SOH3: Multi-species summer-sown cover crop
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.
For SFI24 actions, read the SFI24 agreement holder’s information.
Duration
3 years
How much you’ll be paid
£163 per hectare (ha) per year
Action’s aim
This action’s aim is that there’s a well-established summer-sown multi-species cover crop which is present between harvesting a cash crop, until either:
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the next cash crop is sown
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a winter cover crop is sown
The purpose of this is to:
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protect the soil surface
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provide root growth that benefits soil structure, supports soil biology and minimises nutrient leaching, soil erosion and runoff
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add organic matter
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 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
Eligible land
| Eligible land type | Eligible land cover | Compatible land use code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arable land used to grow crops, excluding temporary grassland | Arable land | Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops | |
| Arable land lying fallow | Arable land | FA01 | |
| Permanent horticultural crops | Permanent crops | TC01 |
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) can 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 multi-species cover crop mix during the summer months (usually between June and August) which will not be harvested as a cash crop.
A ‘cash crop’ means a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use.
You must use a rapid growing seed mix that contains at least 4 species. This must include 2 species from two or more of the following plant families:
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brassicas
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legumes
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cereals and grasses, with grasses making up no more than 25% of the total mix by weight
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herbs
The seed mix must not contain:
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Japanese reed millet
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maize
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miscanthus or reed canary grass
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sorghum (all varieties)
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artichokes
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sweet fennel
You must avoid growing deep rooted species on any area within a land parcel with historic or archaeological features identified in your SFI HEFER. Read section 5.3 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details.
You must maintain the multi-species cover crop in a way, and for a period of time, that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.
For the purposes of this action’s aim, the cover crop will be well-established if there’s:
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leafy vegetation that’s sufficiently well grown to protect the soil surface
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minimal bare soil
You must not do the following on the well-established cover crop:
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cut it or graze it with livestock (other than when destroying the cover crop)
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mechanically apply any fertilisers or manures
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destroy it more than 2 weeks before you intend to establish the next main crop
When you destroy the cover crop, you should try to minimise risks such as compaction, poaching, soil runoff or erosion.
If something happens which means you cannot complete this action, you must tell the RPA in writing as soon as possible. For example, if there’s prolonged adverse weather. 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.
You must not use the following to meet this action:
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a multi-species temporary grass ley, such as a mix of grass and clover, that is being used for grazing
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a multi-species crop which you intend to harvest as a cash crop, such as a mix of wheat and clover
You can only use an existing multi-species cover crop to meet this action’s requirements if you overseed it. This includes a cover crop already paid for under an environmental land management scheme action, such as SOH2 (multi-species spring-sown cover crop).
When to do it
You must do this action each year of its 3-year duration.
If this action’s start date means it’s too late for you to do this action, you must start doing it within 12 months of the action’s start date.
In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do this action until the next main crop is sown, or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.
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
You may find it helpful to read the ‘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 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 | AGF1, AGF2, AHW6, CAHL2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CSAM2, OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1 | |
| SFI 2024 actions | AGF1, AGF2, AHW6, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2 | |
| SFI 2023 actions | AHL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2 | |
| CSHT actions from 2025 | CAB17, CAB2, CHS3, CHS9, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW17, CSW19, CWS1, CWS3 | |
| CS options | AB2, AB9, HS3, HS9, OP1, OP5, OR3, OR4, OT3, OT4, SW5, SW6 | |
| 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)
Advice to help you do this action
The following advice may help you to do this action, but it’s not part of this action’s requirements.
Growing cover crops on land used for permanent horticultural crops
If you’re doing this action on land used to grow permanent horticultural crops, you can plant cover crops:
- around fruit or nut trees
- between rows of trees
Choosing a seed mix
This action explains the minimum requirement for species in the seed mix (under ‘What to do’). The table shows examples of what you could use.
Species you could use
| Plant family | Species |
|---|---|
| Brassicas | Yellow mustard, brown mustard, oil radish, tillage radish, stubble turnip, kale |
| Legumes | Common vetch, hairy vetch, red clover, white clover, alsike clover, sweet clover, crimson clover, lucerne, black meddick, peas and beans |
| Cereals or grasses | Italian ryegrass, festulolium, black oats, forage rye, barley, winter triticale |
| Herbs | Phacelia, buckwheat, linseed |
Choosing a varied mix (with multiple species from different plant families and with different characteristics) will normally bring greater benefits to your soil.
If you’re in an area with a shorter growing season, you may need to choose plants that germinate and grow in cooler weather.
Your seed supplier can help you choose a seed mix that’s the best match for your land and local conditions.
You may find it helpful to read the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) information sheet about cover crops.
Where to establish the cover crop
When you establish the cover crop, by law you cannot cultivate or apply fertilisers or pesticides to land within 2m of the centre of a hedgerow. Read the guidance on Hedgerow management rules: buffer strips to understand how these rules apply to you.
How to sow the cover crop
Your seed supplier can advise you on an overall sowing rate for the seed mix you choose.
You can drill or broadcast the seed mix. Drilling seeds is usually more reliable and gives a higher germination success than broadcasting. However, broadcasting is cheaper.
After you have sown the seed mix you can roll the seeds if the soil is dry enough. This can help to:
- improve seed-to-soil contact
- retain moisture
- reduce the risk of slug damage
Maintaining the cover crop
The cover crop will usually provide the most benefits to your soil if you maintain it for a period of at least around 8 consecutive weeks. However, this may differ depending on your crop rotation and geographical location.
How to destroy the cover crop
If you’re destroying the multi-species cover crop, you can choose what method you use.
Improving soil health
You can increase the benefits to soil of cover crops by combining them with:
- minimum tillage or no tillage (‘no-till’) systems – you may want to consider SFI26 action SOH1: No-till farming
- organic farming – there are several SFI26 actions which support this (search ‘organic’ in the ‘Find funding for land or farms’ tool)
Updates to this page
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Added 'Advice to help you do this action' section.
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No substantive changes have been made to this action for SFI26 (compared with the SFI24 version). There have only been 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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SOH4 removed from SFI 2024 actions.
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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. What to do - you must avoid growing deep-rooted species on land with historic or archaeological features. Reference to using an existing cover crop paid for under SAM2 (multi-species winter cover) which you can use to meet this action if you overseed it replaced by SOH2: multi-species spring-sown cover crop. Other actions or options you can do on the same area - OFA6, OFC4 and OFM5 added to SFI 2024 actions. HS3 and OT4 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.