Unharvested cereal headland

Where it applies

Arable, Temporary grassland

Eligibility conditions

• Below the moorland line
• Spring cereal crops only (not maize)
• On headlands (the outer edges of the parcel used to turn equipment)

What you'll do

Sow a spring cereal in headland strips or plots (up to about 24m wide) at a reduced seed rate and leave it unharvested through summer, autumn and winter — a standing seed source and cover for farmland birds. This is a limited-area action — it counts toward the 25% cap.

Evidence to keep

• A dated sowing record (crop and reduced seed rate)
• Field operation records, with invoices
• Dated photos of the unharvested headland through winter

When

• Aug–Feb: Leave the headland unharvested through summer, autumn and winter

Combining with other actions

Actions that can be paid on the same area:

• SFI 2026: AGF1, AGF2, OFC3, OFM4, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1
• SFI 2024: AGF1, AGF2, CIPM1, CNUM1, CSAM1, OFC3, OFM4, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1
• SFI 2023: IPM1, NUM1, SAM1
• CS Higher Tier: CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CHS3, CHS9, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CWS1, CWS3
• Countryside Stewardship: HS3, HS9, OR3, OT3, SW5, SW6