CNUM1: Assess nutrient management and produce a review report - GOV.UK

Contents

1. Duration
2. How much you’ll be paid
3. Action’s aim
4. Where you can do this action
5. Eligibility of protected land
6. Available area you can enter into this action
7. Rotational or static action
8. What to do
9. When to do it
10. How to do it
11. Evidence to keep
12. Other actions or options you can do with this action
13. Advice to help you do this action
14. Finding a FACTS qualified adviser
15. Completing an NM assessment
16. Writing an NM review report

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

£652 for the assessment and review report per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that you assess your current approach to nutrient usage and effectively plan how to:

• manage your nutrient usage more efficiently and effectively
• optimise your use of organic sources of crop nutrition

Where you can do this action

You can do this action on all agricultural land located below the moorland line. The nutrient management (NM) assessment and review report should cover all of the relevant areas of your farm.

This is an ‘agreement level’ SFI action. This means you apply to include it in your agreement instead of entering specific areas of land.

You can only apply for this action:

• if at least one land parcel is linked to your Single Business Identifier (SBI), so it’s shown on your digital maps
• in one SFI agreement – once you’ve included it in an agreement, you cannot apply for this action again until after its 3-year duration in that agreement ends

Eligibility of protected land

• Protected land: Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)
• Eligibility: Eligible – you do not need to get SSSI consent for this action as it’s an assessment and review report
• Protected land: Historic and archaeological features
• Eligibility: Eligible – you do not need to get a SFI HEFER for this action as it’s an assessment and review report

Available area you can enter into this action

Not applicable as this is an agreement level SFI action.

Rotational or static action

Not applicable as this is an agreement level SFI action.

What to do

You must arrange for a member of the BASIS Professional Register who’s qualified under the Fertiliser Advisers Certification and Training Scheme (a ‘FACTS qualified adviser’) to visit your farm to:

• assess your current nutrient use and needs for your farm
• identify and discuss opportunities to increase efficiency of your nutrient usage, and maximise the use of natural sources of crop nutrients on that land
• help you produce a written NM review report

You must make sure that the FACTS qualified adviser does what’s required above.

If you’re a FACTS qualified adviser, as defined above, you can complete this action yourself.

You can use an existing written NM review report, informed by an NM assessment, to get paid for this action if it was:

• carried out by a FACTS qualified adviser
• written within the last 12 months

If you need to take soil samples on areas within a land parcel containing historic or archaeological features, including scheduled monuments, you must follow the requirements explained in section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI scheme information.

When to do it

You must make sure that a FACTS qualified adviser visits your farm to:

• complete the NM assessment and help you produce a written NM review report within 12 months of this action’s start date
• reassess your nutrient use and needs for your land and review your NM review report in 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:

• a written record of your NM review report, including the NM assessment
• evidence that the adviser is a FACTS qualified adviser, such as their name and BASIS or FACTS registration number

You must supply this evidence if we ask for it.

Other actions or options you can do with 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.

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.

Finding a FACTS qualified adviser

You can use the BASIS ‘Find an Adviser’ tool to help you find a FACTS qualified advisor.

Completing an NM assessment

You can choose how the FACTS qualified adviser completes the NM assessment. There’s no standard format.

To help you achieve this action’s aim, you can do the following to plan the right amount of nutrients for your soil:

• calculate the nutrient and pH requirements of the crop
• sample and test the soil in each field for pH, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium – it’s usually best to do this at least every 3 to 5 years
• calculate the nutrient levels that will be supplied from organic sources, such as legumes, manure, slurry or digestate, or nutrients recycled from the return of crop residues (for example, straw)
• calculate the amount of artificial fertiliser you’ll need to apply so it does not exceed what the crop needs – increasing nutrient supply from the soil and organic sources will reduce the need for artificial fertiliser

It’s best to take soil samples when nutrient levels are likely to be lowest. This is usually between September and March after you have harvested the previous crop.

This will help to identify the nutrients left in the soil that the next crop will use.

If you need to take soil samples on land with historic or archaeological features, read section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI scheme information.

Read more about NM in the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB) Nutrient Management Guide (RB209).

Writing an NM review report

You can choose how to produce the written NM review report. There’s no standard format.

You can read the Tried and Tested Nutrient Management Plan for help creating farm nutrient plans. It also includes a template.

Published 21 May 2024 Last updated 5 August 2024 + show all updates

1. 30 July 2024

Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.

1. 21 May 2024

First published.