SOH1: No-till farming (updated for SFI26)
Defra — Sustainable Farming Incentive
Award
£73 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 £73 per hectare (ha) per year Action’s aim This action’s aim is that no-tillage (‘no-till’) farming techniques are used, so soil disturbance is minimised. The purpose of this is to: • improve soil health, fertility, structure, soil water storage and reduce soil runoff • help to keep organic matter and nutrients in the soil • provide benefits for carbon, water quality and biodiversity • help protect historic and archaeological features Where you can do this action You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s: • 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 You cannot do this action on land where you’re tilling narrow strips of soil to plant crops, leaving the areas between the rows untilled. This is known as ‘strip tillage’. 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 (see additional note) Arable land TG01 Arable land lying fallow (see additional note) Arable land FA01 Note: only if it’s part of the crop rotation and present for no more than 2 years of this action’s duration. 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 available area in a land parcel (at the point of application). 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 static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration. What to do You must sow all seeds on land entered into this action using a ‘no-till’ direct drill. This can include tine drills, disc drills and precision seed drills, or broadcasting equipment. Any following harrow tines must be rearward facing. You must not use conventional or shallow min-till cultivation machinery (except for a stubble rake or straw harrow with rearward facing tines): • to prepare the land for sowing crops • between harvesting (or destroying cover crops) and sowing crops Where necessary, you can carry out the following on land that does not contain historic or archaeological features: • low disturbance subsoiling to reduce soil compaction during the crop rotation – for example, if there’s bad weather when you harvest the crop • mole draining to help natural drainage You must keep evidence if you do subsoiling or mole draining. You must not carry out subsoiling or mole draining on land with historic or archaeological features. This includes scheduled monuments (which would require scheduled monument consent). Read section 10.2 ‘Scheduled monument consent’ in the SFI26 scheme information for further details. When to do it You must do this action: • from its start date, unless you have a crop in place when this action starts which does not meet this action’s requirements • throughout each year of this action’s duration If there’s a crop in place when this action starts which does not meet this action’s requirements, you must do this action: • as soon as possible after the crop is harvested or destroyed • within 12 months of this action’s start date 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: • field operations at a land parcel level (including if you’ve had to carry out low disturbance subsoiling to reduce compaction or mole draining) and associated invoices • 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, AHW10, AHW11, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, CAHL1, CAHL2, CIGL2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM2, CSAM3, OFC3, OFM4, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH3 SFI 2024 actions AGF1, AGF2, AHW1, AHW10, AHW11, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, CAHL1, CAHL2, CIGL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM1, CSAM2, CSAM3, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFM4, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH2, SOH3, SOH4 SFI 2023 actions AHL1, AHL2, IGL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, NUM2, NUM3, SAM1, SAM2, SAM3 CSHT actions from 2025 CAB10, CAB11, CAB14, CAB16, CAB17, CAB19, CAB2, CAB5, CAB6, CAB7, CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CGS25, CGS4, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW17, CSW19, CWS1, CWS3 CS options AB1, AB10, AB11, AB14, AB15, AB16, AB2, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB9, GS3, GS4, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR3, OT3, 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. How to prepare for a no-till system No-till works best on drier, more stable, well-structured and well-drained soils. Before you enter land into this action, it may help you to: • ask your agronomist to assess your land’s suitability for a no-till system • assess your soil’s structure and work out how no-till can fit in with your wider farm operations • identify and deal with any soil compaction You may find it helpful to read the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) factsheet on ‘No-till: opportunities and challenges for cereal and oilseed growers’. Choosing equipment for no-till To introduce a no-till farming system, you’ll need to either: • adapt existing cultivation equipment and seed drills for no-till – you can speak to machinery manufacturers for advice on this • buy a no-till or zero till direct drill A no-till or zero till direct drill drills seeds directly into the stubble of a previous crop that’s had no cultivation after harvest. This leaves the majority of the previous crop residue undisturbed after drilling, which can help: • increase organic matter in the soil • rainfall to soak into the soil, which can reduce surface runoff and soil erosion The most suitable direct drill type for your land will depend on local conditions and soil type. Establishing crops Crop yields can sometimes decline during the first 3 years. Yields normally recover as the health of the soil improves. Crop residues can retain nitrogen, which is needed in the soil to help crops grow. This can delay crops establishing in the short term. Over time, microbes in the soil will adapt so nitrogen can be absorbed by crops better. This helps crops to establish quicker. In systems where straw is chopped, you can spread the chopped straw and chaff evenly across the field using a stubble rake or straw harrow with rearward facing tines. This can help to encourage germination. You can use rolling post drilling. How to control weeds, pests and diseases Weed, pest and disease control can be difficult in no-till systems. To help you control weeds for a no-till system, you can: • increase the seed rate • rotate the type of crops you grow from year to year • sow cover crops to improve the health of soil • use non-selective herbicides before drilling You can use precision pesticide application systems, like a spot sprayer or weed wiper, to reduce your use of pesticides. You may want to consider applying for SFI26 action PRF2: Camera or remote sensor guidance herbicide spraying to help you do this. You may need to control slugs during crop establishment. You may find it helpful to discuss opportunities for using IPM with a BASIS qualified adviser. Improving natural drainage This action allows you to use mole drains to improve natural drainage, where necessary. This can help to prevent compaction. You may find it helpful to read the AHDB’s guidance on ‘Field drainage: Use of mole drains’.