prescriptions.
If you can show that you meet the prescriptions - see Section 7 you will be eligible for payment in 2018, and do not have to apply for the AB9/OP2 TPA. This also applies to failed AB9/OP2 plots where you attempted to re-sow but were unsuccessful.
Where attempts to re-establish failed AB9/OP2 plots have also failed, you may apply for ‘force majeure’ - see Section 6.19 of the Mid Tier scheme manual and Section 6.20 of the Higher Tier scheme manual. In such cases, you must inform Natural England - see Section 6.
You are encouraged to carry out voluntary supplementary feeding to provide valuable foraging for farmland birds during the coming winter – see Section 4. You do not need approval from Natural England to do this in 2018. However, you must keep records of all supplementary feeding – see Section 7.
3. Options available to CS agreement holders with unsown or failed plots
If you have not successfully established AB9/OP2 plots according to their prescriptions, the following options are available.
3.1 Unsown plots
To be eligible for payment in 2018 you must agree to apply the AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding measure detailed in Section 4 and Section 7.
However, if you do not want to apply the AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding measure, you will not receive a 2018 AB9/OP2 payment although no penalties will be applied.
If you do not intend to claim on unsown plots in 2018, you must inform Natural England - see Section 6.
3.2 Failed plots that have not been re-established after the first sowing attempt
To be eligible for payment in 2018 you can either re-sow plots that failed after the first sowing attempt (see Section 8 for example seed mix to re-sow) according to the AB9/OP2 prescriptions, or agree to apply the AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding measure (see Section 4 and Section 7 below).
However, if you have failed plots and do not wish to re-sow or implement the AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding measure, you will not receive a 2018 AB9/OP2 payment although no penalties will be applied.
If you do not intend to claim on failed plots (which are not going to be re-sown), you must inform Natural England - see Section 6.
4. AB9/OP2 supplementary feeding guidance
4.1 What to feed
A mix containing 70% cereal (such as wheat, barley or oats), 20% white millet and 10% oilseed rape is suitable for a range of farmland birds such as cirl bunting, corn bunting, grey partridge, linnet, reed bunting, tree sparrow and yellowhammer.
Tailings can be used under this supplementary feeding measure.
4.2 How much to feed during the feeding period
You must supply 250kg of supplementary feed for every hectare of AB9/OP2 with the amount fed (kg/plot) adjusted according to the size of each plot. For example, where a plot is 2ha in size the amount to feed during the feeding period will be 500kg, where a plot is 0.50ha the amount to be fed will be reduced to 125kg.
4.3 Feeding period
You must carry out AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding between 14 September 2018 and 31 January 2019.
4.4 How long to feed
You must carry out AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding for a minimum of 10 weeks during the feeding period (see Section 4.3).
4.5 How often to feed
You must carry out AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding once a week during the feeding period (see Section 4.3).
4.6 How much to feed each week
The amount (kg) to feed each week will vary according to the length of the feeding period (see Section 4.4) and how often feeding will be carried out (see Section 4.5). However, to provide the greatest benefits for farmland birds (minimise waste and losses to vermin) we recommend that the amount fed each week (kg) is varied to match demand.
4.7 Where to feed
On tracks, hard standing or areas of short vegetation or bare ground within AB9/OP2 plots.
4.8 How many feeding areas
One for every hectare of AB9/OP2.
4.9 How to feed
Feed by hand or by using appropriate equipment such as a slug pellet applicator or purpose built supplementary feeding spreader.
4.10 Feeding diary
For information about the records that you must keep, see Section 7.2.
5. How to apply for the AB9/OP2 Temporary Prescription Adjustment
If you wish to implement the AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding measure, you must apply to Natural England as detailed in the TPA guidance on GOV.UK.
6. How to inform Natural England about failed or unsown plots
If you do not wish to be paid for unsown/failed plots in 2018 (that is, you do not want to apply the AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding measure or re-sow failed plots) you must inform Natural England.
Email ruralpayments@defra.gsi.gov.uk and use ‘Temporary Prescription Adjustments’ in the subject title. Also include ‘Failed or unsown AB9/OP2 plots’ within the body of your email and give the following information:
- SBI number
- Business name
- Agreement reference number
- Option code and title
- Location of plot(s) - please provide the full 10 digit field parcel number
- Area of individual plot(s).
7. Record keeping
7.1 AB9/OP2 prescription
You must keep the following records and produce them when asked to do so.
- Field operations at the parcel level (such as seed bed cultivations, sowing date, spray and/or fertilizer applications)
- Seed invoices or labels.
7.2 AB9/OP2 Temporary Prescription Adjustment supplementary feeding measure
You must keep the following records and produce them when asked to do so.
- Details of the supplementary feeding mixture used (% inclusion rate for each crop)
- Feeding dates
- Feeding method for example, by hopper or broadcasting
- Total amount (kg) of supplementary feed fed during the feeding period
- Location of feeding areas.
8. What to sow when re-establishing failed plots
The following seed mix contains a number of fast growing crops that have the potential to provide ripe seeds within 15 weeks from sowing:
- 9 kg/ha buckwheat
- 3 kg/ha fodder radish
- kg/ha mustard
Total seed rate (kg/ha) = 15 kg/ha.
The mix of crops and individual seed rates can be adjusted to suit local conditions and sowing date.
9. Retention date for failed/unsown plots
Successfully established AB9/OP2 Winter bird food plots are typically retained over winter until the following February or early March. This provides valuable seeds for farmland birds and other wildlife through the coldest winter months when seeds and cover are in short supply.
However, for 2018 only, you can return failed/unsown AB9/OP2 plots to the normal arable rotation early (they do not have to be retained over winter until next spring) in the following situations.
- Where you do not wish to be paid for failed or unsown AB9/OP2 plots in 2018 (you have not re-sown failed plots or applied to Natural England to implement the AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding measure)
- Where you wish to be paid for failed or unsown AB9/OP2 plots in 2018 (you have applied to Natural England to implement the AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding measure).
10. Relationship between the AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding measure and AB12 Supplementary winter feeding for farmland birds option
The AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feeding measure aims to provide autumn/early winter seed that is normally provided by successful AB9/OP2 plots (which typically run out of seeds in December / early January). The AB12 supplementary feeding is aimed at providing seed during the coldest months as the supply of seeds in AB9/OP2 plots reduces (typically from January to April).
If you have applied to Natural England to implement the AB9/OP2 supplementary feeding measure, and also have the AB12 Supplementary winter feeding for farmland birds option in your agreement, to receive full payment for both options in 2018 you must meet the individual requirements of both as detailed in the example below.
- Area of AB9 in agreement - 2ha
- Amount of AB9/OP2 TPA supplementary feed to be provided - 250kg to be fed for every hectare of failed/unsown AB9/OP2
- Amount of AB12 in agreement - 1000kg to be fed annually between December and 30 April
- Total AB9/OP2 TPA and AB12 supplementary feeding to be delivered in 2018 = 1250kg.