Nesting plots for lapwing (updated for SFI26)

What you must do

By early spring, you must establish a fallow cultivated plot within the arable crop. You must manage the fallow cultivated plot in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. This includes managing natural regeneration if it means there is not enough bare ground for nesting birds. You must retain the fallow cultivated plot until the arable crop is harvested in the summer and the bird nesting season is complete (usually this will be late July). You can maintain an existing lapwing 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 option, such as Countryside Stewardship option AB5 (lapwing plots)

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 lapwing plot, you must do this 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 arable crop is harvested in the summer or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier.

Evidence to keep

You must keep written evidence that land entered into this action is not at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff. You can use the soil management plan you’ve already produced for SFI24 action CSAM1 or SFI23 action SAM1 to identify this. You must also 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