PRF1: Variable rate application of nutrients (updated for SFI26)
Defra — Sustainable Farming Incentive
Award
£27 per hectare (ha) per year
Deadline
Rolling — apply any time
Where
England
Summary
What you must do to get paid for this SFI26 action and advice on how to do it.
Full details
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 £27 per hectare (ha) per year Action’s aim This action’s aim is that precision farming equipment is used to apply all major nutrients: • at a variable rate, which means the nutrient application rate is automatically varied • to match the nutrient needs of crops on different areas of land The purpose of this is to: • reduce over-application of nutrients • improve yields from more consistent crop growth and quality • improve water and air quality Where you can do this action You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s: • receiving applications of at least one major nutrient (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg)) at a rate typically above 100 kilograms (kg) N per ha, 40kg P per ha and 40kg K per ha per year • an eligible land type (as defined in section 5.1.1 ‘Eligible land types’ in the SFI26 scheme information) • registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps • 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 Improved permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01 Permanent crops – horticultural Permanent crops TC01 Eligibility of protected land Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Eligible – you must: • give notice to Natural England to get SSSI consent before the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) can offer you an SFI26 agreement • 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: • move its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration • do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration What to do You must apply all major nutrients across the land entered into this action using Variable Rate Application (VRA) equipment. The VRA equipment must be either: • pre-programmed with a ‘variable rate file’ using data from zonal soil or crop testing and analysis or remote sensing • linked to a tractor or sprayer mounted crop reflectance sensor You must make sure the VRA equipment automatically varies the application rate of the major nutrients in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. The only exception to this is if you apply an initial ‘wake up’ application of nitrogen to arable crops in late winter or early spring. In this case, you can: • use equipment that is not VRA equipment • apply the nitrogen at a ‘flat rate’ for the initial ‘wake up’ application only For the purposes of this action, major nutrients include nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg), as relevant, contained in: • manufactured fertilisers – solid or liquid • solid manures – such as farmyard manure, poultry litter, sewage sludge or biosolids • slurry or digestate, including separated liquid You do not need to use VRA equipment to apply: • micro-nutrients, such as boron or sulphur • lime, because is not a nutrient – it helps to increase the availability of major nutrients and controls soil acidity (pH) ‘Zonal’ soil testing means you divide land parcels into soil management zones and take soil samples within each zone. The data from zonal soil testing and analysis must cover a minimum of P, K, Mg and pH. You can use existing zonal soil testing analysis if it: • meets this action’s requirements • is less than 5 years old 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: • follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must’ • 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: • invoices for zonal soil testing and analysis • the ‘variable rate file’ uploaded to the VRA equipment • an ‘as applied’ VRA record at a land parcel level • initial flat rate N application records showing the product, the rate and date of application (if relevant) • field operations at a land parcel level and associated invoices • contractor’s invoice if you use a contractor to do this action 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, AHW10, AHW11, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, CAHL2, CIGL2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM2, CSAM2, CSAM3, OFC1, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM1, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1, SOH3, WBD4, WBD6, WBD7 SFI 2024 actions AGF1, AGF2, AHW1, AHW10, AHW11, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, CAHL2, CIGL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CNUM2, CSAM1, CSAM2, CSAM3, OFA1, OFA6, OFC1, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM1, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, SOH4, WBD4, WBD5, WBD6, WBD7, WBD8 SFI 2023 actions AHL2, IGL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, NUM2, SAM1, SAM2, SAM3 CSHT actions from 2025 CAB11, CAB14, CAB16, CAB17, CAB2, CAB5, CAB6, CAB7, CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CGS4, CHS3, CHS9, CPAC1, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW13, CSW15, CSW16, CSW7, CSW8, CWS1, CWS3 CS options AB1, AB11, AB14, AB15, AB16, AB2, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB8, AB9, GS3, GS4, HS2, HS3, HS9, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR1, OR3, OR4, OR5, OT1, OT3, OT4, OT5, SW10, SW12, SW13, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8, SW9 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. How to carry out ‘zonal’ soil testing To carry out zonal soil testing, you can divide land parcels into soil management zones by using: • a grid to identify 1ha areas, and take soil samples from each 1ha area • soil scanning to map different areas, and take representative soil samples in each area (usually a minimum of around one per 3ha in each area) Where possible, avoid taking soil samples on any area of land with historic or archaeological features identified on your SFI HEFER. If you need to take soil samples, read section 5.3 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI scheme information before doing so. How to apply nitrogen using VRA equipment To apply nitrogen (N), you can use VRA equipment that’s either: • pre-programmed with a ‘variable rate file’ using data from crop testing and analysis or remote sensing of crop reflectance – remote sensing will usually need to be carried out no more than around 14 days before the application of N to reasonably achieve this action’s aim • linked to a tractor or sprayer mounted crop reflectance sensor which varies the application rate in real time