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This section contains the mandatory requirements for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) actions for integrated pest management (IPM). These requirements are part of your SFI agreement.

You can choose which SFI actions to do and what area of eligible land to do them on. There are no mandatory combinations of actions, and no minimum or maximum areas.

What we explain in each SFI action

The details of each SFI action explain:

• the actions aim
• where you can do the action - this includes what land is eligible, whether its a rotational or static action, and which other environmental land management actions or options you can do on the same area within a land parcel (noting that it may also be possible to do part-parcel actions on another area within the same land parcel)
• what you need to do for the action
• when to do the action
• how to do the action which is up to you, as long as its done in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve the actions aim
• what evidence to keep

Rotational SFI actions

If you choose a rotational SFI action, youll tell us the area and location of that action for the first year of your SFI agreement in your application.

It will be possible for you to vary the coverage of rotational actions, so they work with your crop rotation and different sizes of land parcels. This means that in the second and third years of your agreement, youll be able to do the action on:

• a larger area than you entered into the action for the first year of your SFI agreement
• a lower area, as long as its at least 50% of the area you entered into the action for the first year of your agreement for example, if you enter 10 hectares (ha) into a rotational action for the first year, you can decrease that area to 5ha for the second year and then either keep it as 5ha for the third year or increase it again.

Well let you know how to tell us about a change to the area and location of rotational actions for the second and third agreement years.

Overview of SFI actions for integrated pest management

The SFI actions for integrated pest managementare focused on:

• increasing knowledge and identifying opportunities for an integrated pest management (IPM) approach
• creating habitats for natural crop pest predators
• using companion cropping to suppress weeds, reduce diseases and provide protection from crop pests
• minimising use of insecticides

They include:

• IPM1: Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan
• IPM2: Flower-rich grass margins, blocks, or in-field strips
• IPM3: Companion crop on arable and horticultural land
• IPM4: No use of insecticide on arable crops and permanent crops

These actions should help with managing crop pests, diseases and weeds more sustainably to minimise use of pesticides.

This can help improve farm productivity by reducing costs and risks. The actions can also provide a range of environmental benefits, such as:

• increased biodiversity
• improved water, soil and air quality

IPM1: Assess integrated pest management and produce a plan

How much youll be paid

Youll receive 1,129 for the assessment and plan per year.

This actions aim

This actions aim is that you:

• understand the benefits, costs, impacts and risks of your current approach to crop pest, weed and disease management for your land
• effectively plan how to adopt a range of integrated pest management methods appropriate to your farm

Where you can do this action

You can do this action on all agricultural land located below the moorland line.

IPM1 is an agreement level SFI action. Once youve included this action in an SFI agreement, you cannot apply for it again until that 3-year agreement ends. You cannot apply for it in multiple SFI agreements.

This means you do not enter specific areas of land into this action in your SFI application. The assessment and IPM plan should cover all of the relevant areas of your farm.

To apply for this action, at least one land parcel needs to be linked to your Single Business Identifier (SBI), so it shows on your digital maps in the Rural Payments service.

Other land management actions or options you can do with IPM1

The table below sets out which other SFI actions, CS management options, ES revenue options and SFI pilot standards you can do with IPM1. This is only possible if the requirements explained under Where you can do this action above are met.

Actions or options that can be done with IPM1

What to do

You must arrange for a member of the BASIS Professional Register whos qualified with the relevant BASIS Certificate in Crop Protection for the crops youre growing (a BASIS qualified adviser) to visit your farm to:

• assess your current approach to crop pest, weed and disease management for your land
• identify and discuss opportunities for using IPM on that land
• help you to produce a written IPM plan

You must make sure that the BASIS qualified adviser does whats required above.

If youre a BASIS qualified adviser, as defined above, you can complete this action yourself.

If you already have a written IPM plan, informed by an IPM assessment, carried out by a BASIS qualified adviser, you can use it to meet this action if it was written within the last 12 months.

When to do it

You must make sure that a BASIS qualified adviser visits your farm to:

• complete the IPM assessment and help you produce a written IPM plan within the first 12 months of your SFI agreement
• reassess your approach to crop pest, weed and disease management and review your written IPM plan in each subsequent year of your SFI agreement

How to do it

Its up to you how you complete this action, as long as you do it in a way that could reasonably be expected to achieve this actions aim.

You may find it helpful to read the voluntary guidance on how to complete an integrated pest management assessment and produce a plan, but you do not have to follow it.

What evidence to keep

You must keep:

• a written record of your IPM plan, including the IPM assessment.
• evidence that the adviser is a BASIS qualified adviser
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