SFI: Integrated Pest Management & Nutrient Management Actions

27th November 2024

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offers actions to support integrated pest management (IPM) and nutrient management.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

IPM actions aim to increase knowledge, identify pest management opportunities and enhance crop protection through methods including creating habitats for natural predators and using companion cropping. Below are the IPM actions available:

Action code	Action name	Payment Rate / Ha	What to do…
*CIPM1*	Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan	£1,129 for the assessment and plan per year	You must arrange for a member of the BASIS Professional Register visit your farm to assess your current approach to crop pest, weed and disease management for your land, identify and discuss opportunities for using IPM on that land and help you to produce a written IPM plan.
*CIPM2*	Flower-rich grass margins, blocks or in-field strips	£798 per hectare	You must establish a flower-rich grass mix as a margin, block or in-field strip on land to include 4 grass species and 10 wildflower species.
*CIPM3*	Companion crop on arable and horticultural land	£55 per hectare	You must establish a companion crop so it’s growing with the main arable or horticultural crop.
*CIPM4*	No use of insecticide on arable crops and permanent crops	£45 per hectare	You must not apply any plant protection products containing insecticide.

Nutrient Management (NM)

Nutrient management actions aim to improve nutrient efficiency and protect soil health. Below are the available actions:

Action code	Action name	Payment Rate / Ha	What to do…
*CNUM1*	Assess nutrient management and produce a review report	£652 for the assessment and report per year	You must arrange for a member of the BASIS Professional Register to visit your farm to assess your current nutrient use and needs for your farm, identify and discuss opportunities to increase efficiency of your nutrient usage, and maximise the use of natural sources of crop nutrients on that land and help you produce a written NM review report.
*CNUM2*	Legumes on improved grassland	£102 per hectare	You must establish and maintain legumes on improved grassland.
*CNUM3*	Legume fallow	£593 per hectare	You must establish a legume fallow on land entered into this action and use a seed mix which contains at least 6 flowering species, including legumes.

The aim of the farming rules for water require you to take steps to stop manure, fertiliser or soil getting into water bodies and holdings are required to have a nutrient management plan. Therefore, the SFI provides funding to assist farmers to create a NMP. Providing the NMP is followed the application of nutrients and lime are managed and applied accordingly with the farming rules for water.

If you would like more information on the Sustainable Farming Incentive integrated pest management and nutrient management actions, then please contact our team.