In my last blog I discussed key information around the new Ecological Focus Area (EFA) Enhanced Greening regulations and what you need for your Single Farm Payment in 2026.

In this follow-up – and off the back of our regional winter farming meetings - I’m looking at some of the EFA Enhanced Greening options in more detail and the opportunities they provide.

First though, I thought we would have a quick recap of the options available. As I mentioned before, there are now 11 options available:

Presenting some of the details of the updated scheme to growers in Aberdeenshire.

In the second half of this blog I’ll take a closer look at a handful of the options and the opportunities they provide to build resilience into farming systems if used appropriately.

Fallow

This is perhaps the pre-existing option that has seen one of the largest changes to its requirements under the Enhanced Greening rules. Growers using fallow in 2026 for their EFA Enhanced Greening must now establish a diverse temporary grass, wild bird seed mix, wildflower mix or a soil conditioning crop in the fallow area. You can no longer leave stubbles for the full year to meet your requirement.

There is a real opportunity to maximise the return from your fallow and create a beneficial break crop with mixes like our Summer Legume Mix and AECS Winter Mix, which have high clover contents and qualify as a wildflower mix. These all offer great nitrogen fixation and soil structuring while making a great entry into autumn-sown crops once the fallow period has ended.

Green cover

The expanded species list for green cover increases the opportunities available to find a cover crop that delivers the best results for your farm. You are also not restricted to species solely on the prescribed list, as the new guidance states the mix must be “of two or more of the… crops as the predominant crops”, allowing you to mix in other species if desired. Just remember that in any mix the predominant part must be made up of at least two of the defined species.

The real opportunity that the new Enhanced Greening rules for green cover provides is the potential for grazing provision. With the removal of the restriction that prevented grazing before 31st December and the extended species list, it could become a viable part of your grazing plan. Our Forage Root Mix 1 consisting of forage rape, kale rape and stubble turnips offers a low-cost option that meets the green cover requirements and provides great winter grazing value.

Herb and legume rich pasture

One of the new options added for 2026, this is designed to bring more grass into the arable rotation and build soil resilience. Any mixture sown under this option must contain at least three different herbs or legumes (it must have at least one legume) to be eligible and you must keep your seed labels for evidence.

While the rules only require you to keep it in place until 31st December, I would strongly recommend leaving it longer. Typically, we would see herb and legume rich pasture mixes delivering the best return over three years.

Margins

Margins have always been a popular option for meeting EFA requirements. The new rules will pose a challenge for some though with the increase in minimum size to 3 metres.

If you’ll be extending your margins for 2026, be aware that any extension you plant will need to be a diverse grass sward as it will count as a new margin. If your existing grass margins are 3 meters or more, you don’t need to make any changes to them.

Importantly, your margins don’t have to be a grass - you can sow a wild bird seed mix which may suit those looking to support wild birds and farm biodiversity. It could also provide an opportunity if you’re not sure whether the margin will be in place for the long-term.

If you are establishing a new long-term diverse grass sward, for the best results we would always recommend topping the mixture quite hard over the first year to encourage good establishment and rooting of flowering plants. The regular topping also helps control undesired weeds while your planted species establish.

If you have any questions about the latest agricultural policy updates in Scotland, or would like advice on how best to access the right kind of funding for your farm, speak to the team on 0800 227 445 or email us at info@frontierag.co.uk.