CSAM2: Multi-species winter cover crop
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

£129 per hectare (ha) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that there’s a multi-species cover crop that’s:
- well-established over the winter months
- present between harvesting a cash crop and establishing the next cash crop
The purpose of this is to:
- protect the soil surface
- provide root growth that benefits soil structure
- supports soil biology and minimises nutrient leaching, soil erosion and runoff
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 multi-species cover crop on land entered into this action which will not be harvested as a ‘cash crop’.

A ‘cash crop’ means a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use.

You must establish the multi-species cover crop early enough so it can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.

You must use a seed mix that contains at least 2 species from 2 or more of the following plant families:
- brassicas
- legumes
- cereals or grasses
- herbs
You must avoid growing deep rooted species 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 must maintain the multi-species cover crop over the winter months in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. You can graze the cover crop with livestock, but it must still be well-established over the winter months.

For the purposes of this action’s aim, the cover crop will be well-established if there’s:
- leafy vegetation that’s sufficiently well grown so the cover crop protects the soil surface for the duration of the winter months (usually from early December until late February)
- minimal bare soil
If something happens which means you cannot complete this action, you must tell the Rural Payments Agency about this in writing as soon as possible. For example, if there’s prolonged adverse weather which means the cover crop is not well-established. Read section 13.2 ‘What you must do if you cannot comply with your agreement’ (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 to find out how to do this.

You must not do the following on the well-established cover crop:
- mechanically apply any fertilisers or manures
- destroy it before the end of the winter months, unless you’re establishing an early-sown spring crop
If you’re establishing an early-sown spring crop, you may destroy the multi-species cover crop before the end of the winter months. You must not do this more than 6 weeks before you establish the early-sown spring crop.

When you destroy the multi-species cover crop, you should try to minimise risks such as compaction, poaching, soil runoff or erosion.

You can maintain an existing multi-species cover crop to get paid for this action if it:
- meets this action’s requirements
- is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option – you can use a cover crop paid for under SOH3 (multi-species summer-sown cover crop) to meet this action, but only if you overseed it
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.

In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do this action until the end of the winter months, or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.

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, including details of the seed mix used
- photographs or 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 a seed mix

This action explains the minimum requirement for species in the seed mix (under ‘What to do’). Table 1 shows examples of what you could use.

Table 1: Species you could use

Choosing a varied mix (with multiple species from different plant families and with different characteristics) will normally bring greater benefits to your soil.

If you’re in an area with a shorter growing season you may need to choose plants that germinate and grow in cooler weather.

Your seed supplier can help you choose a seed mix that’s the best match for your land and local conditions.

You may find it helpful to read the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) information sheet about cover crops (https://projectblue.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/Imported%20Publication%20Docs/IS41%20Opportunities%20for%20cover%20crops%20in%20conventional%20arable-rotations%20(2018).pdf).

Where to establish the cover crop

When you establish the cover crop, by law you cannot cultivate or apply fertilisers or pesticides to land within 2 metres 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.

How to sow the cover crop

Your seed supplier can advise you on an overall sowing rate for the seed mix you choose.

To help the cover crop achieve this action’s aim, it will usually help to sow the seed mix into warm soils. Depending on the species in your mix, this will be late summer or early autumn.

You can drill or broadcast the seed mix. Drilling seeds is usually more reliable and gives a higher germination success than broadcasting. However, broadcasting is cheaper.

After you have sown the seed mix you can roll the seeds if the soil is dry enough. This can help to:
- improve seed-to-soil contact
- retain moisture
- reduce the risk of slug damage
How to destroy the cover crop

If you’re destroying the cover crop after the winter months, it’s up to you what method you use.