Companion crop on arable and horticultural land

Where it applies

Arable, Horticultural, Temporary grassland, Permanent crops

Eligibility conditions

• Below the moorland line

What you'll do

Grow a companion crop alongside your main arable or horticultural crop — as a trap crop to draw pests away, an inter-crop, or undersown as a living mulch — to support pest control and soil. Avoid deep-rooted companion species over historic or archaeological features shown in your SFI HEFER.

Evidence to keep

• A dated sowing record (companion species and method)
• Field operation records at parcel level, with invoices
• Photos of the companion crop alongside the main crop

Combining with other actions

Actions that can be paid on the same area:

• SFI 2026: AGF1, AGF2, CAHL2, CIPM4, CSAM2, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, PRF1, PRF2, PRF4, SOH1, SOH3
• SFI 2024: AGF1, AGF2, CAHL2, CIPM1, CIPM4, CNUM1, CSAM1, CSAM2, OFA1, OFC3, OFC4, OFC5, OFM4, OFM5, OFM6, PRF1, PRF2, PRF3, PRF4, SOH1, SOH2, SOH3
• SFI 2023: AHL2, IPM1, IPM4, NUM1, SAM1, SAM2
• CS Higher Tier: CAB17, CAGF1, CAGF2, CAGF3, CAGF4, CHS3, CHS9, CSP13, CSP14, CSP15, CSP20, CSP21, CSP9, CSW17, CSW19, CWS1, CWS3
• Countryside Stewardship: HS3, HS9, OP1, OR3, OR4, OR5, OT3, OT4, OT5, SW6