Several people are needed for an effective installation team. Punches, shovels, or drills are used to make placement holes or slots. Extensive testing is also planned for wind erosion control and revegetation at Red Rock Canyon State Park. A 100 pound bale should treat 2-4 acres with 1000 stalks per acre. A bale would also create 60-70, two foot wide check dams.
Rice straw has a high silica content and decomposes slowly even in moist soils.
However, baled or bound straw of any species may contain many seeds unless it is specifically harvested for conservation or cleaned after harvest. Wheat, oat, or rye straw, can also be used but only clean bright straw is recommended. The use of straw in a fish-scale pattern is an effective method of wattling. Four or five people are needed for an effective installation team. Three sharp shovels are used.