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£73 per hectare (ha) per year
\n\nThis action’s aim is that no-tillage (‘no-till’) farming techniques are used, so soil disturbance is minimised.
\n\nThe purpose of this is to:
\n\nimprove soil health, fertility, structure, soil water storage and reduce soil runoff
\nhelp to keep organic matter and nutrients in the soil
\nprovide benefits for carbon, water quality and biodiversity
\nhelp protect historic and archaeological features
\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
\nYou cannot do this action on land where you’re tilling narrow strips of soil to plant crops, leaving the areas between the rows untilled. This is known as ‘strip tillage’.
\n\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 (see additional note) | \nArable land | \nTG01 | \n
| Arable land lying fallow (see additional note) | \nArable land | \nFA01 | \n
Note: only if it’s part of the crop rotation and present for no more than 2 years of this action’s duration.
\n\nSites 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 available area in a land parcel (at the point of application). 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 static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
\n\nYou must sow all seeds on land entered into this action using a ‘no-till’ direct drill. This can include tine drills, disc drills and precision seed drills, or broadcasting equipment. Any following harrow tines must be rearward facing.
\n\nYou must not use conventional or shallow min-till cultivation machinery (except for a stubble rake or straw harrow with rearward facing tines):
\n\nto prepare the land for sowing crops
\nbetween harvesting (or destroying cover crops) and sowing crops
\nWhere necessary, you can carry out the following on land that does not contain historic or archaeological features:
\n\nlow disturbance subsoiling to reduce soil compaction during the crop rotation – for example, if there’s bad weather when you harvest the crop
\nmole draining to help natural drainage
\nYou must keep evidence if you do subsoiling or mole draining.
\n\nYou must not carry out subsoiling or mole draining on land with historic or archaeological features. This includes scheduled monuments (which would require scheduled monument consent). Read section 10.2 ‘Scheduled monument consent’ in the SFI26 scheme information for further details.
\n\nYou must do this action:
\n\nfrom its start date, unless you have a crop in place when this action starts which does not meet this action’s requirements
\nthroughout each year of this action’s duration
\nIf there’s a crop in place when this action starts which does not meet this action’s requirements, you must do this action:
\n\nas soon as possible after the crop is harvested or destroyed
\nwithin 12 months of this action’s start date
\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 (including if you’ve had to carry out low disturbance subsoiling to reduce compaction or mole draining) and associated invoices
\nphotographs and 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, AHW10, AHW11, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, CAHL1, CAHL2, CIGL2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM2, CSAM3, OFC3, OFM4, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH3 | \n
| \nSFI 2024 actions | \nAGF1, AGF2, AHW1, AHW10, AHW11, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, CAHL1, CAHL2, CIGL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM1, CSAM2, CSAM3, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFM4, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH2, SOH3, SOH4 | \n
| \nSFI 2023 actions | \nAHL1, AHL2, IGL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, NUM2, NUM3, SAM1, SAM2, SAM3 | \n
| \nCSHT actions from 2025 | \nCAB10, CAB11, CAB14, CAB16, CAB17, CAB19, CAB2, CAB5, CAB6, CAB7, CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CGS25, CGS4, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW17, CSW19, CWS1, CWS3 | \n
| \nCS options | \nAB1, AB10, AB11, AB14, AB15, AB16, AB2, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB9, GS3, GS4, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR3, OT3, SW5, SW6 | \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\nNo-till works best on drier, more stable, well-structured and well-drained soils.
\n\nBefore you enter land into this action, it may help you to:
\n\nYou may find it helpful to read the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) factsheet on ‘No-till: opportunities and challenges for cereal and oilseed growers’.
\n\nTo introduce a no-till farming system, you’ll need to either:
\n\nA no-till or zero till direct drill drills seeds directly into the stubble of a previous crop that’s had no cultivation after harvest. This leaves the majority of the previous crop residue undisturbed after drilling, which can help:
\n\nThe most suitable direct drill type for your land will depend on local conditions and soil type.
\n\nCrop yields can sometimes decline during the first 3 years. Yields normally recover as the health of the soil improves.
\n\nCrop residues can retain nitrogen, which is needed in the soil to help crops grow. This can delay crops establishing in the short term. Over time, microbes in the soil will adapt so nitrogen can be absorbed by crops better. This helps crops to establish quicker.
\n\nIn systems where straw is chopped, you can spread the chopped straw and chaff evenly across the field using a stubble rake or straw harrow with rearward facing tines. This can help to encourage germination.
\n\nYou can use rolling post drilling.
\n\nWeed, pest and disease control can be difficult in no-till systems.
\n\nTo help you control weeds for a no-till system, you can:
\n\nYou can use precision pesticide application systems, like a spot sprayer or weed wiper, to reduce your use of pesticides. You may want to consider applying for SFI26 action PRF2: Camera or remote sensor guidance herbicide spraying to help you do this.
\n\nYou may need to control slugs during crop establishment.
\n\nYou may find it helpful to discuss opportunities for using IPM with a BASIS qualified adviser.
\n\nThis action allows you to use mole drains to improve natural drainage, where necessary. This can help to prevent compaction. You may find it helpful to read the AHDB’s guidance on ‘Field drainage: Use of mole drains’.
\n\n","change_history":[{"note":"Added 'Advice to help you do this action' section.\r\n\r\nCorrection: COP2 is not a CSHT action.","public_timestamp":"2026-06-17T11:32:53Z"},{"note":"The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version):\r\n\r\n•\tthe total available area you enter into this action only applies at the point of application \r\n•\tyou can now use this action for the sowing of all seeds – see ‘What to do’\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":"2026-06-02T13:07:08Z"},{"note":"Correction to update on 9 February 2026: You can do CS option AB15 on the same area as SFI action SOH1.","public_timestamp":"2026-02-17T13:29:52Z"},{"note":"You cannot do CS option AB15 on the same area as SFI action SOH1.","public_timestamp":"2026-02-09T13:28:23Z"},{"note":"AHW5 and AHW11 removed from SFI 2024 actions.","public_timestamp":"2024-08-13T10:24:52Z"},{"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 - replaced ‘broadcasting equipment’ with ‘any following harrow tines must be rearward facing’. You can carry out mole draining to help natural drainage on land that does not contain historic or archaeological features. \r\nEvidence to keep - you must keep evidence if it’s been necessary to carry out mole draining. \r\nOther actions or options you can do on the same area - CIGL2 added to SFI 2024 actions, IGL2 added to SFI23 actions, OR4 and OT4 removed from CS options. \r\nPublished voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements. 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