Grassy field corners or blocks (updated for SFI26)

What you must do

You must establish and maintain grassy field corners or blocks on arable and horticultural land entered into this action. To establish the grassy field corners or blocks you must either sow them or allow the areas to naturally regenerate. During the first 12 months after sowing them, or allowing them to naturally regenerate, you can regularly cut or graze them to: control annual weeds encourage new grass shoots to develop The grassy field corners or blocks will usually be established around 12 months after they’re sown or allowed to regenerate naturally. Once established, you must maintain the grassy field corners or blocks. To do this, you must manage them in a way that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim. You must not do the following on the grassy field corners or blocks once they’re established: graze them with livestock in a way that means this action’s aim cannot reasonably be achieved cut them, except for localised cutting to control injurious weeds or invasive non-natives, soft and hard rush, nettles or bracken use them for regular vehicular access, turning or storage (for example, storing bales or machinery) carry out activities that may disturb breeding birds or damage nests, as birds, nests and eggs are protected by law apply any fertilisers, manures or lime use pesticides, except for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds, invasive non-native species, nettles or bracken You can maintain existing grassy field corners or blocks to get paid for this action, if they meet this action’s requirements.

When to do it

You must: establish the grassy field corners or blocks within 12 months of this action’s start date maintain the same area of grassy field corners or blocks in each subsequent year of this action’s 3-year duration

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