Reduce stocking density on unimproved neutral pastures until August to avoid damage to flora and ground-nesting birds. Stocking rates and timings will vary according to the habitat - grazing in May/June may be necessary on rank swards to increase floristic diversity.

Protect new hedges from stock grazing and control weeds around young plants.

Set-aside - delay cutting that could harm nesting birds and other wildlife until late July or August. Spray only if necessary to control problem weeds and leave headlands unsprayed.

Check silage silos when empty for cracks, corrosion or other damage to avoid pollution through effluent leakage. Do not store fertiliser bags or site muck heaps within 10m of any watercourse.

Remove litter - plastic and other waste materials can endanger farm stock and wildlife.

Consider changing soil moisture conditions when selecting field for maize: don’t choose fields that have a high risk of soil erosion, consider the risk of more frequent storms as climate changes.

Soils will be wetter in spring with the increasingly wet winter weather – pay careful attention when planning spring cultivations, consider min-till or direct drilling.

Do not cultivate up to watercourses.

Plan ahead - order trees for planting orchards in autumn/winter.

To reduce phosphorus loss from agricultural land to surface waters, avoid soil phosphorus levels above those necessary for crop production. Test your soil - you may be able to save money by reducing fertiliser inputs. Consider how much phosphorus has been added if you applied animal manures.

MAY

Bird nesting season - ground-nesting birds are very vulnerable to operations such as rolling, harrowing or heavy stocking of grassland and silaging.

Keep sprays and fertilisers away from field margins, hedges and watercourses (avoid fertiliser drift by tilting distributor or fitting a deflector or boundary disc) and observe LERAP `no spray' buffer zones along watercourses.

If building new or substantially altering systems for handling silage, slurry and agricultural fuel oil, follow the design standards stipulated in the control of pollution regulations. You need to tell the Environment Agency 14 days before you use such systems. Ring 0645 556000 for a free copy of Defra's Water, Air and Soil Codes Summary. Think also about increasing storage capacity to cope with more difficult spreading conditions – the long term forecast suggests far wetter winters.

Make sure the silage effluent tank is empty before ensiling. After ensiling, check the tank level regularly to avoid overflow and pollution.

Set-aside - delay cutting that could harm nesting birds and other wildlife until late July or August. Spray only if necessary to control problem weeds.

Leave a mower's width round silage fields uncut to provide rough grass for barn owls and hares.

Site water bowsers or new troughs where they will help the distribution of grazing over field units and minimise erosion. Dryer summers may mean you need to plan for more troughs.

Maintain traditional stocking and cutting dates of old pastures and meadows throughout the year if possible, because the survival of local farmland wildlife may depend on the continuation of such patterns but be aware that growth patterns are changing with the climate.

Traditionally grazed field margins may benefit from late spring grazing to remove previous year's growth to provide ideal conditions for flowering in summer.

JUNE

Bird nesting season - ground-nesting birds very vulnerable.

Set-aside - delaying the cut until late July or August avoids the peak nesting period of most ground-nesting birds. Spray only if necessary to control problem weeds.

Insects are an important food for many birds and other animals, and indicate the presence of a varied plant life on which they feed. Field margins, hedges and unimproved grasslands and ponds are key areas to safeguard.

Where necessary, control bracken with a first cut or crush from mid June and again six weeks later for at least three years. Leave some bracken to provide cover for birds and the food plants of butterflies and moths.

Delay cutting flower-rich meadows until herbs/grasses have flowered and set seed (traditionally July and August, but changing climate will have an effect on the timing).

Avoid disturbance to nesting wildfowl, breeding mammals, amphibians and water invertebrates by delaying pond or riverbank maintenance until autumn.

Take care with silage liquor, check the level of effluent in the tank. Wilting silage for 24 hours before gathering can reduce silage effluent by 60+%.

On some intractable areas, consider conversion of arable land to permanent grassland or woodland to improve its conservation value. Grant aid may be available (e.g. Environmentally Sensitive Areas and Countryside Stewardship schemes, or Farmland Woodland Grant schemes).

Take care when mixing concentrate and filling sprayers. Use a specific area with a contained impermeable base for this - even small splashes can contaminate ground and surface waters and soil. Avoid spray drift onto field margins and hedges and observe Local Environmental Risk Assessments for Pesticides 'no spray' zones near watercourses.