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This covers what you need to know to complete the actions in the arable and horticultural soils standard of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).

You only have to meet a requirement in this standard if the word must is used. In this case, its part of your SFI standards agreement. The other information is to help you, but you do not have to follow it.

You can understand what youre agreeing to do by reading this information on the arable and horticultural soils standard, together with your SFI standards agreement document and its terms and conditions.

How the arable and horticultural soils standard will improve the environment

As soils are one of the most important natural assets, the arable and horticultural soils standard is focused on improving soil health, structure, organic matter, and biology. These improvements can benefit food production. They also contribute to a range of environmental and climate change outcomes, including better:

• water quality
• climate resilience
• biodiversity

Eligible land for the arable and horticultural soils standard

You can only enter land into the arable and horticultural soils standard that:

• has an eligible land cover
• is an eligible land type

Land cover

Each land parcel has one or more registered land covers. These identify what broad category the land is.

You can view the land cover currently registered for each land parcel on your digital maps in the Rural Payments service. Read more information about land cover and checking your digital maps before you apply for SFI.

The eligible land covers for the arable and horticultural soils standard are:

• Arable Land
• Permanent Crops (only perennial crops)
• Other (non-agricultural) drain/ditch/dyke on a boundary
• Other (non-agricultural) track natural surface

If a land parcel has one or more of these eligible land covers, it will show as available area in your SFI application. When you select this land parcel, its total available area is included in your application. You cannot reduce it in your application.

For more information about how the available area is automatically calculated, read the guidance about how to apply online for an SFI standards agreement on land outside a common.

A land parcels available area is only eligible for this standard if it is also an eligible land type.

Land type

The land type describes the detailed use of a land parcels broad category of land cover.

You can enter a land parcel into the arable and horticultural soils standard if its land type is cultivated arable land. This includes land used for horticultural crops, such as field vegetables, and temporary grassland. If there are drains, ditches, dykes or tracks with a natural surface in an otherwise cultivated arable land parcel, those can be viewed as part of that land parcels eligible land type area.

Temporary grassland is land that has been in grass or other herbaceous forage for less than 5 consecutive years. You can choose to view this as either:

• arable land and enter it into the arable and horticultural soils standard
• improved grassland and enter it into the improved grassland soils standard

Land that has been in grass or other herbaceous forage for 5 consecutive years or more becomes classified as permanent grassland from the 6th year if its not been included in a crop rotation.

If you enter temporary grassland into this standard that becomes permanent grassland during your 3-year SFI standards agreement, it wont be eligible for this standard unless its included in your arable crop rotation. In this case, you can enter the temporary grassland into this standard. We may contact you during your 3-year SFI standards agreement to confirm that the grassland is part of your arable crop rotation.

Temporary and permanent improved grassland is eligible for the improved grassland soils standard.

Other land eligibility issues to consider

You should also consider the following land eligibility issues.

Land in another agri-environment scheme agreement

Land in an existing agri-environment scheme agreement, such as Countryside Stewardship, may also be eligible for an SFI standards agreement. Read the interaction between SFI and other schemes for more information.

Scheduled monuments, historic and archaeological features

If you select a land parcel in your SFI application that contains a scheduled monument, historic or archaeological feature, you will be told that you must request a Sustainable Farming Incentive Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (SFI HEFER).

The SFI HEFER will tell you about any known historic and archaeological features on your land, including scheduled monuments. It will also tell you how they affect the actions you can take under the standards.

To request an SFI HEFER, you need to register on the HEFER portal. Once registered, you can request an SFI HEFER by entering your Single Business Identifier (SBI). You will then be sent an email when the SFI HEFER is available for you to download.

Before you enter land into an SFI standards agreement, read more about:

• scheduled monuments, as you may need consent from Historic England
• works in a conservation area that may need consent from your local planning authority

To find out about soil sampling on scheduled monuments, historic or archaeological features, read the information about regulatory issues and consents that could affect an SFI standards agreement.

Sites of special scientific interest

SSSI land is eligible for the introductory and intermediate levels of the arable and horticultural soils standard.

However, you must give notice to Natural England and get its consent before you carry out any listed operations requiring Natural England consent on the SSSI land to meet the actions in the introductory or intermediate levels under the arable and horticultural soils standard.

If consent is required, you may want to get this from Natural England before you enter the land into an SFI standards agreement, to make sure you can complete the actions required under the arable and horticultural soils standard once your SFI standards agreement starts.

You can find the listed operations requiring Natural England consent on your SSSI land by searching for the SSSI on the designated sites system. You can also find more information about getting consent to carry out operations on SSSI land.

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