Cultivated areas for arable plants (updated for SFI26)

What you must do

You must create a fallow margin or plot by cultivating it in the spring or autumn in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. You must manage the fallow cultivated margin or plot in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. You must not do the following on the fallow cultivated margin or plot: disturb it before the end of the summer months (usually around the end of August) use it as regular access tracks for vehicles apply any fertilisers, manures or lime apply pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken You can use an existing cultivated fallow margin or plot 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 AB11 (cultivated areas for arable plants)

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 for you to create the fallow margin or plot, you must create it within 12 months of its start date. In the final year of this action’s duration, you must do the action until the end of the summer months 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