CSAM3: Herbal leys (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

£224 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that there’s an established herbal ley with:

a mixture of grasses, legumes and herbs or wildflowers to provide varied root structures

areas of flowering plants from late spring and during summer months

The purpose of this is to:

produce a high volume of forage with minimal use of inorganic fertiliser

improve resilience to drought

help improve and maintain the soil’s structure, carbon, biology and fertility

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 SFI 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

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

Improved permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01

Eligibility of protected land

Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs): Ineligible – you must not enter any area that’s designated as an SSSI into this action.

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 rotational or static. This means you can either:

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

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

What to do

You must establish an herbal ley with a mixture of grass, legumes and herbs on land entered into this action.

You must use a seed mix which includes all of the following (as a minimum):

1 grass species

2 legume species

2 herb or wildflower species

If you’re establishing an herbal ley on land identified by you as being at risk of soil erosion or runoff, you must use establishment techniques which minimise the risk of soil erosion or runoff. You can use the soil management plan produced for CSAM1 (or SAM1) to identify this land.

Once the herbal ley is established, you must maintain it. To do this you must manage it in a way, and for a period of time, that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim.

You must minimise use of inorganic fertilisers containing nitrogen. Usually, this will be no more than around 40 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare per year.

You must not use the established herbal ley for storage or apply pesticides on it, except:

for herbicides to weed wipe or spot treat to control injurious weeds , invasive non-native species , nettles or bracken

to destroy the existing ley to establish a new herbal ley

You can maintain an existing herbal ley to get paid for this action if it:

meets this action’s requirements – you may need to re-sow it to make sure it can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim

is not already being paid for under another environmental land management scheme option, such as CS option GS4 (legume and herb-rich swards)

When to do it

You must:

establish the herbal ley by early autumn, within 12 months of this action’s start date

maintain the herbal ley at the same location for a period of time that can reasonably be expected to achieve this action’s aim – this will usually be until the end of the second summer after sowing

re-establish the herbal ley by early autumn (either at the same location or a different location) and maintain it until this action’s end date

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, including details of the seed mix used

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 AGF1, AGF2, OFC1, OFC3, OFM1, OFM4, PRF1, PRF2, SOH1

SFI 2024 actions AGF1, AGF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, OFC1, OFC3, OFM1, OFM4, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, SOH1

SFI 2023 actions IPM1, NUM1, SAM1

CSHT actions from 2025 CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CPAC1, 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 SFI 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 a seed mix

This action explains the minimum requirement for species in the seed mix (under ‘What to do’).

If you want to grow a high-quality herbal ley (which goes beyond the basic requirements of this action), the seed mix will usually include at least:

5 grass species, such as cocksfoot, festulolium, meadow fescue, perennial ryegrass, smooth-stalked meadow grass, tall fescue and timothy

4 legume species, such as alsike clover, bird’s-foot-trefoil, lucerne, red clover, sainfoin winter vetch and common vetch, and black medickand white cover

4 herb species, such as burnet, chicory, ribwort plantain, salad burnet, sheep’s parsley and yarrow

Try to avoid a mix of festulolium and perennial ryegrass making up more than 70% by weight of the total seed mix.

Your seed supplier can help you choose a seed mix that is the best match for your land, local conditions and how you’ll manage the ley.

Where to establish the herbal leys

When you establish the herbal leys, by law you cannot cultivate or apply fertilisers or pesticides to land within 2m of the centre of a hedgerow. Read the guidance on  Hedgerow management rules: buffer strips  to understand how these rules apply to you.

How to maintain herbal leys

You can maintain herbal leys by grazing them with livestock or cutting them (or both).

To help achieve this action’s aim, you can rest the herbal leys from grazing or cutting for around at least 5 consecutive weeks between early May and late July. This will allow flowers to open and provide a source of pollen and nectar for insects.

It can take up to 4 years for the roots to grow enough to improve soil structure and fertility.

You may find it helpful to read the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)  guidance on herbal leys .

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

Improved permanent grassland Permanent grassland PG01