PRF2: Camera or remote sensor guided herbicide spraying

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

£43 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that camera or remote sensing guided technology is used to apply systemic herbicides to control weeds, so they’re targeted precisely.

The purpose of this is to:

reduce the volume of herbicide applied

increase biodiversity

improve water quality, soil quality and productivity

support an integrated pest management approach

Where you can do this action

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

receiving systemic herbicides to control weeds which camera or remote sensing guided technology can recognise

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 land cover

Camera recognition is currently available for:

docks and nettles in grass or leys containing clover

all weeds in maize

certain crops grown on wide row spacings (such as potatoes)

stubbles – where there’s green growth

Remote sensing technology uses artificial intelligence to recognise target weeds.

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

Permanent grassland – improved and low input Permanent grassland PG01

Permanent crops Permanent crops Land use codes for permanent crops

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 ) can 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: Eligible – you must get an SFI HEFER before you do this action (read  section 5.3 ‘Land with historic or archaeological features’ in the SFI26 scheme information to find out how to do this).

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

You must apply systemic (contact) herbicides on land entered into this action using camera or remote sensing technology that:

identifies specific weeds to be controlled

automatically switches on individual nozzles to apply the herbicides directly to the identified weeds

Systemic herbicides kill the whole weed, from leaf to root.

You must only carry out a ‘blanket’ application of herbicides if you’re applying:

glyphosate to destroy a cover crop or create a stale seedbed before drilling

residual herbicides before sown crop plants or weeds emerge (‘pre-emergence’) – this can be at the same time the crop is established (drilled or planted) or within a few days of establishment

pre-harvest herbicide or desiccant to combinable crops

A ‘blanket’ application means you apply herbicides uniformly across an area, rather than targeting the application to identified weeds.

When to do it

You must do this action from its start date, throughout each year of its 3-year duration.

How to do it

You must follow this action’s requirements – these are identified by a ‘must.’

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:

‘as applied’ data, such as a map showing where individual nozzles switch on to apply herbicide

a record of any permitted blanket application of herbicide, including the date it was applied

contractor’s invoice if you use a contractor to do this action

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, AHW10, AHW11, AHW3, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, BFS1, BFS6, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIGL1, CIGL2, CIGL3, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CLIG3, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM2, CSAM3, HEF6, OFC1, OFC2, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM1, OFM2, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, PRF1, PRF4, SOH1, SOH3, WBD3, WBD4, WBD6, WBD7

SFI 2024 actions AGF1, AGF2, AHW1, AHW10, AHW11, AHW3, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, BFS1, BFS2, BFS3, BFS4, BFS5, BFS6, CAHL1, CAHL2, CAHL3, CAHL4, CIGL1, CIGL2, CIGL3, CIPM1, CIPM2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CLIG3, CNUM1, CNUM2, CNUM3, CSAM1, CSAM2, CSAM3, HEF5, HEF6, HEF8, OFA1, OFA6, OFC1, OFC2, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM1, OFM2, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, PRF1, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, SOH4, WBD3, WBD4, WBD5, WBD6, WBD7, WBD8

SFI 2023 actions AHL1, AHL2, AHL3, AHL4, IGL1, IGL2, IGL3, IPM1, IPM2, IPM3, IPM4, LIG1, LIG2, NUM1, NUM2, NUM3, SAM1, SAM2, SAM3

CSHT actions from 2025 CAB10, CAB11, CAB14, CAB16, CAB17, CAB18, CAB19, CAB2, CAB5, CAB6, CAB7, CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CGS4, CHS2, CHS3, CHS4, CHS5, CHS6, CHS9, CPAC1, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW13, CSW15, CSW16, CSW17, CSW18, CSW19, CSW20, CSW21, CSW23, CSW24, CSW7, CSW8, CWS1, CWS3, CWT1, CWT2

CS options AB1, AB10, AB11, AB14, AB15, AB16, AB2, AB3, AB5, AB6, AB7, AB8, AB9, BE1, BE2, GS1, GS2, GS3, GS4, GS5, HS2, HS3, HS4, HS5, HS6, HS9, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR1, OR2, OR3, OR4, OR5, OT1, OT2, OT3, OT4, OT5, SW1, SW10, SW13, SW15, SW16, SW2, SW3, SW4, SW5, SW6, SW7, SW8, SW9, WT1, WT2

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 your equipment

The camera or remote sensor guided technology you use can be either:

mounted on the sprayer working in real time

used in advance to create a map which is then uploaded to the sprayer

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

Permanent grassland – improved and low input Permanent grassland PG01

Permanent crops Permanent crops Land use codes for permanent crops