PRF4: Mechanical robotic weeding

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

£150 per hectare ( ha ) per year

Action’s aim

This action’s aim is that mechanical robotic weeding technology is used to control weeds, so there’s minimal use of herbicides.

The purpose of this is to:

improve productivity, water and soil quality

increase biodiversity

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:

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

It will not usually be possible for you to do this action on combinable crops.

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Arable land used to grow crops, excluding temporary grassland Arable land Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops

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 ) 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 control weeds on land entered into this action using a mechanical robotic weeder that:

weeds between and within the rows of one crop

has camera or GPS -guided hoes which physically remove the weeds from the ground

You must do this action on one crop from when it’s sown until it’s harvested.

For the purposes of this action, a crop includes:

root crops

field vegetables and salad crops

soft fruit crops which do not occupy the land for 5 years or more and provide repeated harvests (also known as ‘permanent crops’)

You can choose which crop to do this action on, but it must be a ‘cash crop’. This means it’s a crop grown to be harvested for commercial use.

You can apply residual herbicides to the crop before the 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.

‘Residual’ herbicides are long-lasting selective herbicides which control certain weed species without harming the crop.

You must not use any other herbicides on the crop from when it’s sown until it’s harvested.

When to do it

You must do this action on at least one crop that’s sown during each year of this action’s 3-year duration. You can harvest it in a subsequent year of this action’s duration if you sow the next crop for this action in the same year.

This means you must do this action on a crop that’s sown during:

the first year of this action’s duration – you can harvest it in the second year of this action’s duration

the second year of this action’s duration – you can harvest it in the third year of this action’s duration

the third year of this action’s duration – you must do this action until you harvest that crop or this action’s end date, whichever is earlier

If you’re already growing a crop on the land entered into this action when this action starts, you must do this action on a crop that’s sown within 12 months of this action’s start date.

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:

data from the tractor’s job recording system identifying the mechanical robotic weeder, the date and areas weeded

field operations at a land parcel level, including the land parcel reference number and the dates the crop was sown and harvested

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, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, CAHL2, CIPM3, CIPM4, CSAM2, OFC3, OFM4, PRF1, PRF2, SOH1, SOH3

SFI 2024 actions AGF1, AGF2, AHW10, AHW5, AHW6, AHW7, AHW8, AHW9, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM3, CIPM4, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2, OFA1, OFA6, OFC3, OFM4, PRF1, PRF2, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3, SOH4

SFI 2023 actions AHL2, IPM1, IPM3, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2

CSHT actions from 2025 CAB10, CAB14, CAB17, CAB2, CAB5, CAB6, CAB7, CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CHS3, CHS9, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW17, CSW19, CWS1, CWS3

CS options AB10, AB14, AB2, AB5, AB6, AB7, HS3, HS9, OP1, OP2, OP4, OP5, OR3, OT3, SW12, SW5, SW6

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.

Using mechanical robotic weeding equipment

The mechanical robotic weeding equipment you use can be either tractor mounted or autonomous.

Eligible land

Eligible land type Eligible land cover Compatible land use code

Arable land used to grow crops, excluding temporary grassland Arable land Land use codes for arable crops or leguminous and nitrogen-fixing crops

Arable land lying fallow Arable land FA01