How to do the SFI actions for low input grassland
Find out how you could do the SFI actions for low input grassland.
Applies to England
It’s up to you how you complete each SFI action, as long as you do it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve the action’s aim (which is described in each action).
This voluntary guidance includes advice on how you could do the SFI actions for low input grassland (LIG1 and LIG2).
You may find it helpful to read this guidance, but you do not have to follow it. The requirements you must follow for each SFI action are explained in the ‘Details of the SFI actions’, which you can find in either:
- section 2 of the SFI handbook
- the webpage versions of the details of the SFI actions
How to manage grassland with very low nutrient inputs (LIG1 and LIG2)
What you’re aiming to achieve
The aim of LIG1 / LIG2 is that the grassland produces a sward with:
- flowering grasses and wildflowers from late spring and during the summer months
- a variety of plant heights by autumn, with some covering of flowering grasses and wildflowers left to go to seed and tussocky grass allowed to develop
Late spring and during the summer months will usually include May, June, July and August, but this may vary according to your location and setting.
Minimising the use of nutrients
To help you plan how to manage the grassland with very low nutrient inputs, you may find it helpful to do NUM1 (assess nutrient management and produce a review report).
If you’re already managing the grassland with very low nutrient inputs (below the thresholds required in LIG1 / LIG2), try not to increase inputs above your current levels.
Managing grassland by grazing or cutting
It’s up to you how you graze the grassland with livestock or cut it, as long as it:
- meets the requirements explained in LIG1 / LIG2
- is done in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve the action’s aim (described above)
Grazing
If you’re grazing with livestock, you can do the following to help you achieve the action’s aim, unless you’ll be cutting the grassland for conserved forage:
- start grazing the area that will not be cut for conserved forage when the average sward height is around 10-12 centimetres (cm)
- try to maintain an average sward height of around 5cm, with a mix of taller and shorter heights
- remove livestock when the average sward height falls below around 5cm
- use paddock grazing or temporary electric fencing to manage grazing on different parts of the fields - sward productivity may deteriorate over time, so rotating areas can help with this
To get more benefits for wildlife, you could create a varied height sward with a higher average height of around 8cm or more, through the summer and following winter. Taller areas help provide habitat and food for invertebrates and let plants flower and set seed. Shorter areas make it easier for birds to find food.
To find out more about measuring swards and planning how to manage grazing, read AHDB’s guidance on planning grazing strategies for better returns.
Cutting (if it’s not for conserved forage)
If you’re cutting the sward, and it’s not being cut for conserved forage, you can do the following to help you achieve the action’s aim:
- to create a range of cut and uncut sward heights across the grassland area, vary the cutting dates and height of each cut
- if you’re only cutting the sward, and not grazing it, avoid leaving large blocks at a uniform height by varying the cutting height within each area
If possible, removing the cut vegetation will help to:
- reduce the risk of it smothering grass species
- remove nutrients, which helps prevent weeds from growing in the strip
If it’s impractical to remove the cut vegetation, you can leave finely chopped cuttings, spread as thinly as possible.
Cutting for conserved forage
If the grassland will be cut for conserved forage, you can choose which continuous 7-week period during the spring and summer months to leave the area un-grazed and uncut before you take the forage cut.
Ideally, to encourage the development of flowering grasses and wildflowers, avoid cutting the grass earlier than either:
- end of June
- mid-July in upland areas, where the grass growth is usually slower
You can cut later if the weather is wet but try to avoid repeated cuts as it will decrease the number of wildflower species.
Before cutting, check 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 fledge
After you’ve cut the area for conserved forage, if you have livestock, you can:
- follow cutting with aftermath grazing
- graze areas that could not be cut earlier in the season
- vary stocking rates
If grazing is not possible, you can take a second cut in late summer or early autumn and remove the cuttings.
Minimising bare ground
To minimise bare ground, and reduce the risk of compacted areas or poaching, you can, for example:
- remove livestock or reduce numbers when the ground is wet
- when weather and ground conditions allow, move feeders and temporary water troughs to manage the way livestock move around the area
- remove heavier livestock, such as cattle, in the winter
- supplementary feed livestock on drier fields, avoiding areas containing historic or archaeological features, and ideally scattering feed on the ground rather than concentrating livestock around feeders
- avoid cutting the grassland for forage if the weather is wet
- avoid using machinery on ground that is saturated