AGF2: Maintain low density in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land (updated for SFI26)
What you must do to get paid for this SFI26 action and advice on how to do it.
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.
Select ‘See all updates’ at the start of this page to find out how this action has changed for SFI26 compared with SFI24.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£385 per hectare (ha) per year – the hectarage can include:
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the area used to grow agroforestry trees
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the areas between the trees, used for arable or horticultural crops, grassland or other eligible environmental land management scheme actions or options
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s an established low density in-field agroforestry system that’s maintained, so there’s a combination of both:
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trees (including shrubs)
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arable or horticultural crops, grassland for forage or areas used for other eligible environmental land management scheme actions or options
The purpose of this is to:
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reduce soil erosion and flooding
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improve water and air quality
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provide shelter for crops and livestock
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contribute to carbon capture and storage
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on an eligible in-field agroforestry system on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
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land with a ‘low sensitivity to agroforestry’ – these are the blue areas on the Forestry Commission’s map
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an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information)
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registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps
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declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover
You cannot do this action on land with a higher sensitivity to agroforestry (these are the white areas on the Forestry Commission’s map). This includes:
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sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) or other sensitive areas which are listed in the guidance on forestry environmental impact assessments (forestry EIA)
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priority habitats such as species-rich grassland – you can find a list of priority habitats on GOV.UK
Eligible in-field agroforestry systems for this action
To be eligible for this action, the in-field agroforestry system must contain established trees. They can be at any stage of maturity, including newly planted saplings if they’ll be left to become mature trees.
Fruit trees must be grown on semi-vigorous or vigorous rootstocks. These will usually produce trees at least 4 metres (m) tall.
The existing in-field agroforestry system must also be ‘very low density’. This means that across the area in each land parcel you enter into this action:
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there’s an average of 51 to 130 trees per ha, usually planted in rows or a grid
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the trees have been planted far enough apart to mean the potential tree canopy cover will be less than 20%, so a forestry EIA was not required – we’ll publish advice to help you do this action with more information
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arable land used to grow crops | Arable land | Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops | |
| Temporary grassland | Arable land | TG01 | |
| Arable land lying fallow | Arable land | FA01 | |
| Improved permanent grassland | Permanent grassland | PG01 | |
| Permanent crops - horticultural | Permanent crops | TC01 |
Eligibility of protected land
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Ineligible – you must not enter any area that’s designated as an SSSI into this action.
Historic and archaeological features: Ineligible – you must not enter any area with 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.
Available area you can enter into this action
Total 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.
You 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 Rural Payments Agency (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.
Rotational or static action
This action is static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.
What to do
You must maintain the low density in-field agroforestry system in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. This includes:
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replacing dead trees, where necessary to make sure the density continues to be an average of at least 51 trees per ha across the area you enter into this action in each land parcel
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protecting the trees from grazing livestock and pests, such as deer and rabbits, to prevent serious damage
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managing weeds around the base of establishing trees
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pruning and shaping the trees once they are established
When to do it
You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.
How to do it
It’s up to you how you do this action, as long as you:
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follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’
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do the action in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim
We’ll publish advice to help you do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Evidence to keep
You must keep evidence to show what you’ve done to complete this action, such as:
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field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices
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photographs and other documentation
If 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.
Other actions or options you can do on the same area as this action
You can do the following actions or options on the same area in a land parcel as this action.
| Scheme | Action or option codes | |
|---|---|---|
| SFI 2026 actions | AHW10, AHW11, AHW3, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, BFS1, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIGL1, CIGL2, CIGL3, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CLIG3, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM2, CSAM3, OFC1, OFC3, OFC4, OFM1, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1, SOH3, WBD3, WBD4, WBD6, WBD7 | |
| SFI 2024 actions | AHW1, AHW10, AHW11, AHW12, AHW3, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, BFS1, BFS2, BFS3, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIGL1, CIGL2, CIGL3, CIPM1, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CLIG3, CNUM1, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM1, CSAM2, CSAM3, HEF8, OFA1, OFA6, OFC1, OFC3, OFC4, OFM1, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, SOH4, WBD3, WBD4, WBD5, WBD6, WBD7, WBD8 | |
| SFI 2023 actions | AHL1, AHL2, AHL3, AHL4, IGL1, IGL2, IGL3, IPM1, IPM2, IPM3, IPM4, LIG1, LIG2, NUM1, NUM2, NUM3, SAM1, SAM2, SAM3 | |
| CSHT actions from 2025 | CAB10, CAB11, CAB14, CAB16, CAB17, CAB18, CAB19, CAB2, CAB6, CAB7, CGS21, CGS4, CPAC1, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW13, CSW21, CSW23, CSW24, CSW7, CSW8, CWD3, CWS1, CWS3, CWT1, CWT2 | |
| CS options | AB1, AB10, AB11, AB14, AB15, AB16, AB2, AB3, AB6, AB7, AB8, AB9, GS2, GS3, GS4, GS5, HS6, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR1, OR3, OR4, OT1, OT3, OT4, SW1, SW10, SW13, SW2, SW3, SW4, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8, SW9, WD3, WT1, WT2 | |
| ES options | No ES revenue options |
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.
You can do the following actions or options on the eligible boundaries of a land parcel entered into this action:
- SFI 2026 actions: CHRW2, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2024 actions: CHRW1, CHRW2, CHRW3, BND1, BND2 and WBD2
- SFI 2023 actions: HRW1, HRW2, HRW3
- CSHT actions: CHRW4
- CS options: BE3 (management of hedgerows)
Updates to this page
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The following changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version): • updated wording to clarify where you cannot do this action and eligible in-field agroforestry systems (see ‘Where you can do this action’) – this only applies to SFI26 agreements, not existing SFI24 agreements • minor 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’
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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. Clarified wording on ‘less sensitive land’. Eligibility of protected land - you can apply for this action on the area in a land parcel that does not contain an historic or archaeological feature. What to do - added link to Capital Grants guidance. Other actions or options you can do on the same area - HEF8 added to SFI 2024 actions. SW6 added to CS options. Published voluntary advice to help you do this action, but it's not part of this action’s requirements.
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First published.