Soil Organic Matter #1: an expert’s guide to the Sustainable Farming Incentive rules for soil organic matter analysis
NRM
Agriculture
Have you undertaken soil analysis in the last 5 years? Did your tests include soil organic matter (SOM) analysis? If not, then you need to be doing it now.
The UK government’s new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme aims to help farmers in England to improve food production with environmentally sustainable land management practices. They will be paid to produce public goods like improved water quality, biodiversity, animal health and welfare, climate change mitigation, and sustainable food production.
Rewarding farmers for producing public goods should ensure that these services are all considered alongside the primary land use: food production. Supplying these public goods are essential if the UK is to meet the objectives set out in the 25 Year Environment Plan, reach net zero, and deliver on animal health and welfare ambitions. These sustainability ambitions are all set in the context of achieving a productive and competitive agriculture sector.
NRM has three industry recognised tests that include organic matter analysis to suit your requirements, helping you transition to sustainable farming practices and guarantee you meet the SFI obligations. Read on to find out more about the SFI standards for 2022, SOM analysis, and how NRM can help.
SFI standards for 2022
Three standards will be available in the early rollout of SFI. These include:
- Arable and horticultural soils
- Improved grassland soils
- Moorland and rough grazing standard (introductory level only)
The annual health and welfare review for livestock standard will be available at a later date. For now, we will focus purely on arable and horticultural soils and improved grassland soils.
The soils and moorland standards were chosen for early rollout because they apply to most farmers in England and will bring significant benefits for carbon and biodiversity. The obligations for two of the schemes at two ambition levels are summarised in the table below.
| Obligations | Arable & Horticulture Soils Standard | Improved Grassland Soils Standard | ||
| Introductory | Intermediate | Introductory | Intermediate | |
| Test for Soil Organic Matter (SOM) | Every 5 years from each field in standard. | Every 5 years from each field in standard. | Every 5 years from each field in standard. | Every 5 years from each field in standard. |
| Soil Management Plan (SMP) | SOM to inform the SMP. Reviewed annually. | SOM to inform the SMP. Reviewed annually. | SOM to inform the SMP. Reviewed annually. | SOM to inform the SMP. Reviewed annually. |
| Winter/Green Cover (GC) | Must have 70% GC. Can include autumn sown crops & weedy stubbles. (Dec to Feb) | Must have 70% GC. This must include 20% of land in multi-species cover crop. (Dec to Feb) | Minimum 95% green cover to protect bare soil over winter. | Minimum 95% cover to protect bare soil over winter. |
| Addition of Organic Inputs | 1/3 of land each year receiving any kind of organic inputs. Can include sown cover crops. | 1/3 of land each year to receive organic inputs. Will include multi-species green cover (as per above). | Not a specific requirement. | Not a specific
requirement. |
| Herbal Ley | Not a specific requirement. | Not a specific requirement. | Not a specific requirement. | 15% of land must have established (or maintain) a herbal ley of a diverse species mix. |
Note: Details about “Advanced” ambition levels will be released by DEFRA in 2023.
The agreements will last for 3 years and include amendment flexibility at the end of every 12 month period. At this point, more land can be added to the agreement, and additional standards and an increase in ambition level can also be applied for. SFI will work at a parcel or field level, meaning that farmers can choose how much land or number of fields they want to enter. The idea behind this approach is that farmers who are unsure or are interested in ‘testing things out’ can do so at relatively low risk.
Future key dates (could be subject to change):
2023 Planned Standards
- Nutrient management
- Integrated pest management
- Hedgerow
2024 Planned Standards
- Agroforestry
- Low and no input grassland
- Moorland and rough grazing (all levels)
- Water body buffering
- Farmland biodiversity
SOM analysis and how NRM can help
Both standards must have SOM analysis data from within the last 5 years. Existing analyses will suffice, but they must be no more than 5 years old. This applies to all land entered. Any land in the agreement that has no data must have analysis completed within the first year of the agreement. Both standards must have a soil management plan (SMP) which must be informed by the SOM data. The SMP should be annually reviewed and updated with any new soil analysis information. NRM offers SOM analysis as a standalone analysis, or in combination with other soil analyses such as pH, P, K, and Mg, or a broad trace element package. CarbonCheck, our comprehensive soil package that also includes a full soil carbon audit, is also available.
The arable and horticulture standard requires regular applications of organic matter with the intention of improving soil health. These additions must be applied to all fields during the 3 years the land is part of the agreement. However, DEFRA isn’t dictating how this should be done.
Options to introduce organic matter include:
- Applying straw-based manures or composts
- Establishing green manures or cover crops
- Incorporating straw residues into the arable rotation
- Introducing grass/herbal leys or legume-rich mixes into the arable rotation.
If you choose to add livestock manure as a means of supplying organic matter and complying to the standard, it is important to remember the nutrient benefit of these materials. The measurement of livestock manures and organic materials is critical if they are to be used efficiently and the nutrients fully utilised by the crop. NRM offers analytical services to determine the nutrient content of livestock and organic material, providing the essential information required for nutrient management planning.
Winter cover and bare ground
Taking steps to ensure that land isn’t at risk of erosion or nutrient loss over winter is required under both standards. Arable and horticultural fields in SFI agreements must have at least 70% of the land area covered, and any high-risk land should not be left bare over winter (Dec-Feb). If land has been entered at the intermediate ambition level, then at least 20% of the 70% area must include a purpose-sown multispecies cover crop suitable for their farm.
The grassland standard requires that no more than 5% of land in the agreement be left bare or become bare over the winter months. No land at risk of erosion or runoff should be left bare over winter. This might mean ensuring that autumn reseeds are well established earlier and that livestock are prevented from poaching and damaging wet ground. For those entering at the intermediate ambition level, a purpose-sown herbal ley, including a mixture of grasses, legumes, herbs, and wildflowers, must be established (or maintained) across 15% of the land entered into the agreement.
NRM has the capacity and expert capability to provide the right analysis to meet the obligations of the published SFI standards. SFI submissions will be open from late June 2022, so I recommend getting your SOM tested now so you can be ready. Contact us directly or speak to your local agronomist to organise SOM analysis ahead of the launch.
References
Sustainable Farming Incentive: how the scheme will work in 2022
Assessing the impact of the Sustainable Farming Incentive on farm businesses | AHDB
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