The Economic Times

How leftover wheat straw stopped Chinas shifting desert sands and helped bring vegetation back

A simple straw checkerboard system developed at Shapotou in Chinas Tengger Desert helped protect the Baotou-Lanzhou railway from shifting sand while creating conditions for vegetation to return. By slowing wind and stabilising dunes, the technique dramatically reduced sand movement and gradually helped turn barren desert surfaces into more stable, living ecosystems.