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£45 per hectare (ha) per year
\n\nThis action’s aim is that no plant protection products containing insecticide are applied on an arable crop or permanent crops.
\n\nThe purpose of this is to:
\n\nsupport an integrated pest management approach by managing crop pests in a more sustainable way
\nimprove water and air quality
\nincrease biodiversity
\nYou can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
\n\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
\n| Eligible land type | \nEligible land cover | \nCompatible land use code | \n
|---|---|---|
| Arable land used to grow crops (not temporary grassland, fallow land or maize) | \nArable land | \nLand use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops\n | \n
| Permanent crops – horticultural and non-horticultural (not miscanthus) | \nPermanent crops | \nLand use codes for permanent crops\n | \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) can 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: Eligible – you must get an SFI HEFER before you do this action (read section 5.3 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this).
\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\nFor arable crops (including non-permanent horticultural crops) this action is rotational. This means you can either:
\n\ndo it at the same location each year of this action’s duration
\nmove its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration
\nFor permanent crops, this action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
\n\nYou must not apply any plant protection products containing insecticide on land entered into this action, including:
\n\ninsecticide seed dressings
\nnematicides and acaricides
\nother insecticides, such as silica insecticides and orange oil
\nYou can apply herbicides, fungicides or plant growth regulators.
\n\nIf the land is being used to grow arable crops (including non-permanent horticultural crops), you must do this action on one ‘cash crop’ from when it’s sown until it’s harvested.
\n\nA ‘cash crop’ means a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use.
\n\nFor the purposes of this action, an arable crop includes:
\n\ncombinable crops, such as cereals and oilseed rape
\nroot crops
\nfield vegetables and salad crops
\nsoft fruit crops which do not occupy the land for 5 years or more and provide repeated harvests (also known as permanent crops)
\nYou can choose which arable crop to do this action on, but it must not be:
\n\na cover crop which you will not harvest for commercial sale
\na short-term specialist crop, such as crops which are only in the ground for around 2 months
\nmaize
\nFor arable crops, you must do this action on at least one crop that’s sown during each year of this action’s 3-year duration. You can harvest it in a subsequent year of this action’s duration if you sow the next crop for this action in the same year.
\n\nThis means you must do this action on a crop that’s sown during:
\n\nthe first year of this action’s duration – you can harvest it in the second year of this action’s duration
\nthe second year of this action’s duration – you can harvest it in the third year of this action’s duration
\nthe third year of this action’s duration – you must do this action until you harvest the crop or this action’s end date (whichever is earlier)
\nIf you’re already growing an arable crop on the land entered into this action when the action starts, you must do this action on a crop that’s sown within 12 months of the action’s start date.
\n\nFor permanent crops, you must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of this action’s 3-year duration.
\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 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 | \nAGF1, AGF2, AHW6, AHW7, CAHL2, CIPM3, CSAM2, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1, SOH3 | \n
| \nSFI 2024 actions | \nAGF1, AGF2, AHW6, AHW7, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, SOH4 | \n
| \nSFI 2023 actions | \nAHL2, IPM1, IPM3, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2 | \n
| \nCSHT actions from 2025 | \nCAB17, CAB2, CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CHS3, CHS9, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW17, CSW19, CWS1, CWS3 | \n
| \nCS options (see additional note) | \nAB2, AB9, HS3, HS9, OP1, OP2, OP5, OR3, OR4, OR5, OT3, OT4, OT5, SW5, SW6 | \n
| \nES options | \nNo ES revenue options | \n
Note: other arable CS options not included in the table cannot be done on the same area as CIPM4 because they do not allow the use of insecticides.
\n\nIf 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\nThis action requires you not to use any plant protection products containing insecticide. Insecticides are used to control invertebrate pests.
\n\nYou can check:
\n\nThis action allows you to apply herbicides, fungicides and plant growth regulators. You can also use molluscicides, such as slug pellets.
\n\nAs an alternative to using insecticide, you can use preventative measures or other control methods as part of an IPM approach. For example, you could:
\n\nTo create habitats for natural crop pest predators, you may be able to do the following SFI actions on a different area in the same land parcel as this action:
\n\nTo use companion cropping, you can do CIPM3: Companion crop on arable and horticultural land on the same area in a land parcel as this action.
\n\nYou may find it helpful to discuss opportunities for using IPM with a BASIS qualified adviser.
\n\n","change_history":[{"note":"Added 'Advice to help you do this action' section.","public_timestamp":"2026-06-17T11:31:37Z"},{"note":"The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version):\r\n\r\n•\tland used to grow maize is no longer eligible for this action (see ‘Where you can do this action’ and ‘What to do’) – this only applies to SFI26 agreements, not existing SFI24 or SFI23 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":"2026-06-02T13:10:07Z"},{"note":"AHW7 added to SFI 2024 actions.","public_timestamp":"2024-08-13T15:15:49Z"},{"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. \r\nWhat to do - plant protection products containing insecticide includes insecticide seed dressings. \r\nPublished voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements. 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