alomy75
Member
I think I had been reading the intermediate level and missed the mention of straw. These revised, non-pilot standards seem a little more properly drilled cover crop orientated rather than ‘green cover’ in the pilot…
- Thread starter Janet Hughes Defra
- Start date
- Status
- Location
- People's Republic of South Yorkshire
On what way do you mean worse?
We got neighbours who go the same, everything baled for long as I can remember.
Still gets good yields and crops look fine.
- Location
- Oxfordshire
We don't have our own livestock, two neighbouring beef farmers have our straw, has worked for decades.
Hindsight
Member
- Location
- Lincolnshire
@Janet Hughes Defra
Janet. I may have missed your reply but I have not seen a reply to this post and #1014. I have now received a reply from RPA but would ask you to give me your reply please. Thank you.
Post#998 - but thought would reply direct to you with the following question / guidance. Thank you.
Hi Janet,
A colleague has written to the RPA seeking clarifiaction of the Intermediate standard but maybe you could answer while we wait a reply from RPA. Many thanks.
Having read the soil standards at the intermediate level, I note the highlighted text below. Does this mean that a 100% autumn drilled farming system would not be eligible for this standard? Would they need to have at least 20% of their land in spring cropping in order to sow a multi-species green cover?
Intermediate level – £40 per hectare
test soil organic matter
undertake a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan
70% winter cover to protect soil:
at least 70% of land in the standard must have green cover over the winter months (Dec-Feb)
this must include land with multi-species green cover – covering at least 20% of total land in this level of the standard
Janet. I may have missed your reply but I have not seen a reply to this post and #1014. I have now received a reply from RPA but would ask you to give me your reply please. Thank you.
Post#998 - but thought would reply direct to you with the following question / guidance. Thank you.
Hi Janet,
A colleague has written to the RPA seeking clarifiaction of the Intermediate standard but maybe you could answer while we wait a reply from RPA. Many thanks.
Having read the soil standards at the intermediate level, I note the highlighted text below. Does this mean that a 100% autumn drilled farming system would not be eligible for this standard? Would they need to have at least 20% of their land in spring cropping in order to sow a multi-species green cover?
Intermediate level – £40 per hectare
test soil organic matter
undertake a soil assessment and produce a soil management plan
70% winter cover to protect soil:
at least 70% of land in the standard must have green cover over the winter months (Dec-Feb)
this must include land with multi-species green cover – covering at least 20% of total land in this level of the standard
Yes, this needs to be made perfectly clear.
No, we're going to start agreements next year and will make the first payments before the end of the year - we'll publish exact timings shortly, and I'd suggest you take a look then and get in touch with RPA directly to discuss your particular case if you have any questions
- Location
- Oxfordshire
I would believe so, can't see any other way around it
Any arable land is eligible for the standard. If you re 100% autumn drilled then you wont meet the requirements of the 20% multi species cover. So its your choice, see how the economics work out. Useful for blackgrass control and it doesn't say the 20% need to be rotated so could take a difficult field out into a temp grass + species mix if you can utilise that
Spencer
Member
- Location
- North West
Just trying to work out if cover crops on all spring cropping under SFI would actually pay much with buying in seed and cost of drilling ... 
- Location
- Essex
Hi Janet, another little question for you about the SW6.
If I apply to grow say 40 ha of cover crops, but due to weather complications, one year I end up with 20. (Say in a year like this when hardly any wheat got drilled in autumn 2020, so we all ended up with more than our planned wheat area for harvest 22 having had a successful drilling season this autumn).
Would I be penalised for not growing the whole 40ha and be in breach of contract, or would I just get paid for the 20ha established and no further questions?
If I apply to grow say 40 ha of cover crops, but due to weather complications, one year I end up with 20. (Say in a year like this when hardly any wheat got drilled in autumn 2020, so we all ended up with more than our planned wheat area for harvest 22 having had a successful drilling season this autumn).
Would I be penalised for not growing the whole 40ha and be in breach of contract, or would I just get paid for the 20ha established and no further questions?
- Location
- Mendips Somerset
hi @Janet Hughes Defra , seriously thinking of participating in the pilot for low input grassland we have a number of parcels this would fit , is the om testing needed for pilot nothing about it on the gov page ,
- Location
- Oxfordshire
applications for the pilot have closed I believe
We'll publish guidance before the scheme is launched, and we're using the questions you've all asked on this forum (amongst other things) to help make sure that covers everything you need to know. Meanwhile, here's the overall position:
All arable land is eligible for the arable and horticultural soils standard (so long as it's not already covered by an option in another government scheme that pays for the same actions or is contradictory). The the extent to which the requirements of the standards fit into your current cropping patterns/rotations, and how any adjustments to your current practices and plans would make business sense to you will clearly be a matter for you to consider in your overall planning for your farm. (For example, some farmers use options in Countryside Stewardship to help manage issues such as black grass as part of overall management of their farm).
Yes, applications for the pilot have closed I'm afraid
You missed out the bit where you explain where the 'public good' is in using 'public money' to seek to influence crop establishment and management techniques.
The standards are designed to encourage more farmers to apply organic matter as part of their rotation, and more land to be covered over winter. Both of these are known to result in improved soil health, which has private benefits and also leads to other public benefits including reducing runoff (and therefore pollution in watercourses).
The arable standards are fundamentally different from what they were a matter of weeks ago. What is to say they wont be as different again in a few more weeks time ? You are chasing an unachievable aim. No two farms are the same. No public good will come of meddling in how we establish our crops. It really is that simple.
Hi sorry I missed this question.
1. the standards and prices will stay the same for the 3 years, but during that time we will be introducing more standards, and you can add those into your agreement each year. You can also add more land, and higher levels of ambition within standards, each year.
2. I'm trying to avoid answering specific questions like this here because I don't know your farm or what would be right on it (I had a go at doing that earlier in the thread and it turned out to be unhelpful, on balance, I think) - we'll issue guidance before we launch the scheme on what's ok and not ok, and in general we're aiming to be less prescriptive and allow you the flexibility to work out the right approach in your farm setting and for your farm business
- Status