Stewardship

WF1

EF2 Wild Bird Seed Mixture strips or block (Max 0.5 hectare in 20 hectare)

This type of crop will provide a food source for seed eating birds in an arable landscape. The aim is to provide a year round supply of food, and sowing a combination of at least 3 seed bearing species as a mixture or in alternate rows.

EF3 Wild Bird Seed Mixture on Set-Aside land

You can only locate this option on Set-Aside land if you do not have an obligation to sow a green cover crop (e.g. following Maize). Make sure to refer to your Set-Aside instructions before you decide where to put your ELS option. Any sowings must be sown as a mixture rather than in alternate rows. Management Options are as for EF2.

EF4 Pollen & Nectar Flower Mixture.(Max 0.5 hectare in 20 hectares)

The incorporation of flowering species producing both Pollen and Nectar will enhance the food source for feeding insects, butterflies, bees and bumblebees.

Mixture Option

• Sowing Rate 20 kg/hectare
• EF4 450 points per hectare

EF5 Pollen and Nectar Flower Mixture on Set-Aside Land Management as for EF4

Can only be located on Set-Aside land if you do not have an obligation to sow a green cover crop (e.g. following Maize). As before check the Set-Aside instructions before deciding where to locate this option.Mixture Options

• Sowing Rate 20 kg/hectare
• EF5 85 point per hectare

Options To Encourage A Range Of Crop Types

The decline of mixed farming is one of the causes for the falling numbers of farmland birds in England. The following options may help to reverse this trend.

EG1 Under-Sown Spring Cereals

The addition of a grass/legume mixture as an under storey to the cereal crop will reduce the need for agrochemical inputs, increase the diversity of habitat provided in the field and benefit farm wildlife.

The under-sown option can include up to 10% legumes, the grass ley must be retained until the 15th July of the following year. This is an optional rotation and can be moved around the farm.

Mixture Options

• Any agricultural mixture complying with the options
• EG1 200 points per hectare

EG2 Wild Bird Seed Mixture in Grassland Areas (Max 0.5 hectare in 20 hectare)

This option cannot be used in grassland that has been in permanent grass for five years or more.

EG3 Pollen and Nectar Mixture in Grassland Areas (Max 0.5 hectare in 20 hectare)

This option cannot be used in grassland that has been in permanent grass for five years or more.

Mixture options BPN

• Sowing Rate 20 kg/hectare
• EG3 450 points per hectare

*New* Butterfly Mixture

Species subject to seasonal variation

• A blend of species which should be attractive to a wide and varied selection of butterflies
• Species could include the Gatekeeper through to a number of the Blues and Fritillaries and more common species like the Red Admiral, Peacock, Tortoiseshell, Brimstone and some of the Skippers
• Sow the mixture into areas which are unlikely to be disturbed on a frequent basis
• Ideal if used as an addition to a field corner management site
• The grasses in the mixture have been included to provide a source of food for a number of butterflies and stem feeding insects
• Sowing rate 6kg/ha

Higher Level Stewardship

Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) will be combined with ELS or OELS options and aims to deliver significant environmental benefits in high priority situations and areas. HLS is discretionary and concentrates on the more complex types of management, where land managers need advice and support and where agreements need to be tailored to local circumstances. The five primary aims of Higher Level Stewardship are:

• Wild life conservation
• Maintenance and enhancement of landscape quality and character
• Natural resource protection
• Protection of the historic environment
• Promotion of public access and understanding of the countryside

There are two secondary objectives where spin off benefits are sought from management designed to achieve the five primary aims, these are:

• Flood management
• Conservation of genetic resources

HC14 Creation of wood pasture

This option creates wood pasture on sites that are known to have been wood pasture. There could be a need to sow a specific grass seed mixture.

HC5 Ancient trees in arable fields

There may be a need to establish a grass buffer around the base of the tree. These options protect ancient trees within an arable situation.

HF12 Enhanced wild bird seed mix lots

This option provides a valuable Winter food source for declining farmland birds.It will be tailored to the specific target birds and will be specified by yourregional advisor.

HE10 Floristically enhanced grass margins

This option provides feeding areas for insects and birds by maintaining field margins that contain a mixture of grass and wild flowers. As this option allows for the grazing or cutting on a cyclical basis care must be taken over which wild flowers are introduced so that there will be no problems stock at a later date.

HG6 Fodder crop management to retain or re-create an arable mosaic (rotational)

This option returns fields to arable cultivation in order to provide valuable foraging sites for seed eating birds.

HJ5 In-field grass areas to prevent erosion or run-off

This option reduces the movement of sediment, nutrients and pesticides by wind and water.

HK8 Creation of species-rich, semi natural grassland

This option creates species-rich grassland on former arable land.

HK17 Creation of semi improved or rough grassland for target species

This option creates semi improved or rough grassland on former arable, Set-Aside, or temporary grassland.

HE11 Enhanced buffer strips on intensive grassland

This option provides additional habitat for invertebrates, birds and small mammals by managing buffer strips in intensive grass leys.

THE AGRI-SUPPORT SCHEMES FOR SCOTLAND

Spring 2008 should see the introduction of the new Rural Development Contracts — Rural Priorities (RDC—RP) which will be competitive and the Rural Development Contracts — Land Managers Options (LMO) which will replace the Land Management Contract Menu Scheme. Farmers who are currently in 2 to 5 year schemes (from RSS, LMCMC and others) should complete their agreed term of contract and may even wish to extend their contract duration, if this is mutually agreed with the Scottish Government. It is likely that these new LMOs are non—competitive and that they are broadly similar to the existing LMCMS. The Unharvested Crop (Wild Bird Seed Mix), Species Rich Grass and Wild Flower Mixtures that we have offered for a number of years should meet any new LMO requirement. The grass margin mixtures that currently fulfill the requirements for beetle banks, conservation headlands and buffer areas are also likely to meet any new LMO prescriptions.

The Rural Stewardship Scheme

The RSShas beenclosed to all new entrants for 2005 but any agreements that have been signed must be completed.

Creation of Species-Rich Grassland

Aim: To convert arable or improved grassland into species diverse grassland. A suitable seed mixture should consist of 80-85% non aggressive grasses and 15-20% native wild flowers. To allow flexibility the grass and wild flower mixtures are detailed separately and can be combined together in any proportion with a recommended sowing rate of the finished mixture of 6 — 8 kg/acre (15-20kg/hectare). All our wild flower seed used in species-rich grassland is of UK provenance.

Mix Ref SRG Grass Species

Mix Ref SRGWF Wild Flower Species

Grass Margins

Beetle Banks

Aim: To create strips around or across fields on which insects can over-winter and breed early in the season. They should also provide feed and cover for wild birds. To be eligible, land should form a strip between 1.5 and 6 metres in width.

Conservation Headlands

Aim: To provide a wide, grassy margin which will become a feeding ground and habitat for insects, birds and small mammals. The headland should be a minimum of 6 metres in width around an arable field.

Mixture options

All Margins, Headlands &Beetle Banks 20kg/ha

BGM 2All Margins, Headlands& Beetle Banks (no Cocksfoot) 20kg/ha

Unharvested Crops

Aim: To encourage the practice of leaving areas of crop unharvested or partly harvested in order to provide cover and feeding areas for wild birds. Spring sow a Cereal based mixture including at least one Legume species. Part of the mixture should seed in the first year and part in the second.

Mixture Options WBS 2 - 2 Year Option

• Sowing Rate 40 kg/acre

Available as cereal and forage components (packed separately) or as a forage component only (12 kg/ha) if using own cereals. WildFlowers can be added to any of the Grass Margin or Beetle Bank mixtures adding both colour and a source of nectar. Species must be compatible with long grass situations.

WBS 1 - Annual Mixture

• Sowing Rate 40 kg/hectare

Wild Flowers can be added to any of the Grass margin or Beetle Bank mixtures adding both colour and a source of nectar. Species must be compatible with long grass situations.

Unharvested Crop

WBS 2 - 2 Year Option

Land Management Contract Menu Scheme

The LMCMS has 17 options with an aim of delivering widespread benefits leading to economic, social and environmental improvement. 2 of these options may require the sowing of new seed.

Buffer Areas (Option 6)

Aim: To establish a network of wildlife corridors, reduce the risk of pollutants entering wetland areas and watercourses and enhance

natural habitats and features.

Mixture Options

BGM 1

BGM 2

Sowing Rate 20 kg/ha.

Wild Bird Seed Mixture (Option 12)

Aim: To create patches or plots of bird seed and bird cover; through sowing mixtures of seed-bearing crops to benefit birds and invertebrates.

Mixture Options

WBS 2 - 2 Year Option

Sowing Rate 40 kg/ha.