SW2
4m to 6m buffer strip on intensive grassland
£235.00
info Summary
This Countryside Stewardship option establishes and maintains a 4m to 6m grass buffer strip on the edges of intensively managed grassland fields, particularly those receiving high nitrogen inputs. It aims to protect watercourses, provide wildlife habitat, and link existing features, while also protecting historic and archaeological features.
format_list_bulleted What to do
- Establish and maintain a 4m to 6m wide grass strip with an intact sward, free from vehicle or stock damage.
- Do not apply fertilisers or manures.
- Do not use pesticides, except for spot treating injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles, or bracken.
- Do not remove fallen timber or limbs of hedgerow trees over 30cm diameter at breast height.
- Do not cut the buffer strip, except to control woody growth.
schedule When to do
- Establish the buffer strip during the first year of the agreement.
- Maintain the strip for the entire agreement period.
- Leave the buffer strip uncut during summer if the rest of the field is mown.
checklist How to do
- Leave an uncut buffer strip 4m to 6m wide around mown fields (livestock can graze aftermath).
- Only cut the sward to control woody growth.
- For hedgerow trees over 30cm diameter, leave fallen timber beneath the canopy, stacking only if it obstructs management.
- Remove subsoil compaction where needed for seedbed preparation (except on archaeological features).
- Control weeds and cut regularly in the first 12-24 months to encourage tillering.
- Avoid cutting when soil is wet to prevent compaction.
description Evidence Required
Where there is uncertainty about whether the aims of the options have been delivered, we will take into account any records or evidence you may have kept demonstrating delivery of the aims of the option. This will include any steps you’ve taken to follow the recommended management set out above. It’s your responsibility to keep such records if you want to rely on these to support your claim.
- Field operations at the parcel level, including associated invoices
- Input records showing that the grassland has received more than 100kg of nitrogen per ha per year
At the start of each claim year, you may be asked to take and submit the following photographic records.
- Photographs of the strips
tips_and_updates Additional Advice
- This option can be used on existing buffer strips unless already funded by another scheme.
- Choose sites that link habitats or are next to watercourses, hedgerows (especially with mature trees), stone walls, remnants of boundary trees, or woodland strips to benefit wildlife.
- To protect archaeological features, create strips beside above-ground archaeological features, historic features, or metal parkland fencing.
- Remove subsoil compaction where needed for seedbed (except on archaeological features).
- Control weeds and cut regularly in the first 12-24 months to encourage tillering.
- Avoid cutting when soil is wet to prevent compaction.
- Consider using SW11 - Riparian management strip on sloping fields next to a watercourse where there is a risk of soil erosion, runoff or bankside trampling.
- This option can contribute to an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach and is beneficial for biodiversity, especially when linking habitats.
View Official Guidelines
Access detailed information about this action on the RPA website