CIGL1: Take grassland field corners or blocks out of management (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

£333 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that there are grassland field corners or blocks taken out of management, so tussocky grass can develop.

The purpose of this is to:

provide year-round habitat for a range of wildlife

support an IPM approach if located close to cropped areas

Where you can do this action

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

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

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Temporary grassland Arable land TG01

Improved permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01

25% limited area action

This is a ‘limited area’ action. The total eligible area you enter into any combination of one or more of the ‘limited area’ actions must not be more than 25% of the total agricultural area of your farm. Read section 4.5 ‘Limited area SFI actions’ in the SFI26 scheme information for more details (including a list of the ‘limited area’ actions).

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 with 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 static. This means you must do it at the same location each year of this action’s duration.

What to do

You must leave grassland field corners or blocks entered into this action unmanaged, so they’re uncut and un-grazed.

You must not do the following on the unmanaged grassland field corners or blocks:

graze them with livestock

cut them, except for localised cutting to control injurious weeds or invasive non-natives, soft or hard rush, nettles or bracken

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

apply 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 do this action each year of its 3-year duration.

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 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 with 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 AGF1, AGF2, OFC1, OFC3, OFM1, OFM4, PRF2

SFI 2024 actions AGF1, AGF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, OFC1, OFC3, OFM1, OFM4, PRF2

SFI 2023 actions IPM1, NUM1, SAM1

CSHT actions from 2025 CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3

CS options OR1, OR3, OT1, OT3

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.

Where to locate the unmanaged field corners or blocks

You can choose to locate the unmanaged field corner or block on areas:

which are less productive or difficult to reach with machinery

to square up cultivated areas which could help to speed up farm operations

close to existing nectar and pollen sources to benefit insects, or existing winter bird food sources to benefit farmland birds

close to cropped areas to help with an integrated pest management ( IPM ) approach – for example, once tussocky grass develops, it can provide habitat for ladybirds which eat aphids

close to existing habitat (such as woodland, hedgerows, waterbodies, heathland, fallow land, wildflower-rich grassland) to help farmland wildlife to move across your land

To create a network of habitats, you can have a number of smaller areas (for example between 0.5 hectares ( ha ) and 1ha) spaced as evenly as possible across your land. For example, you could space 5 blocks of 0.5ha evenly across 100ha to allow pollinators, flying insects and birds to move between the areas.

Managing field corners or blocks

This action requires you to not cut or graze the grassland field corners or blocks with livestock. You can use temporary fencing to prevent livestock accessing the grassland.

You may need to control weeds when they appear. To control injurious weeds or invasive non-natives, soft and hard rush, or nettles, this action allows you to:

carry out localised cutting

use herbicides to spot-treat or weed wipe

You can also control weeds by removing entire plants by hand before they have finished flowering.

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Temporary grassland Arable land TG01

Improved permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01