OP1 is an action under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme. It pays £264 per year for overwintered stubble.

* Maintain stubble after harvest until mid-February

* Ensure a green overwinter cover crop covers 10% to 50% of the option area within the stubble

* Do not apply fertilisers, manures, or lime to the stubble

* Do not top, graze, or cultivate the stubble after harvest

Where there is uncertainty about whether the aims of the options have been delivered, we will take into account any records or evidence you may have kept demonstrating delivery of the aims of the option. This will include any steps you’ve taken to follow the recommended management set out above. It’s your responsibility to keep such records if you want to rely on these to support your claim.

Field operations at the parcel level, including associated invoices

A valid organic certificate and for all the parcels entered into this option at application and on your annual claim – RPA will not request this information if you have already supplied it for a Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) claim

* The location of the rotational option

OP1 pays £264 per year.

It’s available for Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier and Higher Tier on whole or part parcels in rotation on: land registered as organic or ‘in conversion’ with a Defra-licensed organic control body land only on stubble that follows the harvest of: land cereals (not maize) oilseed rape linseed Parcels at risk of soil erosion or runoff (as identified on the Farm Environment Record (FER)).

This information is provided by Farmwalk based on published government guidance. Always check the latest guidance on GOV.UK.