CIPM3: Companion crop on arable and horticultural land
Source: gov.uk (2025-03-27)

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

This is an action in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme: expanded offer for 2024. You must read the SFI scheme information (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-farming-incentive-scheme-expanded-offer-for-2024) to understand the scheme rules and how to apply.

Duration

3 years

How much you’ll be paid

£55 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that there’s companion crop growing with a main arable or horticultural crop.

The purpose of this is to do one or more of the following:
- support an integrated pest management (IPM) approach by acting as a trap crop for pests or by supressing weeds
- provide a habitat for birds and invertebrates, including pollinators and natural crop pest predators
- manage nutrient efficiency
- protect soil and improve its condition
Where you can do this action

You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
- an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-farming-incentive-scheme-expanded-offer-for-2024/sfi-scheme-information-expanded-offer-for-2024) in the SFI scheme information)
- registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
- declared with a land use code (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rural-payments-land-use-codes-2024/land-use-codes-2024) which is compatible with the eligible land cover
Eligible land

Eligibility of protected land

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 rotational or static. This means you can either:
- move its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration
- do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration
What to do

You must establish a companion crop on land entered into this action, so it’s growing with the main arable or horticultural crop.

The companion crop does not have to be present for the full growing period of the arable or horticultural crop, as long as it’s managed in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve the action’s aim and its intended purpose.

You can establish the companion crop by:
- trap cropping – sowing a trap crop to attract crop pests away from the main arable or horticultural crop
- inter-cropping – sowing the companion crop with the main arable or horticultural crop
- undersowing – sowing a companion crop to form a living mulch beneath the arable or horticultural crop
You must avoid growing deep rooted species of companion crop on any area within a land parcel with historic or archaeological features identified in your SFI HEFER. Read section 5.6 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-farming-incentive-scheme-expanded-offer-for-2024/sfi-scheme-information-expanded-offer-for-2024) in the SFI scheme information for more details.

You can use an existing companion crop to get paid for this action if it meets this action’s requirements.

When to do it

You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.

If this action’s start date means it’s too late for you to do this action, you must start doing it within 12 months of the action’s start date.

For example, if you’ve already sown the main arable and horticultural crop before this action starts, you can establish the companion crop within 12 months of this action’s start date.

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 evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
- field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
- photographs and other documentation
If it’s not clear that you’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 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.

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. ‘Eligible land in other funding schemes’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainable-farming-incentive-scheme-expanded-offer-for-2024/sfi-scheme-information-expanded-offer-for-2024) in the SFI scheme information for more details.

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 it’s not part of this action’s requirements.

Choosing what to sow and how to establish a companion crop

When you establish the arable or horticultural crop to grow with the companion crop, by law you cannot cultivate or apply fertilisers or pesticides to land within 2m of the centre of a hedgerow. Read the guidance on Hedgerow management rules; buffer strips (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/hedgerow-management-rules-buffer-strips#buffer-strip-rules) to understand how these rules apply to you.

The species and type of companion crop you choose to sow will be determined by:
- the main arable or horticultural crop you’re growing
- soil conditions
- the crop pest to be controlled
You can establish the companion crop by trap cropping, inter-cropping or undersowing.

To help you decide what companion crop to use for this action and how to establish it, you may find it helpful to do CIPM1:Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sfi-actions-for-integrated-pest-management#ipm1-assess-integrated-pest-management-and-produce-a-plan).

Your seed supplier can help you choose what to sow and advise you on an overall sowing rate.

Establishing a trap crop

To establish the companion crop as a trap crop, you can sow it:
- around the field in plots or in between the main arable or horticultural crop
- before, at the same time or as a separate pass into the main arable or horticultural crop
This can help attract pests away from the main crop.

Find out more about trap cropping in the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) guidance on using companion cropping to manage cabbage stem flea beetle in oilseed rape (https://ahdb.org.uk/news/can-companion-crops-give-osr-the-edge-over-csfb).

Establishing an intercrop

To establish the companion crop as an intercrop, you can sow the companion crop with the main arable or horticultural crop. You can then harvest them together.

This can help suppress weeds, reduce disease and crop pests, and provide nutrients.

Find out more about intercropping on the Processors and Growers Research Organisation website (https://www.pgro.org/posters-pea-gen/).

Establishing the companion crop by undersowing

To establish the companion crop by undersowing, you can sow it either:
- at the same time as the main arable or horticultural crop
- as a separate pass into the main arable or horticultural crop
You can then leave the companion crop to grow on after you harvest the main crop. This can help to suppress weeds, retain nutrients and protect against soil erosion.

Find out more about undersowing in the AHDB guidance on:
- undersowing crops with clover (https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/undersowing-clover#:~:text=Undersowing%20crops%20with%20clover%20or,maturing%20and%20resistant%20to%20lodging.) or grass
- undersowing maize (https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/undersowing-maize)