AHW5: Nesting plots for lapwing (updated for SFI26)

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

£765 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that there are fallow cultivated plots within an arable crop which:

have enough bare ground for nesting lapwings

are present from early spring until the arable crop is harvested in the summer

The purpose of this is to provide:

nesting sites for lapwing

habitats for other declining farmland birds, farmland wildlife and important arable plants

Where you can do this action

You can do this action on agricultural land located below the moorland line that’s:

identified by you as not being at risk of soil erosion or surface runoff – you must keep evidence of this

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 must not do this action on land that’s within around:

100 metres (m) of woods, in-field and hedgerow trees, buildings, overhead power lines, main road and public rights of way

200m of wind turbines

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 Arable land TG01

Arable land lying fallow Arable land FA01

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 ) 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: Ineligible – you must not enter any area that contains an historic or archaeological feature into this action. This only affects the area where the feature is located in a land parcel. You can apply for this action on the remaining area in the land parcel if it’s eligible.

Available area you can enter into this action

Total or part of the available area in a land parcel. 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 rotational or static. This means you can either:

move its location for the second and third years of this action’s duration

do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration

What to 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.

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 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.

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 AHW6, AHW7, CSAM2, OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1

SFI 2024 actions AHW6, AHW7, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2, OFC3, OFC4, OFM4, OFM5, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1

SFI 2023 actions IPM1, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1

CSHT actions from 2025 CAB2, CAB6, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3

CS options AB11, AB14, AB15, AB2, AB6, HS3, HS9, OR3, OR4, OT3, OT4

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.

Choosing the right location

It can help if you locate the nesting plots for lapwing:

on level or slightly sloping ground

next to extensively managed grassland where lapwings can feed their chicks

on arable fields which are at least around 5 hectares ( ha ), or around 10ha if woodland forms at least a quarter of the field boundary

away from waterlogged areas or land with weeds such as black-grass, wild oats or sterile brome

Size of plots

To maximise the benefits for nesting lapwing, you can establish plots which are at least around 1ha up to 5ha in size.

You can use this action in a sequence with SFI26 action AHW6: Basic overwinter stubble to provide a continuity of habitat for species such as skylark and corn bunting.

How to establish the plots

You can establish the lapwing plots by either:

cultivation – try to create the appearance of a very rough seedbed, as lapwings rarely nest on a bare surface that’s too smooth

spraying to create the fallow

When to establish the plots

You can establish the lapwing plots on lighter, chalky, sandy and loamy free-draining soils in February or March.

On heavier soils, you can:

plough plots the previous autumn

allow them to weather down to provide suitable nesting conditions by early spring

Machinery access

You can avoid damaging the lapwing plots when using machinery to carry out day-to-day farm operations (such as spraying and fertilising) if it:

keeps to the tramlines

is switched off when passing over the plots

Check plots and plot tramlines for signs of nests before you do these operations.

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 Arable land TG01

Arable land lying fallow Arable land FA01