Navigating SFI 2024 – key grassland options available to help livestock farmers
In June 2024, Defra rolled out the latest version of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), presenting livestock farmers in England with various opportunities to enhance grassland management practices. These are aimed at helping farmers enhance the ecological function of grassland by promoting plant biodiversity, improving soil health, and ensuring forage productivity.
This blog will explore the key grassland options available within SFI, outline the funding on offer, and demonstrate how these options can benefit your livestock business.
SFI actions for farmland wildlife and habitats on grassland
Options CIGL1, CIGL2, and CIGL3 under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) all focus on managing grassland to support biodiversity, protect soil health, and improve water quality. While all three options aim to enhance environmental stewardship, CIGL1 and CIGL3 emphasise habitat creation and water quality protection, whereas CIGL2 specifically targets food provision for birds during winter.
There are also actions GRH1 and GRH6 for consideration – both prioritise bird conservation and biodiversity. GRH1 focuses more broadly on managing rough grazing areas to provide suitable habitats for birds, promoting diverse plant structures and species, whereas GRH6 targets specific species-rich grassland habitats with recognised ecological value.
Outline of key actions, lengths and payments
| Action | Agreement length | Payment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CIGL1 | Take grassland field corners or blocks out of management | 3 years | £333 per hectare per year |
| CIGL2 | Winter bird food on improved grassland | 3 years | £515 per hectare per year |
| CIGL3 | Grass buffer strips on improved grassland | 3 years | £235 per hectare per year |
| GRH1 | Manage rough grazing for birds | 3 years | £121 per hectare per year |
| GRH6 | Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland | 5 years | £646 per hectare per year |
By leaving certain areas of grassland, such as field corners or blocks, out of active management, to encourage tussocky grass to grow, or allowing grassland to go to seed during the autumn and winter, farmers can provide year-round habitat for a variety of wildlife, including insects and small mammals.
Grass buffer strips also play a vital role in water quality management by filtering out sediment and nutrients before they can reach water bodies. They can also maintain an intact grass sward year-round, free from compaction or poaching.
This approach enhances biodiversity and also supports integrated pest management (IPM) methods, if implemented near cropped areas, helping to naturally control pest populations and promote a more balanced farm ecosystem.
SFI actions for nutrient management on grassland
Actions CNUM1, CNUM2, and CNUM3 within SFI are focused on improving nutrient management to enhance soil health and reduce environmental impact.
Outline of key actions, lengths and payments
| Action | Agreement length | Payment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CNUM1 | Assess nutrient management and produce a review report | 3 years | £652 for the assessment and the report |
| CNUM2 | Legumes on improved grassland | 3 years | £102 per hectare per year |
| CNUM3 | Legume fallow | 3 years | £593 per hectare per year |
Action CNUM1 focuses on optimising the application of major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium) on grassland to improve nutrient use efficiency and minimise environmental impact. It involves detailed nutrient planning and monitoring to ensure nutrients are applied at the right time and in the correct amounts – helping prevent nutrient leaching and runoff, which can degrade soil quality and pollute water bodies. This also promotes a balanced soil nutrient profile, essential for maintaining healthy microbial communities, soil structure and optimal forage growth. This leads to more robust sward establishment and improved resilience against pests and diseases.
Within options CNUM2 and CNUM3, legumes established from spring to early autumn enrich the soil with organic nitrogen through nitrogen fixation – which not only improves soil structure and fertility, but also supports soil microbial health. Legumes provide high-protein forage too, improving the nutritional quality of the grassland for livestock. By sowing legumes on fallow land, action CNUM3 helps farmers enhance soil fertility and structure through natural processes during periods when the land is not actively used for grazing. This can help rejuvenate the soil, preparing the land for future productive use.
SFI grassland actions for waterbodies
All four SFI options within this section are united in their goal to protect water quality, but they differ in their specific approaches to managing grassland and livestock.
Outline of key actions, lengths and payments
| Action | Agreement length | Payment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WBD5 | Manage intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse | 5 years | £311 per hectare per year |
| WBD6 | Remove livestock from intensive grassland during the autumn and winter | 3 years | £115 per hectare per year |
| WBD7 | Remove livestock from grassland during the autumn and winter | 3 years | £115 per hectare per year |
| WBD8 | Manage grassland to reduce nutrient levels in groundwater | 3 years | £396 per hectare per year |
Action WBD5 focuses on maintaining a dense grass sward alongside a waterbody, acting as a physical barrier. The dense vegetation slows down surface runoff, allowing water to infiltrate into the soil, rather than carrying sediment and nutrients into rivers and streams.
Meanwhile, actions WBD6 and WBD7 emphasise removing livestock from grazing pastures next to watercourses during autumn and winter. This prevents soil compaction and poaching, which can lead to increased runoff and soil erosion.
WBD7 specifically targets grassland in severely disadvantaged areas, where land is typically more vulnerable to erosion and degradation due to steeper slopes, higher rainfall, or poorer soil conditions – helping to preserve soil integrity and water quality.
While action WBD8 directly targets nutrient management to reduce groundwater contamination. This action is aimed at minimising the leaching of nutrients, particularly nitrates, into groundwater by implementing practices that enhance plant nutrient uptake and reduce excess nutrient application. This includes: optimising the use of fertilisers by carefully managing application rates and timings; encouraging the use of deep-rooted plants to absorb excess nutrients; and maintaining a healthy grass sward to reduce bare soil and nutrient runoff.
Exploring more options available within SFI
There are several more options available to livestock farmers within the expanded SFI offering for 2024, including actions specific to organic and moorland farms.
Read the full list of SFI 2024 actions on offer and learn how to apply.
Farmers who grow arable crops will find it useful to read our other blogs explaining the range of SFI actions available for arable systems: