CIPM2: Flower-rich grass margins, blocks or in-field strips (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
£798 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s an established multi-annual flower-rich grass mix which:
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is growing in margins, blocks or in-field strips
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produces flowering plants during the spring and summer months, into early autumn
The purpose of this is to:
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encourage natural crop pest predators as part of an integrated pest management approach if located close to cropped areas
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provide habitat and foraging sites for invertebrates, including natural crop pest predators, wild pollinators such as bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies, and farmland birds
Where you can do this action
You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:
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an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI 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
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 | |
| Permanent crops – horticultural and non-horticultural | Permanent crops | Land use codes for permanent crops |
25% limited area action
This is a ‘limited area’ action. The total eligible area you enter into any combination of one or more of the ‘limited area’ actions must not be more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm. Read section 4.5 ‘Limited area SFI actions’ in the SFI scheme information for more details (including a list of the ‘limited area’ actions).
Eligibility of protected land
Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must:
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give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent before the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) offer you an SFI26 agreement
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have 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)
Historic 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).
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 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 rotational or static. This means you can either:
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move its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration
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do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration
What to do
You must establish a flower-rich grass mix as a margin, block or in-field strip on land entered into this action.
You must use a seed mix which includes at least both:
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4 grass species (not ryegrass) – these should make up no more than 90% of the total mix by weight
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10 wildflower species – with no individual flower species being more than 25% of the total wildflower species element by weight
Once the flower-rich grass margin, block or in-field strip is established (usually from the second spring after sowing), you must maintain it. To do this you must manage it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
You must not do the following on the established flower-rich grass margin, block or in-field strip:
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cut or graze it with livestock in a way that means this action’s aim cannot reasonably be expected to be achieved
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use them for regular vehicular access, turning or storage (for example, storing bales or machinery)
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mechanically apply any fertilisers and manures
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apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken
You can maintain an existing flower-rich grass margin, block or in-field strip to get paid for this action, if it:
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meets this action’s requirements
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is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as CS option AB8 (flower rich margins and plots)
When to do it
If you’re establishing a new flower-rich grass margin, block or in-field strip to meet this action, you must:
- sow the mix by early autumn, within 12 months of this action’s start date
- maintain the mix at the same location until this action’s end date
If you’re maintaining an existing flower-rich grass margin, block or in-field strip to meet this action, you must do this until this action’s end date. You may need to oversow it within 12 months of this action’s start date, so it can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
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, including details of the seed mix used
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photographs or 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 | AGF1, AGF2, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, PRF2 |
| SFI 2024 actions | AGF1, AGF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, PRF2 |
| SFI 2023 actions | IPM1, NUM1, SAM1 |
| CSHT actions from 2025 | CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CPAC1, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3 |
| CS options | OR3, OR4, OR5, OT3, OT4, OT5 |
| 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 SFI 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): • you 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 SFI24 or SFI23 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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Added detail to explain how Hedgerow Regulations may affect how a farmer does an action, and signpost to detailed guidance on the Management of Hedgerows Regulations.
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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. Eligibility of protected land - updated link to section 10.3 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI scheme information. Rotational or static action - this action is rotational or static. What to do - storing bales or machinery added as an example of ‘storage’. 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.