Heavy wet manure will usually hold without any additional anchoring. Emergency tillage is a last resort, though it can be effective if carried out properly. Emergency tillage provides a roughened, cloddy surface resistant to wind erosion. Surface roughness reduces the wind velocity at the surface and provides traps to catch the windblown soil particles. Ridges should be formed at right angles to prevailing winds.
Chisels are the most common tool used to roughen the soil and bring clods to the surface.
In growing wheat, 2-inch chisels spaced 3 feet apart and operated 4 to 6 inches deep will usually bring sufficient clods to the surface to reduce wind erosion. This operation frequently saves the wheat. If erosion persists, a second chiseling operation may be needed. Loose, sandy soils require a different type of tillage. More drastic or more frequent measures are needed and the resulting surface roughness is short lived.