Low input harvested cereal crop

What you must do

You must establish an autumn or spring cereal crop (not maize): in strips or plots at a seed rate that’s reduced to a level that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim As long as this action’s aim can reasonably be expected to be achieved, you can: undersow a seed mix into the spring cereal crop use a blend or mix of cereals Once the cereal crop is established, you must manage it in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim until it’s harvested. You must not: harvest the crop before it can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim (usually not before around mid-July) apply insecticides after around mid-March, until the crop is harvested You must not apply herbicides, apart from those containing the following permitted active ingredients: amidosulfuron clodinafop-propargyl fenoxaprop-P-ethyl pinoxaden tri-allate It may not be possible for you to use these permitted active ingredients on all crops. It’s your responsibility to confirm whether herbicides are approved for use on the affected crop. You can use an existing cereal crop to get paid for this action if it: meets this action’s requirements is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme action or option, such as CS option AB14 (harvested low input cereal)

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 to establish the cereal crop, you must establish it within 12 months of this action’s start date. In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do this action until the crop is harvested or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.

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 and associated invoices photographs or 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.

SFI26 actions v2.0, updated 7 July 2026 — verified 1 Aug 2026. Open official guidance