Straw checkerboard
Semi-buried straw checkerboard

The straw checkerboard technique is used for fixing sand dunes to fight desertification. Straw of wheat, rice, and reeds are placed in the shape of a checkerboard with half buried. It has a windbreak effect and contributes to soil formation through the increase of organic matter of the surface soil.[1]

It was conceived at the Shapotou Desert Research Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1955[2] to protect the Baotou–Lanzhou railway crossing the Tengger Desert,[3] where planting of sand-fixing plants without irrigation was carried out as early as 1956.[4] It was earlier used in the Soviet Union, which used the technique during the construction of a railway in the Karakum Desert in Central Asia.[5] It is widely used in China.[1]

A 2004 study concluded that it is "a very effective technique, with wide application for sand dune fixation both in China and around the world."[1] while a 2013 study described it as "the most representative antidesertification measure."[6] Straw checkerboards and planting shrubs are successful methods for mobile sand dune stabilization and desertified grassland restoration in semiarid regions.[7] Another study found that straw checkerboard barriers are more suitable for sand fixation in weak wind areas, while rocky checkerboard barriers are more suitable in strong wind areas.[8] Traditionally done by hand, an automated straw checkerboard laying machine has been developed that is 53 times faster than manual methods.[9]

It has seen limited use in Iran,[10] Ghana, Egypt, Mongolia.[11]

References

  1. ^ abcYu Qiu, Guo; Lee, In-Bok; Shimizu, Hideyuki; Gao, Yong; Ding, Guodong (February 2004). "Principles of sand dune fixation with straw checkerboard technology and its effects on the environment". Journal of Arid Environments. 56 (3): 449–464. doi:10.1016/S0140-1963(03)00066-1.
  2. ^"China's wisdom in taming desertification". People's Daily. June 22, 2018. Archived from the original on 14 September 2025.
  3. ^"China completes barrier belt to prevent eastward expansion of its fourth-largest desert". Xinhua. July 1, 2025. Archived from the original on 14 September 2025.
  4. ^Ning, Ma; Qun, Guo; Yu, Li; Shenggong, Li (22 January 2021). "Overview of the Measures and Techniques Used to Protect Traffic Lines against Shifting Sands in China". Journal of Resources and Ecology. 12 (1). doi:10.5814/j.issn.1674-764x.2021.01.012.
  5. ^Liu, Jia (May 15, 2023). "How China and Central Asian Countries Cooperate to Combat Desertification". Chinese Academy of Sciences (via CGTN). Archived from the original on 14 September 2025.
  6. ^Huang, Ning; Xia, Xianpan; Tong, Ding (13 September 2013). "Numerical simulation of wind sand movement in straw checkerboard barriers". The European Physical Journal E. 36 (9): 99. doi:10.1140/epje/i2013-13099-6. ISSN 1292-895X.
  7. ^Li, Yulin; Cui, Jianyuan; Zhang, Tonghui; Okuro, Toshiya; Drake, Sam (January 2009). "Effectiveness of sand-fixing measures on desert land restoration in Kerqin Sandy Land, northern China". Ecological Engineering. 35 (1): 118–127. doi:10.1016/j.ecoleng.2008.09.013.
  8. ^Wang, Tao; Qu, Jianjun; Niu, Qinghe (April 2020). "Comparative study of the shelter efficacy of straw checkerboard barriers and rocky checkerboard barriers in a wind tunnel". Aeolian Research. 43 100575. doi:10.1016/j.aeolia.2020.100575.
  9. ^Wu, Qingshan; Zhu, Mianhao; Shang, Yanqi; Chen, Yue; Zhang, Huibao; Sun, Zhimin (2025). "Design and Analysis of Efficient Desert Straw Checkerboard Laying Machine Based on PLC Automatic Control Technology". International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Robotics Research. 14 (3): 309–322. doi:10.18178/ijmerr.14.3.309-322.
  10. ^Ahmadpoor Dehkordi, Elahe; Abbasi Surki, Ali; Pajouhesh, Mehdi; Tahmasebi, Pejman (21 March 2023). "Evaluation of the Efficiency of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Straw Checkerboard Barriers Technique on Moisture Retention, CO2 Production, and Soil Microbial Population". Journal Of Agroecology. 15 (1): 119–137. doi:10.22067/agry.2021.69711.1035. ISSN 2008-7713.
  11. ^Bagherpour, Maryam; Zare, Salman; Ekhtesasi, Mohammadreza; Samani, Aliakbar Nazari; Morkani, Masoumeh Salehi; Ghoohestani, Ghasem; Akhshi, Majid (1 February 2025). "Feasibility of Developing Reed Stems as a Checkerboard Barrier to Stabilize Shifting Sands". Desert Management. 12 (2): 1–14. doi:10.22034/jdmal.2024.2027524.1462. ISSN 2476-3721.
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