SFI soil actions: building on the foundations already laid

Author: Alli Arden

15th June 2026

NRM

Agriculture

Why farmers should build on the foundations they’ve already created

The removal of the soil and nutrient management actions from the latest Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2026 offer has understandably caused frustration across the industry. For many farmers, these were the gateway SFI soil actions that made the scheme feel relevant, practical, and directly connected to day‑to‑day farm performance.

However, while the payment mechanism has changed, the value of the work already done has not. In fact, the gains made through the earlier soil actions are precisely the kind that continue to compound over time, if farmers choose to maintain and build on them.

This is the moment to reinforce that the SFI soil actions were never intended to be a permanent paid routine. They were designed to incentivise a shift in practice, help farmers understand their soils more deeply, and embed management approaches that would stand on their own commercial merits. Those who took up the actions have already created a foundation that is too valuable to abandon.

The original purpose of the SFI soil actions

The early SFI soil actions, including soil assessment, organic matter testing, and the creation of a soil management plan, were designed to:

• Lower the barrier to entry for farmers who had never formally assessed their soils
• Establish a baseline for soil condition, constraints, and organic matter levels
• Encourage behaviour change by paying farmers to try practices that would later become routine
• Build farm‑level understanding so future schemes could focus on outcomes rather than diagnostics.

These actions did exactly what they were intended to do. They helped farmers map their soils, identify risk areas, detect compaction or drainage issues, and begin linking soil function to crop performance and operational efficiency. Removing the payment does not remove the knowledge or the improvements already achieved.

The practical gains farmers have already made

Farmers who completed the SFI soil actions have banked several long‑term benefits that continue to deliver value. These include:

• Improved soil function and workability. Better structure, reduced trafficking damage, and more predictable field conditions directly influence the timeliness of operations, fuel use, and machinery wear.
• Increases in soil organic matter. Even small increases improve water holding capacity, nutrient cycling, and resilience to both drought and heavy rainfall.
• A clearer understanding of the farm’s natural capital. Mapping soil types, slopes, erosion risks, and constraints gives farmers a strategic view of their land.
• A soil management plan that reflects the reality of the farm. A well‑constructed plan becomes a decision‑support tool instead of just a way to comply with the scheme and other environmental regulations.

These benefits remain in place regardless of the scheme’s redesign.

Why farmers should not step back now from the SFI soil actions

The temptation to reduce soil testing or stop updating the soil management plan is understandable when the payment disappears. But the economic case for continuing is strong.

• Soil testing underpins efficient nutrient use and reduces waste
• Monitoring organic matter helps track the impact of management changes
• Understanding soil constraints reduces the risk of costly crop failures or delayed operations
• A current soil management plan supports long‑term resilience and profitability
• In many cases, the financial return from improved soil function exceeds the original SFI payment.

Soil analysis remains a high‑value investment

Even without partial funding, soil analysis is one of the most cost‑effective tools available to a farm business. The return on investment comes from three areas:

1. More accurate nutrient applications

Benchmarking nutrient levels allows fertiliser decisions to be based on actual need rather than assumptions. This reduces overspend, prevents under- or over-application, and supports better crop response. In a high‑input‑cost environment, precision pays for itself quickly.

2. Tracking soil organic matter and structural improvements

Organic matter changes slowly, but it is a key driver of water management, nutrient cycling, resilience and carbon storage. Regular benchmarking allows farmers to see whether their management is making progress. Without repeated testing, these trends are invisible and opportunities for improvement are missed.

3. Reducing operational and weather‑related risk

Understanding soil structure, compaction layers, and drainage constraints helps farmers avoid the costly consequences of delayed drilling, poor establishment, or machinery damage. Soil assessments are effectively a risk‑management tool, and the cost is small compared to the potential losses they help prevent.

Ultimately, the absence of an SFI payment does not change the underlying economics. Soil analysis and managing planning were never valuable because they were subsidised; they were subsidised because they were valuable.

How farmers can consolidate and build on the work already done through the SFI soil actions

The next step is to treat the soil actions not as a completed scheme requirement, but as the foundation of a long‑term soil strategy.

• Maintain regular soil testing. A 3-5 year cycle for organic matter and a rotation‑based cycle for nutrient testing keeps the baseline current and supports more precise fertiliser decisions.
• Keep the soil management plan alive. Updating the plan annually turns it into a practical business tool rather than a static document.
• Use soil maps to refine rotations and cultivations. Any mapping work completed under the SFI can now guide decisions on cropping, variable rate application, tillage intensity, and drainage priorities.
• Integrate nutrient planning with soil constraint. Understanding pH variation, compaction, and organic matter differences allows nutrient applications to be targeted more effectively.
• Link soil improvements to future scheme opportunities. Future schemes generally assume farmers already understand their soils. Those who completed the early SFI soil actions are ahead of the curve.

The value of long-term improvements from the SFI soil actions

The disappointment around the removal of the SFI soil actions is real, but the work farmers have already done is not lost. The soil assessments, organic matter tests, and management plans have created a foundation that supports:

• more resilient soils
• more efficient nutrient use
• better operational timing
• improved crop performance
• stronger business resilience

The most important step now is not to abandon these gains, but to consolidate them. The value of the soil actions was never in the payment; it was in the long‑term improvements they enabled.

How NRM can help

NRM can help build on the good work that the SFI incentivised. To book your soil analysis and order kits ahead of the autumn sampling season, contact us or speak to your advisor.