Low-input harvested spring cereal crops supported by the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) action AHW10 could be a good option for growers in 2025, given the payment rate of £354/ha.

Use of this action would potentially fill some of the gap left by the sudden slashing of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments announced in the Budget, which is expected to add to the cashflow difficulties on many farms.

It can also be stacked with other SFI actions, boosting farm income by complementing spring cropping, rather than taking land out of production.

Aims and benefits

The aim of AHW10, which can be used for both autumn and spring-sown cereals, is to have an open structured cereal crop growing during the spring and summer months until it is harvested, so that it encourages arable plant communities.

See also: Expert sets out six steps to better spring barley yields

According to Defra, the inclusion of the action in a rotation will allow wildflower species to grow within the crop, provide summer foraging sites for farmland birds and act as habitat for birds, wildlife and pollinators.

The wildflower species and the seeds that they produce support a variety of insects, birds and small mammals, but have little competitive impact in the crop, the SFI guidance claims.

Stacking for success

One of the in-field actions in the expanded SFI 2024 offer where a low-input spring cereal is being considered as part of the rotation is an opportunity to precede it with an over-winter cover crop (CIPM3) or an over-wintered stubble (AHW6).

If part of an SFI agreement, these actions attract a further £129/ha and £58/ha, respectively – potentially helping with the cashflow pain anticipated in 2025, as SFI payments are made quarterly.

In practice, the low-input harvested cereal crop action means restricting the use of herbicides, often using a lower seed rate to get the required open structure and potentially reducing the application of nitrogen.

Spring cereals

As independent agronomist Kieran Walsh of Grounded Agvice explains, it’s an action that can work well in both spring oats and spring barley, which are already less intensive than winter-sown cereals and have an appropriate growth habit.

“It’s not as suitable for spring wheat,” he reports. “The spring wheat crop just isn’t as competitive and can be quite spindly when grown at a lower seed rate, so it’s prone to rapid weed ingress.

“Spring wheat also tends to be grown for milling, so any nitrogen restriction can compromise that and prevent a premium-earning opportunity.”

He reports that it has been successful with spring barley on several of his clients’ farms in the south of England, initially through Countryside Stewardship and now as part of the SFI.

“In most cases, it doesn’t alter what we’re already doing. The crop is drilled in March at a slightly lower seed rate and then treated much as it was before.”

Herbicide use

Kieran, a former Farmers Weekly Arable Adviser of the Year, believes it’s the herbicide restrictions that have the potential to catch people out, so he recommends that it is located to avoid fields with high weed infestations.

“The broad-leaved weed control options are limited so it’s not a good idea to put this action in place where you have high populations of poppies or cleavers.”

For this reason, he is not keen on the use of cover crops before a low-input cereal. “It can make the weed situation more difficult than it need be, especially if the weather is against you.”

He also points out that the SFI actions for precision farming mean that you could also get a payment for hoeing the crop (PRF4), which has a payment rate of £150/ha.

“In that case, you can’t use any herbicides except for a pre-emergence treatment.”

Other crops

© Dick Makin/Alamy Stock Photo

Otherwise, spring oats are an obvious contender, as there is very little chemistry approved for use on the crop.

“This one is a no-brainer,” he says. “The same is true of spring triticale, which is a very competitive crop and doesn’t need the level of inputs that others do.”

Spring oats drilled early at lower seed rates can perform better, he notes, as they develop more tillers and more extensive root systems.

“That puts them in a better position if they experience moisture stress later in the season.”