Soil Preparation

• Tillage is the mechanical preparation of the soil for seeding. To avoid wind erosion, tillage practices should favor the creation of clods in the soil and furrows perpendicular to the general wind direction. Cloddy furrows limit wind erosion. However, excessive tillage breaks the clods, making the soil more vulnerable to the wind action. Tillage can be more effective in reducing wind erosion when residue crops are grown to improve the organic-matter content of the soil. By minimizing soil disturbance during field preparation and planting, farmers can help to prevent wind erosion.
  
  

Crop Rotation, Intercropping and Strip Cropping

• In addition to improving soil fertility, crop rotation keeps the soil covered, avoiding its exposure to wind erosion. By rotating crops, farmers are helping the soil nutrients to recover from one harvest to the next, as well as increasing bind soil particles. Strip cropping consists of alternating strips of different crops, such as wheat and cotton, for instance. This practice reduces the field area where the soil is exposed to wind erosion. Intercropping or "oasis agriculture" is a traditional practice in desert areas, where two to three layers of vegetation are used: a dominant palm-tree layer, followed by a fruit-tree layer and a ground-level crop layer.
  
  

Mulching

• Farmers can control wind erosion by mulching the soil with manure or plant material such as straw or corn stalks, although this measure is only a temporary prevention method. Small bales of straw are put 20 feet apart. A mulch treader or rotary hoe can help spread the residue uniformly. Straw residue can also be anchored by using a chisel plow. It should be anchored at right angles to the prevailing winds. Heavy wet manure usually don't need additional anchoring.
  
  

Natural Windbreaks

• A farm plan of strategic windbreaks can also help to prevent wind erosion. Erosion is reduced up to 10 to 15 times the height of the windbreak, according to Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Food. For a 32-feet high windbreak of two row pines, the nearby soils are protected up to 500 feet downwind. These natural windbreaks also favor reforestation. In large cropping areas, they can be placed roughly 330 yards apart.