RP31: Equipment to disrupt tramlines in arable areas
Find out about eligibility and requirements for the equipment to disrupt tramlines in arable areas item.
How much will be paid
£1,500 per machine.
Where to use this item
It is available for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, Mid Tier and Capital Grants only:
- with the support and approval from Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF)
- on farms with crops or fields, identified as at risk of soil erosion in the Farm Environment Record (FER)
- to purchase one piece of equipment
How this item will benefit the environment
It will support the purchase of equipment that can loosen soil that has compacted in wheeled tramlines. This will help reduce surface runoff, risk of soil erosion damage and water pollution.
Requirements
You must:
- send the written support and approval from CSF with your application
- purchase a spiked or rotary harrow, or tine device that can have a direct loosening effect on compacted soil in the wheeled tramline area.
Make sure the device is built to attach directly to one of the following:
- a tractor
- a sprayer being towed behind a tractor
- a self-propelled sprayer
Keeping records
You must keep the following records and supply them with the claim:
- photographs of the purchased equipment
- a delivery note with serial number for the equipment
Please see the record keeping and inspection requirements as set out in the relevant Mid Tier, Higher Tier or Capital Grants guidance for more detail. You can find the latest guidance at Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage.
Advice and suggestions for how to carry out this item
The following advice is helpful, but they are not requirements for this item.
Pick a location
Areas most likely to benefit from this item include:
- fields that are connected to bodies of water at risk of failing water framework directive requirements due to diffuse water pollution from agriculture (DWPA)
- designated sites that are failing their condition assessment due to DWPA
- fields that are at risk of soil erosion:
- as identified in the FER
- where slopes are complex or are inclined at more than 3 degrees
Seek advice from an agronomist or farm adviser who holds a BASIS soil and water management certificate, or equivalent.
Choose the right equipment
Choose a device:
- that has a direct loosening effect on compacted soil within the wheeled tramline area, which will improve surface infiltration and increase surface roughness
- that creates diagonally offset holes (‘pock marks’) to infiltrate the topsoil to a depth of between 7.5 centimetres (cm) and 16.5cm
Where you select a rotary harrow, the wheel should be rimmed with spikes that are offset to each other and at a right angle to the direction of travel.
How to use the equipment
The equipment should be used:
- with correctly inflated tyres to reduce tyre compaction within the tramline area
- when machinery passes over the soil for the first time or soon after, such as during the first spray operation
Use this item with other measures
This item should be used with other measures that reduce soil erosion and water runoff. These items and options include:
- in-field grass areas
- double headlands to disconnect water pathways
Biodiversity
This item has been identified as being beneficial for biodiversity. All Countryside Stewardship habitat creation, restoration and management options are of great significance for biodiversity recovery, as are the wide range of arable options in the scheme. Capital items and supplements can support this habitat work depending on the holding’s situation and potential.
The connectivity of habitats is also very important and habitat options should be linked wherever possible. Better connectivity will allow wildlife to move/colonise freely to access water, food, shelter and breeding habitat, and will allow natural communities of both animals and plants to adapt in response to environmental and climate change.
Further information
You can find more information on sustainable soil husbandry and the identification of soil erosion issues online .
Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) provides farmers with free advice and training on improving water and air quality and natural flood management. See guidance for further information on CSF support.
Read Countryside Stewardship: get funding to protect and improve the land you manage to find out more information about Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants including how to apply.
Last updated 5 January 2023 + show all updates
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The Where to use this item, Requirements sections of this page have been updated
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The Keeping records section of this page has been updated
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Updated for 2017 applications.
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Information updated for applications in 2016
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First published.