How to implement the practices of winter cover crops and intercropping in accordance with the eco-scheme and GAEC standards?
Meeting the requirements of the new “Green Architecture” conditionality enables additional funding for voluntary actions, including eco-schemes. The full amount of subsidies is available only after meeting these standards. The standards applicable to areas covered by Intercrop and Overseeding practices are GAEC 7 and GAEC 8. They specify the plant species (mixtures) to be sown and the dates for their maintenance. Since the requirements of these practices are higher than those of the standards, they can be implemented in one area.

According to GAEC standards:
- winter catch crops must provide cover from November 1 of one year to February 15 of the following year (mulching of catch crops is permitted after November 15). Additionally, no plant protection products may be used from sowing to February 15, and they cannot be maintained as the main crop on the same agricultural plot in the year following sowing.
- the undersown crops must be maintained for a specified period (refer to the next question).

Regarding practice within the eco-scheme:
- the catch crop must consist of a mixture of at least two species of winter or spring plants (cereals, oilseeds, fodder plants, small- and large-seeded legumes, melliferous plants); however, it cannot be a mixture of two cereals
- sowing must be conducted between July 1 and October 1 and maintained until at least February 15 of the following year, after which the application for subsidy may be submitted (mulching is permitted after February 15). Until that date, the use of plant protection products in the catch crop is prohibited.

What is the ideal duration for maintaining a undersown crops?
Undersown crops must be maintained until the next main crop is sown or for a minimum of 8 weeks following the harvest of the crop specified in the declaration, and should be cultivated without the use of plant protection products throughout this period. Notably, undersown crops can serve as the main crop in the subsequent year, unlike catch crops.

Can a harrowing procedure be carried out in catch crops/under-sowing?
Yes, if the purpose of these practices is maintained, specifically preserving plant cover. In such a case, harrowing can be equivalent to mulching.

Is it possible in practice to use other fertilizers, such as granulated manure, by mixing manure with the soil within 12 hours of application?
"Manure" within this practice can also include granular manure, chicken manure, and poultry litter. At this moment, digestate and composts do not qualify for it, but this may change in the future.

How to implement the practice of Simplified Cultivation Systems?
A farmer can receive points for the practice of Simplified cultivation systems if in a given calendar year they conduct conservation tillage, which means:
- does not perform plowing in the set of post-harvest and pre-sowing operations in the year of the application for the subsidy
- leave all post-harvest residues as mulch after harvesting the main crop
- maintains a register of agrotechnical treatments in accordance with the ARiMR (Agency for Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture) template.

Is it possible to collect straw from the area covered by the eco-scheme?
Yes, it is permissible.

Can post-harvest residues from no-plough farming serve as winter cover?
Yes, crop residues can be used as a winter cover.
Can a chisel plough be used in the simplified cultivation systems under the eco-scheme?
Yes, a chisel plough can be used in simplified tillage.

Until when should the mulch be maintained?
The principles of implementing the Simplified Cultivation Systems practice (as outlined in the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 13 March 2023 - Journal of Laws of 2023, item 493) do not specify the deadline for maintaining mulch. They also do not exclude the performance of agrotechnical treatments necessary in simplified cultivation, which are intended to prepare the soil for subsequent plants (including sowing winter species).

Can the practice of mixing straw with soil include straw from non-cereal plants?
Yes, pseudocereal crops and grasses for seeds (i.e., Poaceae) are classified as cereal crops. These conditions are met by examples such as buckwheat, millet, and teff, but not by phacelia. This is consistent with the definitions in § 12 paragraph 2 of the Regulation of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development of 13 March 2023 (Journal of Laws of 2023, item 493).

Is it possible to incorporate the straw into the soil as part of the eco-scheme Mixing straw with soil?
Yes, provided that straw residues are visible in the field, GAEC 6 standards will be met.

What constitutes vegetation cover according to GAEC 6?
The GAEC 6 standard mandates the maintenance of protective soil cover from November 1 to February 15 of the following year, covering at least 80% of the farm's arable land. The protective cover may include stubble, crop residues, and self-sown crops. Crop residues, whether mulched or unmulched, also fulfill these requirements following the cultivation of sugar beet, vegetables, and maize for silage.

What are fallow lands according to GAEC 8?
Adhering to the GAEC 8 standard necessitates designating 4% of arable land for non-productive areas. These areas may include fallow land, where no plant protection products are used, and where agricultural production, grazing, or mowing is conducted between January 1 and July 31. Consequently, herbicide fallow is not permissible. However, the regulations do permit harrowing as a method to control weeds without breaching the prohibition on agricultural production. Additionally, the standard is fulfilled by fallow land with melliferous plants (excluding apiaries). The purpose of sowing melliferous plants is to create an environment for honeybees and wild pollinators. Fallow land, in line with the requirements, does not diminish the area under the agri-environmental-climatic obligation concerning subsidy-covered areas.

Can conservation mowing of fallow land be utilized on land with melliferous plants?
Honey plants can be weeds that contaminate crops, therefore it is permissible to mow them before August 31, prior to seed production. This is considered a weed-elimination procedure. However, the farmer must ensure that mowing does not conflict with the ban on agricultural production and the intended purpose of fallow land with honey plants (providing a beneficial environment for insects, including bees and wild pollinators).

Terminology
MRiRW - Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
GAEC standard - practices of good agricultural culture consistent with environmental protection.
ARiMR - Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture.