The article discusses the specifics of the cultivation of grain crops in the conditions of the dry-steppe zone on the example of the Orenburg region. The main negative specific features of the territory under consideration are revealed. Soil erosion and lack of soil moisture are identified as the main negative factors. The most significant type of erosion in this region is wind erosion. Classical variants of erosion control are considered and their disadvantages in the conditions of the Orenburg region are noted. As a means to increase soil moisture in the spring, the article proposes to focus on the use of winter precipitation, which, as it turned out, are used inefficiently for organizational and climatic reasons. The shortcomings and insufficiency of standard methods of moisture conservation and mechanized snow retention for the region under consideration are noted. As a comprehensive solution to both problems, the use of a batch harvester with a device for the formation of stubble wings when harvesting grain crops is proposed, since this machine simultaneously with the main operation ensures the formation of high stubble. The principles of anti-erosion and snow-retaining effects from stubble curtains are explained and substantiated. The expediency of combining two agricultural operations at the same time and in the same machine is shown. It is explained by a reduction in fuel costs and a reduction in the number of passes of heavy equipment across the field, which is important, since excessive exposure leads to the destruction of the soil cover and contributes to the erosion of agricultural land. At the end of the article, the relevant conclusions are presented and specific research data are presented, confirming the statements formulated in the article.