AF1: Plant an agroforestry woodland tree

How much you’ll be paid 

£5.40 per tree

How this item benefits the environment

An agroforestry system creates a range of benefits and supports the main output of the farm by:

• reducing soil erosion
• providing shelter and shade for livestock
• mitigating the impacts of climate change
• improving water and air quality
• helping to mitigate flood risk

Where you can use this item 

You can use this item to plant trees that make up an in-field agroforestry system before applying for a maintenance action (see the ‘Other items and actions you can use with this item’ section below for more information).

In-field agroforestry is where trees are deliberately combined with agriculture on the same piece of land.

Before you plant in-field agroforestry trees, you must check the sensitivity of the land you plan to plant on using the ‘Land with low sensitivity to agroforestry’ data layer.

Regarding agroforestry, land across England is classified into 2 categories:

• low sensitivity to agroforestry mapped on the ‘Land with low sensitivity to agroforestry’ data layer
• more sensitive land (which is all remaining land) - you must carry out environmental checks before you progress your plan – read ‘Planting on more sensitive land’ for more information

Areas marked in blue on the map are low sensitivity land. All other areas are more sensitive land.

Planting on low sensitivity land

If you’re planning to plant trees on low sensitivity land, you do not need an agroforestry plan if you’re planning to plant at a:

• very low density (30 to 50 trees per hectare)
• low density (51 to 130 trees per hectare)

You must use Table 1 to follow the correct planting pattern and tree spacing.

If you’re planning to plant trees at a medium or high density (131 trees or more per hectare), you must have an agroforestry plan approved by the Forestry Commission before you can apply for this capital item.

You can choose to apply for funding for a PA4: Agroforestry plan.

You may also need to complete a forestry Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) – the Forestry Commission will advise you on this. Read the Environmental Impact Assessments for woodland guidance for more information.

Planting on more sensitive land

You must have an agroforestry plan approved by the Forestry Commission before you can apply for this capital item on more sensitive land, regardless of the planned density of the trees.

You can choose to apply for funding for a PA4: Agroforestry plan.

More sensitive land is not coloured blue on the land with low sensitivity to agroforestry data layer.

You may also need to complete a forestry EIA – the Forestry Commission will advise you on this. Read the Environmental Impact Assessments for woodland guidance for more information. This includes a list of sensitive land.

The Forestry Commission may serve you an enforcement notice if it finds you:

• are carrying out work subject to forestry EIA regulations without consent
• have breached the conditions of a previously granted consent

An enforcement notice will require you to restore the land to its previous condition, among other things. Failure to comply with an enforcement notice carries a penalty on conviction of an unlimited fine.

When you may need an agricultural EIA

You may require a screening decision under the agricultural EIA regulation when planting:

• on uncultivated land and semi-natural areas (including historic features) to avoid damage through increases in agricultural productivity
• on rural land to prevent damage from physical restructuring (including but not limited to adding, removing or changing the type of fencing or adding, removing or moving materials including soil)

If you have an agroforestry plan that records the proposed project as needing consent under the EIA (Agriculture) Regulations, you must obtain consent before any works (subject to that decision) begin.

Breeding waders on low sensitivity land

If you have breeding waders on your land you must do an agroforestry plan to show how you will mitigate any impact on them. Breeding waders include:

• lapwing
• redshank
• curlew
• snipe
• oystercatcher
• stone curlew

You must not plant trees where they could damage areas of ecological, archaeological or historic interest.

If you’re planting trees on low sensitivity land at a low or very low density (130 trees or fewer per ha), you must not plant on any historic or archaeological features identified on your Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER).

You must also not plant trees where they could damage protected sites, including:

• sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)
• special areas of conservation (SACs)
• special protection areas (SPAs)
• Ramsar sites

Buffer zones

You may need to create a treeless buffer zone if you’re planting near:

• protected sites
• scheduled monuments
• registered parks and gardens
• registered battlefields

If you’re planting on low sensitivity land and have chosen to create an agroforestry plan, it should include details of any buffer zones you may need to create.

What you must do to use this item

If you use this item for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, you must ensure you have any consents or permissions in place before you start work.

When planting in-field agroforestry trees you must:

• follow the planting plan in your approved agroforestry plan, if applicable
• use Table 1 to follow the correct planting pattern and tree spacing for low sensitivity land
• use Table 2 to follow the correct planting pattern and tree spacing for more sensitive land
• plant young trees (select the most suitable by checking the agroforestry eligible species list)
• use trees that are free from pests and diseases (get your plants from nurseries with plant health management standards in place, such as nurseries with Plant Healthy certification or similar)
• retain trees for at least 10 years and keep the same number of trees as agreed in your agreement
• replace all dead plants in the following planting season (each grant-funded tree must be alive and in good condition by the end of an agreement)

Your trees must be healthy. To establish healthy trees, you must:

• use a planting method that helps survival, with roots fully inserted in the ground with the root collar at ground level (the tree must be firmed in without damaging the stem)
• create a suitable planting position by spraying herbicide in advance, scarifying in lines or preparing a bare patch of land (screefing) with a spade
• keep young trees weed-free for 3 years after planting using a mulch, an appropriate herbicide or weeding by hand
• use tree species appropriate for the soil and climatic conditions that support the planting objectives
• select planting stock that complies with the Forest Reproductive Material Regulations 2002 (contact the Forestry Commission for advice on when this applies)
• plant trees when dormant and protect straight away
• protect young trees from grazing animals and maintain protection until the trees are big enough to survive potential threats

You must not:

• plant within 5 metres (m) of a parcel boundary , hedge or existing tree canopy
• displace any existing priority habitat, including woody priority habitats like existing woodland, wood pasture and parkland and traditional orchards
• plant on peat deeper than 30 centimetres (cm) without the agreement of Natural England or the Forestry Commission
• allow tree guards to cause damage to the growing tree, such as by fastening tree guards to the tree itself

Table 1: In-field agroforestry tree spacing requirements for low sensitivity land

Land sensitivity and tree density	Number of trees (per ha)	Agroforestry plan required	Planting pattern	Tree spacing
Low sensitive land, very low density	30 to 50	Optional	Informal and grid pattern (evenly spaced across the parcel)	Plant trees at least 15m apart
Low sensitive land, low density	51 to 130	Optional	Row or alley pattern	Create rows between 24m and 45m apart, plant trees within these rows least 3m apart

Table 2: In-field agroforestry tree spacing requirements for more sensitive land

Land sensitivity and tree density	Number of trees (per ha)	Agroforestry plan required	Planting pattern	Tree spacing
More sensitive land, very low density	30 to 50	Yes	Informal and grid pattern or row or alley pattern	Plant trees between 5m and 45m across the area under agreement or create rows between 10m and 45m apart, plant trees within these rows at least 3m apart
More sensitive land, low density	51 to 130	Yes	Informal and grid pattern or row and alley pattern	Plant trees between 5m and 45m across the area under agreement or create rows between 10m and 45m apart, plant trees within these rows at least 3m apart
All land, medium density	131 to 250	Yes	Informal and grid pattern or row and alley pattern	Plant trees between 5m and 45m across the area under agreement or create rows between 10m and 45m apart, plant trees within these rows at least 3m apart
All land, high density	251 to 400	Yes	Informal and grid pattern or row and alley pattern	Plant trees between 5m and 45m across the area under agreement or create rows between 10m and 45m apart, plant trees within these rows at least 3m apart at least 3m apart

You can contact your local Forestry Commission adviser for more information.

Additional trees to protect in-field agroforestry trees

You can plant additional trees, such as hawthorn, to protect the in-field agroforestry trees that you’ve had funded through AF1 and AF2.

Additional trees must:

• not be funded through another government scheme
• be planted within 2m of the trees funded through AF1 or AF2

These additional trees planted in this way are not funded and do not count towards the overall density of your agroforestry system.

Evidence you must keep

You must keep and provide with your claim:

• receipted invoices showing the number of trees purchased
• photographs of the completed work

Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.

If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the CSHT agreement holder’s guide.

Other items and actions you can use with this item

Capital items

You can use this item with:  

• PA4: Agroforestry plan
• AF2: Plant an in-field agroforestry fruit tree
• AF3: Species diversity bonus supplement

SFI actions 

You can use this item with these maintenance actions:

• AGF1: Maintain very low density in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land
• AGF2: Maintain low density in-field agroforestry on less sensitive land

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier actions

You can use this item with:

• CAGF1: Manage high density in-field agroforestry
• CAGF2: Manage low density in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land
• CAGF3: Manage medium density in-field agroforestry
• CAGF4: Manage very low density in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land

Advice to help you use this item

The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.    

Planning your agroforestry system    

You can design your agroforestry system to benefit crops and livestock, such as by providing shelter and reducing erosion from heavy rainfall or strong winds.

 To do this, consider the:  

• interaction between your trees and the understory management (how you’re managing the land underneath), particularly with actions on the same parcel
• compatibility of tree species with your crops and livestock, for example competition for light and nutrients
• potential benefits such as shade, shelter and forage
• potential issues such as toxic berries or seeds
• water requirements of your trees and any effects your trees may have on local hydrology

Consider the intended purpose of agroforestry (such as timber, fruit or nut products). This will affect the tree:  

• density
• location
• species

Choose a planting pattern to best suit the purpose of your trees and agricultural system. For example, you can design silvoarable systems to allow room for arable operations. 

You can find recommendations for planting patterns and tree species using the:  

• Forestry Commission ecological site classification tool
• Forest Research agroforestry species guide

Before establishing an agroforestry system, consider the impact on birds and other wildlife. You can read more about tree planting and breeding waders.