GRH6: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland (endorsed)

What you must do to get paid for this action and advice on how to do it.

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Rural Payments Agency
Published
15 August 2024
Land types:
Grassland
Areas of interest:
Pollinators and wildlife and Priority habitats
Payment types:
Revenue

Duration

5 years

How much you바카라 사이트™ll be paid

£646 per hectare (ha) per year

Action바카라 사이트™s aim

This action바카라 사이트™s aim is that there바카라 사이트™s priority habitat species-rich grassland with:

  • a good cover of flowering grasses and wildflowers from late spring and during the summer months, including 4 frequently occurring and 2 occasionally occurring 바카라 사이트˜indicator바카라 사이트™ species typical of your type of priority habitat grassland
  • a variety of plant heights appropriate for your type of priority habitat grassland by autumn
  • enough flowering grasses and wildflowers left to go to seed to maintain or increase the presence and abundance of 바카라 사이트˜indicator바카라 사이트™ plant species typical of your type of priority habitat grassland
  • scattered areas of scrub and rushes, as appropriate for your type of priority habitat grassland
  • any historic or archaeological features left undamaged

The purpose of this is to:

  • maintain and improve the biodiversity of priority habitat grassland
  • increase the number and frequency of important plant species
  • benefit priority species, such as bumblebees, butterflies, birds or bats
  • protect historic or archaeological features, where present on the land

Where you can do this action

You must get written approval (바카라 사이트˜endorsement바카라 사이트™) before you can include this action in your SFI agreement. Read section 1.2 바카라 사이트˜SFI actions which require endorsement바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to get endorsement.

You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that바카라 사이트™s:

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code
Species-rich permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01
Species-poor permanent grassland* Permanent grassland PG01
Arable land used to grow crops* Arable land Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops
Temporary grassland* Arable land TG01
Arable land lying fallow* Arable land FA01

*only on land where you바카라 사이트™re restoring or creating priority habitat species-rich grassland

How endorsement works for this action

The required endorsement for this action will be done by either:

  • a Natural England adviser
  • an adviser approved by Natural England to act on their behalf

To endorse this action, the adviser will check that the land you want to do the action on is one of the following:

  • already 바카라 사이트“ it does not need to be mapped on the Priority Habitat Inventory (PHI)
  • has potential for the restoration or creation of priority habitat species-rich grassland

For the purposes of this action, types of 바카라 사이트˜priority habitat species-rich grassland바카라 사이트™ include:

  • lowland calcareous grassland
  • lowland dry acid grassland
  • lowland meadows
  • upland hay meadows
  • purple moor-grass and rush pasture

The adviser may contact you to visit your land to endorse this action. They may only be able to do this when there are flowering grasses and wildflowers. This will be from late spring and during the summer months (usually between May and September).

You may be required to provide other evidence that your land is suitable if you apply for this action during the autumn and winter months. For example, a plant survey. This is not required if you바카라 사이트™ll be creating species-rich grassland on arable land used to grow crops or temporary grassland.

It may not be possible to endorse this action if you cannot provide the required evidence. If this is the case, it will not be included in your SFI agreement offer.

If you바카라 사이트™re intending to restore or create priority habitat species-rich grassland, you must provide the adviser with a map and soil analysis for the land before the visit.

Your map must show the location of either:

  • the species-poor permanent grassland which you want to restore to priority habitat species-rich grassland
  • the arable land, temporary grassland or land lying fallow where you want to create priority habitat species-rich grassland

To allow the adviser to confirm whether your land has good potential for the introduction of wildflowers, your soil analysis must:

  • include the soil available phosphorus (using the 바카라 사이트˜Olsen P바카라 사이트™ test)
  • have been carried out within the last year, or within the last 5 years if there have been no fertiliser applications or increase in stocking levels since the last soil analysis

Read Natural England바카라 사이트™s guidance on to find out how to carry out this soil analysis.

Eligibility of protected land

Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible 바카라 사이트“ you must get SSSI consent before you do this action (read section 10.3 바카라 사이트˜SSSI ³¦´Ç²Ô²õ±ð²Ô³Ù바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this).

Historic and archaeological features: Eligible 바카라 사이트“ you must get a SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.6바카라 사이트¯바카라 사이트˜Land with historic or archaeological features바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information to find out how to do this).

Available area you can enter into this action

Total or part of the available area in a land parcel.

Rotational or static action

This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action바카라 사이트™s duration.

What to do

You must manage the land entered into this action in a way that can reasonably be expected to maintain either:

  • existing priority habitat species-rich grassland
  • priority habitat species-rich grassland you바카라 사이트™re restoring or creating

To do this, you must do the following on the area entered into this action:

  • graze it with livestock or cut it, or a combination of both, in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim on your type of priority habitat species-rich grassland 바카라 사이트“ read the 바카라 사이트˜advice to help you do this action바카라 사이트™ to find out which 바카라 사이트˜indicator바카라 사이트™ species and vegetation heights are typical for each type of priority habitat species-rich grassland
  • make sure there바카라 사이트™s an intact grass sward throughout the year, without compacted areas or poaching
  • minimise bare ground, so the soil is covered by vegetation and is not directly exposed to the elements
  • manage scrub and soft and hard rushes on the area in each land parcel entered into this action in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim on your type of priority habitat species-rich grassland 바카라 사이트“ read the 바카라 사이트˜advice to help you do this action바카라 사이트™ to find out what바카라 사이트™s appropriate for your type of species-rich grassland
  • maintain a continuous sward on any historic and archaeological features, with minimal scrub, bracken and bare ground 바카라 사이트“ if you cut the sward, you must avoid damaging the features

In years when you cut the area for hay or haylage, you must:

  • not graze the area for a continuous period of at least 8 weeks during the spring and summer months before you harvest the hay or haylage crop 바카라 사이트“ this is to allow flowering grasses and wildflowers to develop
  • harvest the hay or haylage crop after enough flowering grasses and wildflowers have set seed to reasonably achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim 바카라 사이트“ in the majority of cases, this will usually be mid to late July (but you must not cut it earlier than the end of June on land outside severely disadvantaged areas (SDAs) or mid-July on land in an SDA)
  • in each land parcel, leave an uncut margin around the edge of the area entered into this action to provide shelter for invertebrates and small mammals
  • apply no more than 6 tonnes per ha per year (or no more than 12 tonnes per ha every 2 years) of cattle, sheep or horse farmyard manure 바카라 사이트“ you must not increase your application rate if it바카라 사이트™s currently less than this

If, in a particular year, you believe that you have an exceptional case to cut earlier than the end of June or mid-July (as relevant), and the timing can still reasonably be expected to achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim, you must:

  • notify the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) about this in writing before you cut the area 바카라 사이트“ use 바카라 사이트˜SFI GRH6 early cutting바카라 사이트™ as the subject heading
  • supply evidence with your written notification to show how the timing of the cutting can still reasonably be expected to achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim 바카라 사이트“ the RPA may review this evidence if they check you바카라 사이트™re complying with your SFI agreement

For such exceptional cases, you can cut the area for hay or haylage once you바카라 사이트™ve notified the RPA and supplied the required evidence.

You must not do the following on the area entered into this action:

  • plough, cultivate or reseed it, unless you바카라 사이트™re restoring or creating priority habitat species-rich grassland (as confirmed in this action바카라 사이트™s written endorsement)
  • carry out supplementary feeding, except for mineral blocks
  • carry out mechanical activities, including hay and haylage cutting, in a way that may disturb breeding birds or damage nests
  • apply digestate or any other industrial by-product, including paper waste
  • apply inorganic fertiliser or manures, apart from cattle, sheep or horse farmyard manure in years when the land is cut for hay or haylage
  • apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, or nettles 바카라 사이트“ unless the use of herbicides will affect wildflowers in the sward
  • damage any archaeological or historic features
  • carry out drainage works, including modifying existing drainage
  • top more than half of the total area, except in patches to control injurious weeds, invasive species, bracken or areas dominated by rushes바카라 사이트¯

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its 5-year duration.

How to do it

It바카라 사이트™s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:

  • follow this action바카라 사이트™s requirements 바카라 사이트“ these are identified by a 바카라 사이트˜must바카라 사이트™
  • do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim

You may find it helpful to read the 바카라 사이트˜advice to help you do this action바카라 사이트™, but it바카라 사이트™s not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

Evidence to keep

You must keep evidence to show what you바카라 사이트™ve done to complete this action, such as:

  • field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
  • photographs and other documentation

If it바카라 사이트™s not clear that you바카라 사이트™ve done this action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve its aim, we may ask for this evidence. You must supply the evidence if we ask for it.

Other actions or options you can do on the same area as 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 they바카라 사이트™re done at a different time of year to this action. For example, winter cover followed by a summer companion crop. Read 바카라 사이트˜What to do바카라 사이트™ and 바카라 사이트˜When to do it바카라 사이트™ to find out when this action must be done.

Scheme Action or option codes
SFI 2024 actions CSAM1, CNUM1, CIPM1, OFC2, OFM2
SFI 2023 actions IPM1, NUM1, SAM1
CS options OR2, OT2
ES options No ES revenue options
SFI pilot standards No area-based SFI pilot standards

If an action or option cannot be located on the same area, you may be able to do it on a different area in the same land parcel. Read section 6. 바카라 사이트˜Eligible land in other funding schemes바카라 사이트™ in the SFI scheme information for more details.

You can do one of the following supplemental actions (unless indicated otherwise) on land entered into this base action:

  • GRH7: Hay making supplement 바카라 사이트“ you can also do GRH11 on the same area as GRH7
  • GRH8: Hay making supplement (late cut) 바카라 사이트“ you can also do GRH11 on the same area as GRH8
  • GRH11: Cattle grazing supplement (non-moorland) 바카라 사이트“ you can also do GRH7 or GRH8 on the same area as GRH11
  • SPM2: Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (50-80%)
  • SPM3: Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (more than 80%)

You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:

  • SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
  • SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
  • CS option BE3 (management of hedgerows)
  • the introductory level of the SFI pilot hedgerows standard

Advice to help you do this action

The following advice may help you to do this action, but it바카라 사이트™s not part of this action바카라 사이트™s requirements.

Managing species-rich grassland

To help you achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim, the way you manage each type of species-rich grassland will be different. This is so there바카라 사이트™s the appropriate variety of plant heights and sward structure for:

  • its plant community 바카라 사이트“ including the number and frequency of 바카라 사이트˜indicator바카라 사이트™ species typical to the type of species-rich grassland
  • the invertebrate species usually found on the type of species-rich grassland

Grazing with livestock will benefit most species-rich grassland and is usually needed to manage it. Read 바카라 사이트˜Grazing with livestock바카라 사이트™ for more information.

Where grazing is not possible or practical, you can:

  • cut patches of the grassland at different heights and times of the year, so there are areas of cut and uncut vegetation
  • remove the cuttings to keep the nutrient levels low - this can help maintain a wider range of flowering plants

Where your species-rich grassland is already managed as a hay meadow or has traditionally been a hay meadow, you can continue to cut it for hay. Read 바카라 사이트˜Cutting hay meadows바카라 사이트™ for more information.

Without regular grazing or cutting, coarse grasses and scrub will smother the wildflowers in the species-rich grassland.

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.

For more information on managing different types of species-rich grassland, you may find it helpful to read Buglife바카라 사이트™s guidance on:

You can also read Natural England바카라 사이트™s illustrated guides to:

Grazing with livestock

Grazing your species-rich grassland with cattle will create a mix of vegetation heights, as they graze less evenly than sheep.

Cattle also usually disturb the ground more with their hooves. This can help to create small areas of bare ground where:

  • wildflower seeds can germinate
  • invertebrates can warm up and burrow

Grazing with sheep or native ponies can be useful on some types of species-rich grassland where there needs to be short vegetation. For example, lowland dry acid grassland.

You may find it helpful to use a rotational grazing system so:

  • there are areas where plants can flower and set seed
  • you avoid overgrazing, which can destroy plant communities

You may need to:

  • manage the grazing of the species-rich grassland flexibly in response to seasonal variations in vegetation growth, so there바카라 사이트™s an appropriate sward height and structure for your type of species-rich grassland
  • remove livestock for a period in spring or summer to allow plants to flower and set seed 바카라 사이트“ you can start grazing again once most plants have flowered and set seed

Cutting hay meadows

You can cut your hay meadow once flowering grasses and wildflowers have developed and set seed.

After you바카라 사이트™ve cut the hay or haylage crop and removed it, you can graze the aftermath. You can do this until the ground becomes too damp (usually around early November), when the risk of poaching is likely to increase.

Typical 바카라 사이트˜indicator바카라 사이트™ species for the type of priority habitat species-rich grassland

See a list of the typical 바카라 사이트˜indicator바카라 사이트™ species for each type of priority habitat species-rich grassland.

Checking how often the 바카라 사이트˜indicator바카라 사이트™ species occur

To assess how frequently the 바카라 사이트˜indicator바카라 사이트™ species occur on your species-rich grassland you can:

  • do a W-shaped walk across the area
  • stop at regular intervals or random points along the W-shape
  • each time you stop, look at the vegetation within a square metre in front of you and write down which indicator species you see

For most habitats, stopping around 10 times is enough. For very large blocks of similar vegetation, you may need to stop around 20 times. You may find it helpful to use a handheld global positioning system (GPS) to record the location of your stops.

The indicator species will usually be:

  • 바카라 사이트˜frequently occurring바카라 사이트™ if you see it at 5 or more stops out of 10
  • 바카라 사이트˜occasionally occurring바카라 사이트™ if you see it at 3 or 4 stops out of 10

Lowland calcareous grassland: appropriate variety of plant heights

To help you achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim on lowland calcareous grassland, you can graze it lightly:

  • in the summer, so there바카라 사이트™s a mixture of short and taller vegetation to allow as many plants as possible to flower and set seed 바카라 사이트“ the average sward height will usually be between around 5 centimetres (cm) and 15 cm
  • in the autumn or winter (or both) to remove rank vegetation, so smaller plants are not swamped in the following year

If the grassland is parched and lichen dominated, you can graze it throughout the year to maintain a short sward height (usually around 5cm or less).

Lowland dry acid grassland: appropriate variety of plant heights

To help you achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim on lowland dry acid grassland, you can graze it lightly throughout the year to maintain:

  • a short sward height (usually around 5cm or less)
  • areas of taller vegetation, such as tussocky grasses, as these can support invertebrates

Lowland meadows: appropriate variety of plant heights

To help you achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim on lowland meadows, you can graze lightly:

  • throughout the summer (except when fields are shut up for a cut of hay), so there바카라 사이트™s a mixture of short and taller vegetation 바카라 사이트“ the average sward height will usually be between around 5cm and 15cm
  • through late summer and autumn to remove rank vegetation, so the sward height by winter means smaller plants are not swamped in the following year - the average sward height will usually be between around 5cm and 10cm

Upland hay meadows: appropriate variety of plant heights

To help you achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim on upland hay meadows, you can graze lightly:

  • in spring (before fields are shut up for a cut of hay) to maintain a shorter sward height (usually around at least 5cm)
  • after hay cutting, to graze the aftermath so there바카라 사이트™s a mixture of short and taller vegetation 바카라 사이트“ the average sward height will usually be between around 5cm and 10cm

Purple moor grass and rush pasture: appropriate variety of plant heights

To help you achieve this action바카라 사이트™s aim on purple moor grass and rush pasture you can graze it with cattle to:

  • provide a mix of medium to tall vegetation (for example, with an average sward height of around 8cm to 25cm by winter)
  • avoid a uniform, short sward, which may be the case if you graze with sheep

Managing scrub on different types of species-rich grassland

You can manage scrub encroachment by grazing. You may need to cut the grassland to manage scrub encroachment if grazing does not maintain scattered areas of scrub. Try to do this between October and February to avoid disturbing nesting birds.

The appropriate level for scattered areas of scrub cover will vary in different types of species-rich grassland.

On lowland calcareous grassland or lowland dry acid grassland, you can manage scrub so there are small, scattered areas covering between around 5% and 10% of the field.

On lowland meadows (which are not cut for hay) and purple moor-grass and rush pasture, you can manage scrub so there:

  • is less than around 5% in-field cover
  • are ditches (where present) which are largely open and unshaded by scrub or tall vegetation

On lowland meadows cut for hay or upland hay meadows, scrub cover ideally needs to be around the edges of the field.

Managing soft and hard rushes on different types of species-rich grassland

You may need to manage soft and hard rushes if their tussocks become too dense and you see a high increase of rushes. Left unmanaged, they can:

  • prevent the growth of other vegetation
  • reduce the grazing value of your field

The appropriate level of soft and hard rush cover will vary in different types of species-rich grassland. For example, you can manage soft and hard rushes on:

  • damp species-rich meadows, including purple moor-grass and rush pasture, so they cover no more than around 25% of the field
  • most other types of species-rich grassland so they cover no more than around 10% of the field

You can cut rushes or combine cutting with aftermath grazing. Try to cut the rushes:

  • before they set seed (after ground nesting birds have fledged)
  • as close to the ground as possible at least once a year to reduce vigour 바카라 사이트“ you can graze them before cutting to reduce the amount of cut material (unless the field is a hay meadow)

If there is regrowth during the autumn, you can either:

  • cut a second time before the end of the growing season if the field is not too wet
  • use livestock to graze it 바카라 사이트“ cattle are usually best, as sheep may not graze rush

Managing weeds, nettles and bracken

Try to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native weeds, nettles and bracken so they cover no more than around 5% of your species-rich grassland.

Ideally, manage non-native weeds and nettles by cutting, hand pulling and grazing.

You can manage bracken by cutting or bruising, including forage harvesting where the litter layer is partially removed. This leaves bracken fronds susceptible to frosts and livestock trampling.

If you need to use herbicides, it will help you to apply them to target weed species if you:

  • use weed wiping or spot treating equipment correctly
  • graze down the wildflowers and grasses so you can treat the weeds without touching the non-target plants

Restoring or creating species-rich grassland

For this action, you can manage priority habitat species-rich grassland you바카라 사이트™re restoring or creating.

You can restore existing:

  • priority habitat grassland that is in poor condition 바카라 사이트“ for example, by restoring the natural hydrology removing scrub, controlling rushes, changing grazing and cutting management
  • species-poor permanent grassland by sowing wildflower seed

You can create species-rich grassland on arable land or temporary grassland by introducing wildflower seed.

You may need a feasibility study or implementation plan to restore or create species-rich grassland. You can apply for capital grants for this and other activities such as:

  • sowing seed
  • removing scrub
  • managing water levels

Choosing a site to restore or create species-rich grassland

Sites with high or medium potential to create or restore species-rich grassland will ideally:

  • have infertile soils, with low levels of soil available phosphate (index 0 or 1) 바카라 사이트“ you can find this out by soil testing and analysis
  • have minimal weeds, such as black-grass, couch grass or creeping thistle)
  • not be dominated by aggressive plant species, such as white clover, ryegrass, creeping buttercup and Yorkshire fog

Try to avoid sites which have species which could be harmed by restoring or creating species-rich grassland. For example, if there are rare arable plants or farmland birds which need the land to be managed in a different way. If this is the case, it바카라 사이트™s likely to be more appropriate to restore or create the grassland somewhere else on your farm.

To manage the species-rich grassland you바카라 사이트™re creating or restoring, you바카라 사이트™ll need to have:

  • livestock available to graze the site
  • the potential for hay cutting if it바카라 사이트™s a hay meadow

To help you carry out the required soil analysis if you바카라 사이트™re restoring or creating species-rich grassland, you may find it helpful to read Natural England바카라 사이트™s guidance on:

Updates to this page

Published 15 August 2024
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