SAM2 - Multi-species winter cover
Payment
You’ll receive £129 per hectare per year.
Aim
This action aims to ensure a well-established multi-species cover crop is present over the winter months. The purpose of this is to:
- Protect the soil surface.
- Provide root growth that benefits soil structure, supports soil biology and minimises nutrient leaching, soil erosion and runoff.
Where You Can Do This Action
You can do this action on eligible land located below the moorland line. The table below sets out what land is eligible for SAM2.
Table 5: Eligible Land for SAM2
| Eligible land type | Eligible land use code | Compatible land cover |
|---|---|---|
| Arable land, including temporary grassland | Arable crops | Arable land |
| Leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops | Arable land | |
| FA01 | Arable land | |
| TG01 | Arable land | |
| Permanent crops – horticultural | TC01 | Permanent crops |
The glossary (annex C) explains what we mean by land types, land use codes and compatible land covers.
The SFI application service will automatically calculate what area may be eligible for this action in each land parcel. This is called the ‘SFI available area’. You must check this area is an eligible land type. Find out how the SFI available area is calculated in the information on land that’s eligible for the SFI actions (section 4.1.2).
You can apply for this action on either the total SFI available area in each land parcel shown in your SFI application, or part of that area.
This action is rotational. You can do it on the same area of eligible land each year of your 3-year SFI agreement, or you can move the area each year.
Other Land Management Actions or Options You Can Do on the Same Area as SAM2
The table below sets out which other SFI actions, CS management options, ES revenue options and SFI pilot standards can be located on the same eligible area within a land parcel as SAM2.
Table 6: Actions or options that can be located on the same area within a land parcel as SAM2
| Scheme | Action or option codes that can be located on the same area as SAM2 |
|---|---|
| SFI 2023 | SAM1, IPM1, IPM3 (if companion crop is not present during the winter months), IPM4, NUM1 |
| CS | AB11, AB12 AB14, HS3, HS9, OP3, OP5, OR3, OR4, OT3, OT4, SW17 |
| ES | No ES revenue options |
| SFI pilot | No area-based SFI pilot standards |
Use the CS grant finder to search for the CS option codes shown above.
The SFI actions for hedgerows (HRW1, HRW2 and HRW3), CS option BE3 and the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard can be done on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into SAM2.
If an action or option cannot be located on the same area within a land parcel as SAM2, this is because it’s not an eligible land type, or the activities are incompatible, or you would be paid twice for doing the same activities on the same land. In this case, that area will be automatically removed from the affected land parcel’s SFI available area in your SFI application.
If this is the case, you may be able to do the action on a different area in the same land parcel if:
- it’s an eligible land type for the action or option
- it’s a part-parcel action or option
- the area used for the action or option does not overlap with the area used for SAM2
Read the information about eligibility of land used for other schemes and funding sources (section 4.2) to find out more.
What To Do
You must establish and maintain a well-established multi-species cover crop over the winter months on land entered into this action. Read ‘When to do it’ to find out what we mean by winter months.
To establish the multi-species cover crop you must sow a mix containing at least 2 species from one or more of these plant families:
- brassicae
- legumes
- grass or cereals
- herbs
You can choose any mix that works for your farm. Using a more varied mix, containing multiple species with different characteristics, will normally bring greater benefits to your soil.
If you’re doing this action on land with peaty soil, you should not use legumes as part of the multi-species mix. Peaty soil means there’s around 20% or more organic matter to a depth of 40cm or more. The SOM test results from completing action SAM1 will tell you if this is the case.
The multi-species cover crop must be established early enough so it can reasonably be expected to meet this action’s aim. This means there should be leafy vegetation that’s sufficiently well grown so the cover crop is well-established to protect the soil surface for the duration of the winter months.
If the multi-species cover crop is not sufficiently well-established to protect the soil surface for the duration of the winter months, for example, due to prolonged adverse weather, you must let us know about this. Read the information about what happens if you find cannot comply with your SFI agreement (section 5.3.3).
You must not mechanically apply any fertilisers or manures on the areas of multi-species cover crops.
You can graze the multi-species cover crop, but it still needs to be well-established over the winter months.
You can maintain existing areas of multi-species cover crops to meet this action if they:
- meet the requirements explained above
- are not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option
When to Do It
Each year of your SFI agreement, you must have a well-established multi-species cover crop that’s present for the duration of the winter months. The winter months will usually include December, January and February.
If your agreement starts too late for you to complete this action, you can complete it within 12 months of your agreement’s start date.
After the winter months, you can destroy the multi-species winter cover crop if you choose. You may destroy the multi-species winter cover crop before the end of the winter months if you’re establishing an early-sown spring crop. This includes grazing the cover crop with livestock. You must not do this more than 6 weeks before you establish the early-sown spring crop.
When you destroy the multi-species winter cover crop, you should try to minimise risks such as compaction, poaching, soil runoff or erosion.
How To Do It
It’s up to you how you complete this action, as long as you do it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
You may find it helpful to read the voluntary guidance on how to establish and maintain multi-species winter cover, but you do not have to follow it.
What Evidence To Keep
You should keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action. This will help if it’s not clear that you’ve completed the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.
This evidence could include photographs and other documentation to show what you’ve done to complete this action. It could also include field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices. If you choose to take photographs, read the guidance on how to take photographic evidence (annex A).
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: SFI Handbook for the SFI 2023 Offer