AHL2 - Winter Bird Food

[Stephensonlouis]

Has anyone ever autumn established SFI AHL2 after a crop off winter wheat, grown fast seeding crops such as mustard and then gone into a spring barley late March early April?
Probably a good reason why it isn’t being done!

 

[Brisel]

CS AB16 Bumblebird was a 2 year option for that reason.

 

[Against_the_grain]

Bringing this back to life. Is there anything to stop me planting ALH 2 in July/August after cereal harvest, providing the bird food through winter Nov-Feb and then planting Spring Linseed or Maize in April?
This action’s aim is that there are areas of winter bird food that produce a supply of small seeds for smaller farmland birds from late autumn until late winter.
I think this would satisfy the aims but below is a line about encouraging flowering plants in the summer?


The purpose of this is to:

• provide food resources for farmland birds, especially in late autumn and winter
• encourage flowering plants in the summer, which will benefit insects including bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies
• support an IPM approach if located close to cropped areas

 

[ploughman1963]

watching opinions on this as we are thinking of AHL2 after winter wheat and then into potatoes in the spring

 

[Clive]

Bringing this back to life. Is there anything to stop me planting ALH 2 in July/August after cereal harvest, providing the bird food through winter Nov-Feb and then planting Spring Linseed or Maize in April?
This action’s aim is that there are areas of winter bird food that produce a supply of small seeds for smaller farmland birds from late autumn until late winter.
I think this would satisfy the aims but below is a line about encouraging flowering plants in the summer?


The purpose of this is to:

• provide food resources for farmland birds, especially in late autumn and winter
• encourage flowering plants in the summer, which will benefit insects including bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies
• support an IPM approach if located close to cropped areas

this is my plan exactly, i’ve discussed it with defra as well - i’m thinking differently on species to you though and you need 6 species (3 autumn and 3 spring). to meet requirements

my last dd magazine article explains more

Farmer Focus: Clive Bailye

October 2023 Sustainable Farm Incentive, my experience and future plan We joined SFI pilot at the first possible opportunity, our previous entry level scheme consisting of little more that 3m margi…

directdriller.com

you can also layer on IPM4 and the dd / pf payments when announced

 

[farmerm]

this is my plan exactly, i’ve discussed it with defra as well - i’m thinking differently on species to you though and you need 6 species (3 autumn and 3 spring). to meet requirements

my last dd magazine article explains more

Farmer Focus: Clive Bailye

October 2023 Sustainable Farm Incentive, my experience and future plan We joined SFI pilot at the first possible opportunity, our previous entry level scheme consisting of little more that 3m margi…

directdriller.com

you can also layer on IPM4 and the dd / pf payments when announced

You talk of following with a mulitspecies mix but why what is stopping you from following AHL2 with AHL1 rather than a mix you are not getting paid to drill?

 

[Against_the_grain]

this is my plan exactly, i’ve discussed it with defra as well - i’m thinking differently on species to you though and you need 6 species (3 autumn and 3 spring). to meet requirements

my last dd magazine article explains more

Farmer Focus: Clive Bailye

October 2023 Sustainable Farm Incentive, my experience and future plan We joined SFI pilot at the first possible opportunity, our previous entry level scheme consisting of little more that 3m margi…

directdriller.com

you can also layer on IPM4 and the dd / pf payments when announced

Why are you not following with a cash crop planted in the spring?

 

[farmerm]

Why are you not following with a cash crop planted in the spring?

Because unless you have grade 1 land spring crops disappoint...

 

[Northern territory]

Why are you not following with a cash crop planted in the spring?

When in spring are you allowed to plant said cash crop ?

 

[Against_the_grain]

When in spring are you allowed to plant said cash crop ?

This is what i am trying to establish!
I cant see why not because you have fulfilled the aims of providing winter bird food, but the part about flowering plants in the summer confused me

 

[Clive]

Why are you not following with a cash crop planted in the spring?

because after the ahls "part 1" aim of feeding winter birds is complete i will need to establish ahl2 "part 2" in the spring to achieve the "summer pollinator" aim - when that's done I have a ideal entry into 1st wheat

 

[Clive]

This is what i am trying to establish!
I cant see why not because you have fulfilled the aims of providing winter bird food, but the part about flowering plants in the summer confused me

unless you plant a spring crop that flowers more than 1 species I don't think you can get away with that !

 

[farmerm]

because after the ahls "part 1" aim of feeding winter birds is complete i will need to establish ahl2 "part 2" in the spring to achieve the "summer pollinator" aim - when that's done I have a ideal entry into 1st wheat

I have argued before that this options is badly phrased. I am certain there will be people who will be following AHL2 with a spring crop and fall foul if this is rejected.

This action’s aim This action’s aim is that there are areas of winter bird food that produce a supply of small seeds for smaller farmland birds from late autumn until late winter.

The purpose of this is to:
• provide food resources for farmland birds, especially in late autumn and winter
• encourage flowering plants in the summer, which will benefit insects including bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies
• support an IPM approach if located close to cropped areas

The guidance states

how to do the action – which is up to you, as long as it’s done in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve the action’s aim


If I was a solicter I would argue that encouraging flowing plants is a none binding purpose and not a contractual aim. If I produce a supply small seeds though late autumn until late winter I have achieved the aim and competed my contractual obligation.

It is certainly worth pushing in my opinion because it adds £614/ha if we can follow AHL2 into spring sown AHL1.

 

[Against_the_grain]

unless you plant a spring crop that flowers more than 1 species I don't think you can get away with that !

How to establish and maintain winter bird food on arable and horticultural land (AHL2)​

What you’re aiming to achieve​

The aim of AHL2 is that there are areas of winter bird food that produce a supply of small seeds for smaller farmland birds from late autumn until late winter.

Late autumn until late winter will usually include November, December, January and February, but this may vary according to your location and setting.

*Nowhere here does it say anything about flowering plants in the summer*

 

[Against_the_grain]

If I was a solicter I would argue that encouraging flowing plants is a none binding purpose and not a contractual aim. If I produce a supply small seeds though late autumn until late winter I have achieved the aim and competed my contractual obligation.

It is certainly worth pushing in my opinion because it adds £614/ha if we can follow AHL2 into spring sown AHL1.

or follow with a maize/potato/beet crop

 

[Northern territory]

or follow with a maize/potato/beet crop

Work well for me if I put fodder beet in after it

 

[Clive]

How to establish and maintain winter bird food on arable and horticultural land (AHL2)​

What you’re aiming to achieve​

The aim of AHL2 is that there are areas of winter bird food that produce a supply of small seeds for smaller farmland birds from late autumn until late winter.

Late autumn until late winter will usually include November, December, January and February, but this may vary according to your location and setting.

*Nowhere here does it say anything about flowering plants in the summer*

you mean apart from this part of the link in your post ?

 

[Clive]

I have argued before that this options is badly phrased. I am certain there will be people who will be following AHL2 with a spring crop and fall foul if this is rejected.

This action’s aim This action’s aim is that there are areas of winter bird food that produce a supply of small seeds for smaller farmland birds from late autumn until late winter.

The purpose of this is to:
• provide food resources for farmland birds, especially in late autumn and winter
• encourage flowering plants in the summer, which will benefit insects including bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies
• support an IPM approach if located close to cropped areas

The guidance states

how to do the action – which is up to you, as long as it’s done in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve the action’s aim


If I was a solicter I would argue that encouraging flowing plants is a none binding purpose and not a contractual aim. If I produce a supply small seeds though late autumn until late winter I have achieved the aim and competed my contractual obligation.

It is certainly worth pushing in my opinion because it adds £614/ha if we can follow AHL2 into spring sown AHL1.

"encourage flowering plants in the summer, which will benefit insects including bumblebees, solitary bees, butterflies and hoverflies"


is very clearly an aim along with the

"provide food resources for farmland birds, especially in late autumn and winter"


Might be me but I don't see a lot of ambiguity there ?

 

[Against_the_grain]

Its called winter bird food not pollen and nectar flower mix. If you click on where it says how to establish and winter bird food on arable and horticultural land it says nothing about summer flowering.

 

[Clive]

What maybe could be done is if your spring AHL2 was say peas, mustard and phacelia i mix or similar multispecies flowering stuff - terminate with glyphosate and harvest it ??