4.—(1) A beneficiary must protect all soil by ensuring that all land is covered by crops, stubbles, residues or other vegetation at all times, except where establishing such cover would [F1conflict with] any of the requirements of paragraph 5.
(2) Where land has been harvested using a combine harvester, forage harvester or mower, a beneficiary must ensure that, throughout the period beginning with the first day after harvest and ending on the first day of March in the following year, one of the following conditions is met on that land at all times—
(a)the stubble of the harvested crop remains in the land; or
(b)the land is prepared as a seedbed for a crop or temporary cover crop within 14 days, and
(i)the crop, or temporary cover crop, is sown within a period of 10 days beginning with the day after final seedbed preparation, or
(ii)if sowing within that 10-day period would mean breaching the requirement in paragraph 6(1), the crop, or temporary cover crop, is sown as soon as is practicable after the land ceases to be waterlogged.
Textual Amendments
F1Words in Sch. 1 para. 4(1) substituted (18.3.2016) by The Common Agricultural Policy (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2016 (S.I. 2016/217), regs. 1(3), 3(3)