The deadline for replanting wild bird cover under the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environmental Scheme (GLAS) is 31 May 2022.

Conditions are ideal for sowing, with more marginal areas drier in nature than previous years.

Rain in recent days has provided ideal conditions for good crop establishment.

Weed control can be applied pre-sowing, but no pesticides are allowed after sowing the crop.

Parcels must also remain stock-proof again from sowing until 15 March next year.

It is also advisable to check the areas entered on your Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) application to ensure that areas in the BPS application correspond with your GLAS plan.

Two options

Farmers have two options – sow a one-year or two-year mix. The one-year mix must contain a cereal (oats, barley, wheat or triticale) and at least one species from the following - oilseed rape, linseed and mustard.

The two-year mix must contain a cereal (oats, barley, wheat or triticale) and kale. It is unlikely that there will be a high percentage of two-year mixes sown this year, due to the fact that GLAS is due to end on 31 December 2022, in advance of the introduction of the Agriculture and Environment Climate Measure in 2023.