Source control and management

This method is highly efficient at low to moderate costs and can involve low to no maintenance.

Longevity can be long although it may take time to establish a fully functioning wet land.

Wetlands can have significant co-benefits, particularly through establishing habitats for fish, birds and other wildlife and in improving water quality.

Using the method for existing wetlands can be easy, but, for new wetlands, the ease of establishment can be moderate.

The method can be easily combined with other measures, including wind breaks, dune fixation, flooding and agriculture practices, which can limit water erosion.

Restored wetlands can be designated as natural reserves, parks or grasslands (when parts are seasonally flooded and seasonally dry).

This method has a low effectiveness but low cost and maintenance.

The method is easy to implement as part of field preparation but has a short longevity.

The method can improve soil quality and has a moderate potential for combination with other methods.

Use of livestock manure needs to consider broader environmental impacts on air and water quality, soil chemistry and run-off potential.

Benefits from manure improving soil roughness may not be significant in terms of reducing wind erosion.

Spreading manure moistens soil and reduce dust emission, but beneficial impact may be short.

Excessive use of manure can lead to soil and water pollution.

Quantities which can be applied, and conditions of application may be governed by regulations.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practice 484.

This method is highly effective, easy to implement and with low cost and low or no maintenance requirement and long longevity.

The method can significantly reduce the costs of managing dust, improve water management and conditions for wildlife.

The method can be combined with windbreaks, establishing grass cover and reestablishing wetlands.

Areas where this method is applied can be designated as natural reserves, parks or designated grasslands.

Lands can be grazed if root systems are not disturbed and vegetation not over grazed.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 311, 327, 379, 381 and 612.

This method is moderately effective with a low cost as part of crop planting, with a low level of maintenance but a short longevity (based on use during seasonal crop production).

The method has significant co-benefits when used in combination with other measures to improve soil quality or reduce wind erosion and is easy to implement as part of field preparation.

The method has a moderate potential for combination with other methods.

May require changes to farm implements used for planting.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 329 and 345.

This method is moderately effective with low to moderate cost, depending on whether of mulch is purchased or produced on-farm.

A low level of maintenance required but the method has a short longevity.

The method has significant co-benefits when used in combination with other measures to improve soil quality or reduce wind erosion and is easy to implement as part of field preparation.

The method has a moderate potential for combination with other methods.

Crop residue with no-till is typically (but not always) better than mulch tillage.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practice 484.

This method has low to moderate efficiency but low cost and maintenance.

Longevity can be short but depends on the number of animals allowed on the land and how often and for how long animals are present.

The method has a moderate level of co-benifits and can be used to can control invasive plants, increase open areas for wild animal grazing and improve soil quality.

The method is easy to establish and can be combined with other methods to a moderate degree.

The number and type of livestock needs to be limited to avoid overgrazing and soil damage.

Livestock numbers and types may vary by season, weather and growing conditions.

May require more direct human management of animals (e.g., goats) to ensure impacts are not concentrated in one area.

Can reduce wildfire risks.

This method is moderately efficient at low to moderate cost and maintenance.

The method has a moderate to long longevity depending on the level of land use.

The method has significant co-benefits, particularly (re) establishing natural environments in areas of degraded dunes and dune source areas.

The ease of establishment can be considered moderate as there are often significant social issues related to excluding use of dunes and dune source areas.

The method commonly includes a combination of other methods, including planting local varieties of trees, bushes and grasses, artificial barriers (e.g., sand fences) to slow the speed of the wind, irrigation, excluding access to dunes (fencing) and (in some cases) using soil stabilization chemicals.

The method has shown long term benefits (e.g., stopping dune movement), particularly when used in combination with community-driven management of livestock and natural resources.

This method is moderately efficient at low cost and maintenance and easy establishment.

The method has a generally short longevity when used in periods between harvesting and planting preparation.

The method has moderate co-benefits, for instance from the organic material left on the soil improving soil quality.

Can be easily combined with other methods (e.g., wind breaks) and is similar to leaving crop residue on soil to hold down the soil.

This method is moderately efficient at low cost and maintenance and easy establishment.

The method has a generally short longevity when used in periods between harvesting and planting preparation.

The method has moderate co-benefits, for instance from the organic material left on the soil improving soil quality.

Can be easily combined with other methods (e.g., wind breaks) and is similar to reducing area or duration of no cover on soil.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practice 329. 

This method is highly effective while costs can range from low to high depending on the source of the water and engineering involved.

Maintenance can be low and longevity long, although some use of this method may involve seasonal flooding which requires regular maintenance and operations.

Co-benefits can be significant by providing habitat for diverse ecologies, fish and birds (including migratory birds).

Establishment of the method can be easy to hard, depending on source and cost of water and engineering involved.

Can be combined with other measures.

Can use non-potable (recycled) water or saline water where land flooded has a high natural salt content.

Excessive flooding can increase water erosion, damage or kill vegetation and increase wind erosion when flooded areas dry out (e.g., following seasonal flooding).

Can have positive impact on surrounding environment.

This method is highly efficient at a low costs and moderate ease of establishment with low maintenance and long longevity.

The method has significant co-benefits.

The method can easily be combined with other methods, e.g., different types of wind breaks or planting methods such as strip cropping.

Can be used for land conservation, dune stabilization or pasture improvement.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 512 and 550.

This method is highly efficient at a moderate costs and moderate ease of establishment with low maintenance and long longevity if not implemented as part of seasonal crop production.

The method has significant co-benefits.

The method can easily be combined with other methods, e.g., different types of wind breaks or planting methods such as strip cropping.

Can be used for land conservation or for pasture improvement.

Note that this method requires the use of fertilizer and watering, which can increase costs compared to (re)establishing natural grasslands, although can take place quicker than establishing natural grasslands.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 386, 512 and 550. 

This method is highly efficient with a low initial cost but moderately hard to implement.

It has a low maintenance requirement with a long longevity, although limited co-benefits and may not be easy to integrate into other methods.

Will not reduce dust over short term and may take years to be an effective to dust entrainment.

Depends on the nature of the soil and requires the presence of cobbles and small stones in the soil to form the rock layer after wind has removed the sand and dust.

This method is highly efficient but with a high initial cost and can be difficult to implement.

It has a low maintenance requirement with a long longevity, although limited co-benefits and not easily integrated into other methods.

Can prevent the establishment of natural vegetation.

Requires appropriate-sized stone, which may not be easily available.

Often an engineered solution where other measures are not practical.

This method can be highly efficient at medium to high cost and low to medium maintenance.

The method can have a moderate longevity, depending the materials used, with a moderate ease of establishment depending on materials used and where the gates and fences are established.

The method has limited co-benefits although it can be combined with other methods, such as tree planting, dune stabilization or other methods where access should be limited to allow for development of, for instance, new grass lands or rehabilitated pasture.

Gates and fences can conflict with traditional access to range lands.

The method can require regular maintenance if animals are to be excluded from possible dust source areas, as in newly planted grasslands.

Can use local natural resources, e.g., thorn bush, instead of or together with manufactured fencing materials to reduce costs.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practice 472. 

This method can have a moderate to high efficiency with a low cost and easy establishment together with low maintenance when done as part of planting.

The method can have a short longevity if done as part of cropping activities.

The co-benefits are significant where different crops are used in different strips and process incorporates grass or bush wind breaks.

The method can be combined with no-till planting, mulching, etc.

There is a need to ensure that crop rotation (replacement of perennial with one or more annual crops) may increase erosion during planting, after harvesting or between plantings of different crops.

The method can improve soil depending on the types of crops planted.

Planting should be done perpendicular to the wind.

Can improve soil quality when planting different crops in alternate strips.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 327, 328 and 340. 

This method has moderate efficiency, low cost (if done as part of crop harvesting or field preparation), low maintenance but short longevity.

Can improve soil quality.

The method is easy to establish and can be combined with no/low tillage methods.

Crop residue left in fields after harvests can provide graze for animals.

The type and density of grazing animals should not lead to disturbance of the soil at a level which can trigger dust entrainment.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 329 and 345.

This method generally has a low efficiency, low cost, low maintenance and short duration.

The method is easy to establish but has limited co-benefits.

Possible but generally used lands allocated to high value crops where other measures are not practical.

Generally, not considered cost effective and should be considered only for specific types of soils.

Caution: May increase wind erosion under some circumstances.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 588, 589 and 609.

This method generally has a low efficiency, relatively high cost, high maintenance, and short duration.

Any co-benefits are minimal, and the method can be difficult.

Possible, but generally used for lands allocated to high value crops, where other measures are not practical.

Generally, not considered cost effective and should be considered only for high value lands.

Caution: May increase wind erosion under some circumstances.

This method can be moderately efficient, with low to high costs and maintenance and short to medium longevity.

Is easy to establish and can be combined with most other measures and be part of establishing wind breaks.

This method can be moderately efficient, have a moderate cost, low maintenance, medium to long longevity with significant co-benefits including nesting and browsing areas, brows for animals and copping of trees.

Is moderately easy to establish.

Can be combined with grass cover and other measures.

May will require watering, protection from animals and wildfire, which can increase costs.

Locally appropriate bushes should be used.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 380, 650  and 422. 

This method can be moderately efficient, have a moderate cost, low maintenance, medium to long longevity with significant co-benefits including nesting and browsing areas, brows for animals and copping of trees. Is moderately easy to establish.

Can be combined with grass cover and other measures.

May will require watering, protection from animals and wildfire, which can increase costs.

Locally appropriate bushes should be used.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 380, 422 and 650. 

This method can be highly efficient, with a moderate ease of establishment, a moderate cost with low maintenance and long longevity with significant co-benefits including nesting and browsing areas, brows for animals and copping of trees.

Can be combined with grass cover and other measures.

May will require watering, protection from animals and wildfire, which can increase costs.

Need to use locally appropriate trees.

Can have positive impact on local climate.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 380, 422 and 650. 

This can be done using irrigation or other sprinklers or by applying a water spray from tractors or vehicles as they move through dust sources areas.

This method is high effective, can be low cost depending on the source of water (recycled water can be used to lower costs), is low maintenance, can reduce dust emission for hours (until water dries) and can be combined with other methods.  

These chemicals are highly effective and relatively easy to use but are costly. They are low maintenance once applied but are not usually effective for more than short periods, have limited co-benefits and should be combined with other measures to reduce the emission of dust.

Additional information: Dust Mitigation Handbook - practices 333 and 450.