Stubbles Followed by Green Manure in an Arable Rotation

Date published: 19 January, 2023

For recent changes to this guidance, please see the bottom of the page.

The aim of this option is to retain stubbles following harvest, and then establish a green manure.

This option covers the whole cropping year and will provide food and cover for birds, pollinating insects, and other invertebrates.

Green manure also protects the soil and improves soil biodiversity, fertility, carbon content and structure.

Land that is sown to a spring or autumn-sown cereal or oil-seed crop is eligible.

Under-sown crops are not eligible.

You should not include areas of land covering rocks, scree, water, dense bracken etc. We will check this using the same approach we use to check land for the Basic Payment Scheme.

Assessing your land eligibility

You can check if this option is available on your holding using the search targeting tool which can be found on any of the following AECS guidance pages:

AECS Home

Eligibility

How to Apply

Management Options and Capital Items

Capital Items

You must identify on a map the locations of any areas to be managed under this option each year for the duration of the contract - see ‘Management Requirements’.

A hectarage limit is defined below, however, if this option is over subscribed, we may have to restrict support per holding by offering partial approvals.

This option should be claimed in the year in which the arable crop becomes stubble. This is because the requirements around the stubble must be available for inspection.

The capital item (creation of green manure) should be claimed in the year following the management option and be established on the same area of ground.

N.B. The same physical area/plot of land is under management for 2 consecutive years.

This option can be moved around the farm within the normal rotation and on an annual basis subject to fulfilling the two year requirement set out above. The 5 year rotation must be confirmed /agreed once it is confirmed that your application has been successful and before your contract is issued. This agreed rotation can only be altered under exceptional circumstances. An example rotational table is provided in the supporting guidance and also here:-

  2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027
LPID A management x     x    
LPID A capital   x     x  
LPID B management   x     x  
LPID B capital     x     x
LPID C management     x      
LPID C capital       x    

To maximise flexibility you can manage a different total hectarage each year as long as the area you manage each year is at least 90 per cent, and no more than 100 per cent, of the area you plan to manage in the first year under this option.

  • do not apply pre-harvest desiccants to your crop
  • after harvest, retain the stubble overwinter and then establish a green manure crop (such as forage rye, chicory, mustard or legumes) from 1 March the following spring. The seed mix must include at least one annual flowering plant (e.g. vetch, clover or phacelia)
  • either, if your next crop is autumn sown – maintain the green manure until 15 August and do not apply fertilisers, slurry or farmyard manure to the site before 15 August
    or, if your next crop is spring sown – maintain the green manure until the 1 March and do not apply fertilisers, slurry or farmyard manure to the site before 1 March
  • the green manure crop must be established for at least 3 months before destroying
  • do not graze or cut forage from the area
  • the crop following the green manure must be a combinable or root crop
  • do not spray, except for the spot-treatment of injurious weeds (requires prior written notification) or treatment of invasive species (requires prior written approval)
  • you must maintain a diary

You can claim £498.49 per hectare per year subject to the following maximum claims. Please note, where you are a returning applicant the hectarage limits re-set for any new contract (please refer to the ‘Introduction’ of the supporting guidance):

  • 10 hectares per year per location code unit of up to 250 hectares
  • 20 hectares per year per location code unit of greater than 250 hectares and up to 500 hectares
  • 30 hectares per year per location code unit greater than 500 hectares

You will only be paid for the area that you manage and declare annually.

The management option should be claimed on the Single Application Form in the year that the arable crop will become stubble.

The capital item should be claimed via a capital claim form not the Single Application Form the following year when the green manure is established.

The capital item to support this, which you will need to claim from Year 2 of your contract onwards is

The inspectors will check:

  • the crop is cereal or oil-seed rape, and is not under sown
  • there is no evidence of ploughing / cultivation prior to 1 March following harvest
  • a green manure crop (such as forage rye, chicory, mustard or legumes) has been established from 1 March the following spring. The seed mix includes at least one annual flowering plant (e.g. vetch, clover or phacelia)
    - if your next crop is autumn sown; the green manure has been maintained until 15 August and no fertilisers, slurry or farmyard manure have been applied to the site before 15 August
    - or if your next crop is spring sown; the green manure has been maintained until 1 March and no fertilisers, slurry or farmyard manure have been applied to the site before 1 March
    - the green manure has not been cut or grazed for forage
  • you have established the green manure crop for at least 3 months before destroying
  • you have not sprayed, unless with prior written notification or approval as appropriate
  • check the file for a copy of any written agreement
  • you have maintained a diary

If you choose to apply for this option over the same area of land that you are allocating as an Ecological Focus Area to meet your Pillar 1 greening requirements, there may be an issue of double funding.

Section Change
Payment Note added to explain where you are a returning applicant the hectarage limits re-set for any new contract

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