This is a Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) action. Read the SFI26 scheme information to understand what you’re required to do under an SFI26 agreement and how to apply.
\n\nSelect ‘See all updates’ at the start of this page to find out how this action has changed for SFI26 compared with SFI24.
\n\nFor SFI24 actions, read the SFI24 agreement holder’s information.
\n3 years
\n\n£765 per hectare (ha) per year
\n\nThis action’s aim is that there are fallow cultivated plots within an arable crop which:
\n\nhave enough bare ground for nesting lapwings
\nare present from early spring until the arable crop is harvested in the summer
\nThe purpose of this is to provide:
\n\nnesting sites for lapwing
\nhabitats for other declining farmland birds, farmland wildlife and important arable plants
\nYou can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
\n\nidentified by you as not being at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff – you must keep evidence of this
\nan eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information)
\nregistered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
\ndeclared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
\nYou must not do this action on land that’s within around:
\n\n100 metres (m) of woods, in-field and hedgerow trees, buildings, overhead power lines, main road and public rights of way
\n200m of wind turbines
\n| Eligible land type | \nEligible land cover | \nCompatible land use code | \n
|---|---|---|
| Arable land used to grow crops | \nArable land | \nLand use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops\n | \n
| Temporary grassland | \nArable land | \nTG01 | \n
| Arable land lying fallow | \nArable land | \nFA01 | \n
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must:
\n\ngive notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent before the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) offer you an SFI26 agreement
\nhave received SSSI consent from Natural England before you do this action (read section 10.1 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details)
\nHistoric and archaeological features: Ineligible – you must not enter any area that contains an historic or archaeological feature into this action. This only affects the area where the feature is located in a land parcel. You can apply for this action on the remaining area in the land parcel if it’s eligible.
\n\nTotal or part of the available area in a land parcel. It’s your responsibility to check that the area you enter is eligible for this action.
\n\nYou must do this action on the area entered into your SFI26 agreement. If something happens which means you cannot complete this action on some or all of the area, you must tell the RPA in writing as soon as possible. Read section 12.2 ‘What to do if you cannot comply with your agreement’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this.
\n\nThis action is rotational or static. This means you can either:
\n\nmove its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration
\ndo it at the same location each year of this action’s duration
\nBy early spring, you must establish a fallow cultivated plot within the arable crop.
\n\nYou must manage the fallow cultivated plot in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. This includes managing natural regeneration if it means there is not enough bare ground for nesting birds.
\n\nYou must retain the fallow cultivated plot until the arable crop is harvested in the summer and the bird nesting season is complete (usually this will be late July).
\n\nYou can maintain an existing lapwing plot to get paid for this action if it:
\n\nmeets this action’s requirements
\nis not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as Countryside Stewardship option AB5 (lapwing plots)
\nYou must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.
\n\nIf this action’s start date means it’s too late to establish the lapwing plot, you must do this within 12 months of this action’s start date.
\n\nIn the final year of this action’s duration, you must do this action until the arable crop is harvested in the summer or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.
\n\nIt’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
\n\nfollow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
\ndo the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
\nYou may find it helpful to read the ‘advice to help you do this action’, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
\n\nYou must keep written evidence that land entered into this action is not at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff. You can use the soil management plan you’ve already produced for SFI24 action CSAM1 or SFI23 action SAM1 to identify this.
\n\nYou must also keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
\n\nfield operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
\nphotographs or other documentation
\nIf 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.
\n\nYou can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.
\n\n| Scheme | \nAction or option codes | \n
|---|---|
| \nSFI 2026 actions | \nAHW6, AHW7, CSAM2, OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1 | \n
| \nSFI 2024 actions | \nAHW6, AHW7, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2, OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1 | \n
| \nSFI 2023 actions | \nIPM1, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1 | \n
| \nCSHT actions from 2025 | \nCAB2, CAB6, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3 | \n
| \nCS options | \nAB11, AB14, AB15, AB2, AB6, HS3, HS9, OR3, OR4, OT3, OT4 | \n
| \nES options | \nNo ES revenue options | \n
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 5.6 ‘Land that’s already in other funding schemes or grants’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details.
\n\nYou can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
\n\nThe following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
\n\nIt can help if you locate the nesting plots for lapwing:
\n\nTo maximise the benefits for nesting lapwing, you can establish plots which are at least around 1ha up to 5ha in size.
\n\nYou can use this action in a sequence with SFI26 action AHW6: Basic overwinter stubble to provide a continuity of habitat for species such as skylark and corn bunting.
\n\nYou can establish the lapwing plots by either:
\n\nYou can establish the lapwing plots on lighter, chalky, sandy and loamy free-draining soils in February or March.
\n\nOn heavier soils, you can:
\n\nYou can avoid damaging the lapwing plots when using machinery to carry out day-to-day farm operations (such as spraying and fertilising) if it:
\n\nCheck plots and plot tramlines for signs of nests before you do these operations.
\n\n","change_history":[{"note":"Added 'Advice to help you do this action' section.","public_timestamp":"2026-06-17T11:21:11Z"},{"note":"The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version):\r\n\r\n•\tyou can now enter total or part of the available area in a land parcel into this action – this only applies to SFI26 agreements, not existing SFI23 and SFI24 agreements\r\n•\tminor updates to standard wording which appears in all area-based SFI actions – see ‘Eligibility of protected land’ and ‘Available area you can enter into this action’ \r\n","public_timestamp":"2026-06-02T13:04:14Z"},{"note":"AHW10, AHW11 and CIPM4 removed from SFI 2024 actions.","public_timestamp":"2024-08-13T14:41:59Z"},{"note":"Where you can do this action - an eligible land type is defined in section 5.1 ‘Eligible land types for SFI’ in the SFI scheme information. \r\nEligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. You can apply for this action on the area in a land parcel that does not contain an historic or archaeological feature. \r\nPublished voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements. ","public_timestamp":"2024-07-30T15:35:41Z"},{"note":"First published.","public_timestamp":"2024-05-21T10:42:14Z"}],"headers":[{"id":"duration","level":2,"text":"Duration"},{"id":"how-much-youll-be-paid","level":2,"text":"How much you’ll be paid"},{"id":"actions-aim","level":2,"text":"Action’s aim"},{"headers":[{"id":"eligible-land","level":3,"text":"Eligible land"},{"id":"eligibility-of-protected-land","level":3,"text":"Eligibility of protected land"},{"id":"available-area-you-can-enter-into-this-action","level":3,"text":"Available area you can enter into this action"},{"id":"rotational-or-static-action","level":3,"text":"Rotational or static action"}],"id":"where-you-can-do-this-action","level":2,"text":"Where you can do this action"},{"id":"what-to-do","level":2,"text":"What to do"},{"id":"when-to-do-it","level":2,"text":"When to do it"},{"id":"how-to-do-it","level":2,"text":"How to do it"},{"id":"evidence-to-keep","level":2,"text":"Evidence to 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