The Vetiver Network International

NOTICE

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 06:18:00 +0000

AS OF DECEMBER 2 2021

THIS BLOG IS CONTINUED ON

News and Opinion - The Vetiver Network International

Vetiver Grass Technology for Small Tropical Islands.

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Sun, 12 Sep 2021 04:37:00 +0000

Currently there are a number of initiatives using various vetiver applications, especially for soil conservation, pollution control, and slope stabilization. Most are funded locally and by small UNDP and other regional grants. A lot can be done with a little money and by folks whom are committed to working with local and mostly poor communities. Here is a video that June Slinger, CEO of Eco Strategies Grenada, sent me about a vetiver program in Grenada, Caribbean. -- https://vimeo.com/589975013 that she is responsible for. Well produced (18 minute)

On the other side of the world a Vetiver pilot program is launched and funded for Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands. The attached (39 minutes) video is a recording of the project launch meeting held early this week by Zoom. It includes a useful presentation by Robinson Vanoh who is the Vetiver Coordinator for the South Pacific Islands. Robinson is a committed and experienced in Vetiver. He lives in Papua New Guinea , and is an Assistant Director of TVNI. He will also be the external advisor to the program. Paul Oana, CEO of Pacific Exchange (a local NGO) is project manager. We wish them and the participants good luck

https://youtu.be/hO9wcrMrbXY

Both of these programs are short term pilot/start up vetiver projects that are small enough to be funded through regional and local aid offices. If successful they should be able to attract funds for scale up operations and projects.

Ist International Webinar on Vetiver Grass Technology 2021

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Sat, 11 Sep 2021 23:58:00 +0000

Central Bicol State University of Agriculture of the Philippines https://cbsua.edu.ph/ is holding a webinar on Vetiver Grass Technology on September 28th 2021. Dick Grimshaw, Paul Truong and Robinson Vanoh of TVNI will be participating. See attached program:

Sharing Vetiver Projects on iNaturalist -- NEW PROJECT

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Tue, 26 Jan 2021 19:07:00 +0000

Goals of The Vetiver Network International (TVNI) include creating a worldwide community of vetiver enthusiasts, raising awareness about the many benefits, and tracking vetiver projects. Our facebook group has become a wonderful resource for many of you and we are proud of the community it has created. We had concerns about the preservation of the facebook posts and important discussions, so we also created the vetiver forum (https://www.vetiver.org/flux/).

However, neither of those help us track and map vetiver plantings. To provide a tracking method, we started using the iVGT website created in Thailand to add as many vetiver sites as possible, but it has had some technical difficulties and participation hasn’t been as high as we had hoped. We recently realized there may be a better and much more user-friendly website that we can all use.

iNaturalist (https://www.inaturalist.org/) is a website and smartphone app for people to share pictures of animals and plants and to help identify species. It is used as a social network to build community, learn about nature, and provide open access data for researchers. It is very user-friendly, and you can easily search by species or location and view results as a list or within a map. The desktop website is the main hub with a lot of great functions while the smartphone app is a simpler set-up that helps ID and locate in the field.

Although its core focus is on wild species in their natural habitats, iNaturalist offers the ability to share “captive” or “cultivated” plants and animals that were placed at a certain location by humans. This includes a range of observations, from animals at a zoo to a flower planted in a garden. This is where most of our vetiver applications fit in.

The iNaturalist provides the ability to create a “Project” to track certain species or in specific areas, as well as build community and participation, so TVNI recently created a project page called “Vetiver Systems”. We hope you all join iNaturalist and start sharing your vetiver projects!

Getting Started

First, create a profile at https://www.inaturalist.org/. Once you are set up, you can change your language within the website by clicking on your account profile circle in the top right corner and then clicking on Account Settings, then Account. They have a large list of languages available, so this should work out well for our global community.

Adding a Vetiver Project

A picture of a plant/animal is called an “observation”. For general guidance on how to add observations, visit: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/getting+started.

1. To add a picture of vetiver, click “Upload” and select ONE photo from your file (You’ll have a chance to add more photos of that site later). Complete the requested information, including species, date of the picture, and location. For the Notes, add a brief summary of the vetiver project (i.e. purpose, size, details, results). Please avoid commercial advertising or spam-like content because it will get you banned from the website.

2. Next, check the Captive/Cultivated box. Most of the vetiver plants used in Vetiver Systems are sterile and cultivated, so it is important to list it as such in iNaturalist. The website’s main focus is on wild plants and animals and it uses a multi-step process for identifications, which helps researchers with their studies as well as assist the program with recognizing patterns for automated suggestions. To accomplish this, the website initially labels non-cultivated or non-captive observations “Needs ID”, then as the community agrees on an identification, it becomes “Research Grade.” If an observation is checked off as captive or cultivated, it does not undergo those labeling steps and instead simply marked as “Casual.” This is okay for our purpose! To learn more, visit: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/help.

3. After that, “Tags” are key words about your vetiver project. This will help people search and track vetiver sites based on type. Here are some examples of tags that you can use:

· Erosion control
· Slope stabilization
· Nursery/propagation
· Grazing/forage
· Wastewater
· Essential oil
· Phytoremediation
· Landscaping
· Handicrafts
· Roof thatch

4. The next step allows you to add “Observations Fields” to help provide detail. We set up 5 observation fields that we encourage you to use. Start typing vetiver in the space and the options will appear:

# of plants
Area in hectares
Soil pH
Soil type
Annual rainfall in mm

5. Click “Submit 1 Observation” to finalize. Once you finalize the “observation”, you can add more photos of that vetiver planting, add or change the tags, or edit any other information as needed.

Please note it is important to add only specific sites where vetiver has been observed. Also, if you have been working with vetiver in the past and have photos of vetiver applications at known locations and dates, you are welcome and encouraged to add them as observations.

The Vetiver Systems Project Page

Your vetiver “observation” will automatically be added to our Vetiver Systems Project page, but you need to “JOIN” the project for it to show up on your vetiver observation. You can find our Project by typing “Vetiver Systems” in the general Search at the top of the page. Once you are on our page, you can see all the pictures, either as a list or on a map. You can click on each one to see the details or add comments. There are already some earlier vetiver observations from other iNaturalist users.

We welcome you to check out other observations in our project so far and tell others about our page. You can leave a comment on any observation or vetiver system, but be aware, COMMERCIAL ADVERTIZING is not allowed and we will ban you from the group.

Another great feature of the Vetiver Systems Project page is our ability to post news or journal entries. Our administrators will occasionally post on this page to help grow the community and keep you informed. Note, you need to “JOIN” the project to get the community updates.

We will also be inviting key members from specific countries or regions to help promote this Vetiver Systems project and to keep an eye on the "quality" of input. As the project expands, regional/country leaders can start creating their own project pages and then our global Vetiver Systems page will become an “umbrella” project.

Let us know if you have any questions by leaving a message for one of the project administrators. Enjoy!

Haiti -- Vetiver Latrine update by Roger Gietzen

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:46:00 +0000

In 2016 while doing community development work in a rural farming region in Haiti, I became aware of the serious sanitation problem. Open defecation is the norm and diseases such as Cholera are active. The locals suggested building a single community latrine for them, but I soon learned that wouldn’t work. The traditional latrines are made from cement block which is not easily transported to a region like this, where there is no road access. I learned from other organizations, that even if I could build one, it was not a real solution. The “community latrine” is too far from most homes to actually get used regularly. Plus since it is not owned by anyone, it is also not cared for by anyone. In fact, in many communities the cement structure is so far superior to normal buildings that it is repurposed as a storage depot.

The real solution is to build household latrines. But as a small nonprofit that is focused on regenerative agro-forestry, Global Freedom Project was not able to build a standard cement latrine for all of the families here, which the materials alone cost at least $250. Luckily I discovered the work of Owen Lee, who a few years before me had encountered the same problem in Haiti and solved it by building the vetiver latrine. After some back forth communication with him, I was able to get the idea of how to make this ultra inexpensive biological pit latrine myself. The cost for materials alone, can be as low as $25! If you want a detailed guidebook that explains how the latrine works and how to make your own, go this link and you’ll find it translated in multiple languages: https://www.global-freedom-project.org/resources/.

Over the course of 3 years I was able to train a team of skilled workers how to install these simple, yet effective “toilets” as they are called in Haiti. We set a goal of making about 300 and succeeded. Midway through this project, I reported an update here: https://vetivernetinternational.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-vetiver-latrine.html, where I discuss some of the modifications the people made, so that the latrine was more acceptable. I also talked about the biggest challenge I faced, which was a lack of recognition of the importance of the vetiver grass. Some families pulled the grass slips out and planted ornamental plants. Others removed them and build a privacy shelter. In other cases, the kids trampled the grass beyond recognition. In all cases, the biggest problem was that the families were unaware that this was potentially a major problem.

Vetiver grass serves multiple important purposes. The roots stabilize the pit walls, so no concrete blocks are needed. The roots also digest the waste and as leachate passes through them, it is cleaned. The grass hedgerow that matures in the first year, makes a thick privacy wall that really does keep prying eyes away. To help convey these important messages, I created an infographic in Haitian Creole that the installation team could use to educate families before they built the latrine. That simple action solved the problem. When families realized their latrine pit risked collapse without vetiver, they took efforts to protect it.

I have considered reviving this project, but have hesitated due to the lack of a clear goal for the next step. Even with the first project there was supposed to be a defined community of about 300 families, but as we reached that predetermined number, I realized there was always another neighbor next door. I felt that although the recipients loved their toilets, they didn’t appreciate the amount of efforts needed to make this a reality for them. I wasn’t sure how to make this project more sustainable and ensure the recipients participated more. Recently I got inspiration from another project that specializes in household water filters. They have found that charging a small fee (the equivalent of about $5 USD) for their $100 filters, substantially improved how well the family cared for that item. The chances that the filter, once paid for, was still operating years later were much higher. I believe this would be true for the vetiver latrine as well.

Another change I am considering, is devising an elevated a precast cement toilet seat, which could be attached to the slab that covers the pit. That was the most common modification made by families during the first project. Some elderly people are not able to use the toilets without them because of bad knees. The combination of paying a small amount for the latrine and adding an elevated seat would likely increase the longevity and popularity of the vetiver latrine.

It is my wish that someday the people of these communities become more empowered and rise above their current challenges. Maybe in this lifetime they can have access to running water at their homes and have flush toilets, in which case the vetiver latrine will become obsolete solution. But in the meantime, it’s important to have an immediately available solution. Diarrheal illnesses are active and the basics such as clean water, sanitation and healthy nutrition are the foundation for which further progress can be built on. I am happy to have discovered an answer to at least one of these problems and hope that it becomes a more widely used form of sanitation in Haiti and elsewhere.

We constructed 365 "vetiver toilets" and had only two failures. The failures were due to the pits filling up with water before completion, before the vetiver had been planted and the concrete tops put in place.

Roger Gietzen January 2021

Vetiver Grass Technology - some random observations

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Tue, 21 Jan 2020 20:21:00 +0000

Without soil and water there will be no photosynthesis and no life on this planet. Both are becoming degraded and in short supply globally -- Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) can improve both and deserves government focus and support."

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: AMF have an important role in the growth of vetiver and we are seeing increased use of vetiver by permaculturists for all sorts of purposes including its planting within stands of other crops and sometimes very close to young plant seedlings such as papaya, mango, dragon fruit. etc with what appears to be positive growth benefits (linked possibly to moisture and AMF). This begs the question as to differentiating between vetiver cultivars on the basis of root architecture for this purpose and are some cultivars better at hosting AMF.

Leaf and stem density: Although the roots are important, particularly as a stand alone plant, the leaf and stem density as well as the total mass, play an important role when vetiver is used as a conservation barrier to trap sediment flow to disperse concentrated water flows across and behind the vetiver barrier, and reduce flooding ... These same barriers have a use as a source of forage, thatch, mulch etc. High leaf density and mass in vetiver generally is reflected in its tillering capacity and root mass. Deeper rooted plants also are better at recycling soil nutrients and better growth under dry conditions. We have noticed that once users understand the multiple benefits of vetiver they are more receptive to using the plant for soil conservation. Also deeper rooted plants can punch through soil pans and the impediments thus enabling ground water recharge (by as much as 4 times) from the spread out rainfall runoff temporarily trapped behind the barriers — reflecting a secondary but important benefit of vetiver barriers.

Root digging: We have in the past been concerned about the potential of vetiver hedgerows being dug for the oil. In reality it is rarely a problem and we virtually never receive feedback that it occurs. Most vetiver that is planted for oil (VPO) is planted on lighter sandier deep soils that are easy to dig (often on flat land) - on the other hand most vetiver grown for soil conservation or slope stabilization is grown under conditions and soil types that make digging difficult and uneconomic. Where VPO is planted on sloping land and where the digging process can result in erosion, farmers need to incorporate permanent vetiver contour barriers to protect the VPO crop. This message needs to be passed on to these farmers (as is being done now in Haiti).

Vetiver type for oil: My impression (and I stand to being corrected) is that from what I have seen in the field and from many photographs that have been posted on line is that the VPO types appear to be sturdier, bulkier, taller and more dense than some of the other types, and that the triploid/polyploids used for oil originating from south India would appear the sturdiest. Thus, as long as the plant is sterile why not use the VPO for environmental purposes. One big advantage of this would be that VPO producers could become integrated with the "not for oil" vetiver users thus providing a secondary income for oil producers (very useful when there is an oversupply of oil and oil prices are low) and what should be a very low cost source of plant material for other users. (planting slips would be low cost as they would be a byproduct of VPO harvesting and the potential supply is very high). Assuming we can discount the “digging” aspects as a problem then can we narrow the vetiver types to a few that are multipurpose includes quality oil, deep roots, good host to AMF, and sturdy and dense stems and leaves.

Vetiver types generally: Other aspects that are becoming important include (a) salt tolerance - especially for coastal stabilization (b) insect habitat and pest control - Chinese are now using vetiver as a dead end trap crop for rice stem borer control and as a habitat for beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps -- I wonder if there are any differences between vetiver types as to their attractiveness and “killing” of insects such as stem borers -- (c) fire tolerance - with increase in wild fires are there types of vetiver that are more resistant to fire, (d) decontamination of polluted soil and water, and (e) cold tolerance - increasing demand to use vetiver under very cold winter hot summer climatic regimes. The Chinese claim that have identified types that perform better and survive cold (freezing) conditions.

Barriers deterring the use of Vetiver Grass. (1) Some research shows that farmers need to be financially supported to undertake soil conservation works. - seems to work in the US in various forms but not in poor countries. Poor country conservation has generally come through World Food Program “food for work” programs and bilateral and multilateral aid agencies, or heavily subsidized programs where there is no incentive for farmers to maintain their works and where there are huge opportunities for corruption by officials at all levels (2) engineered design based systems are generally preferred by “officials” - a bigger budget line - more room for corrupt practices and more control by involved officials. (3) biological systems are generally not preferred by engineers as most have not been trained in such aspects. They are also much lower costs and less opportunity for corrupt practices. (4) In most developing countries soil conservation is the responsibility of a “Soil Conservation Department” most of these are focused entirely on soil conservation and rarely consider the wider and secondary aspects that are derived from the primary work. Thus when introducing (perhaps reluctantly) a technology like Vetiver Grass the conservation agents are either generally unaware of the many secondary benefits or do not tell the end user what those benefits may be. This all adds up to low adoption rates (5) In this age of "global environmental threat" primary and secondary schools should have a curricula that includes a compulsory class on basic environmental principles. — in other words some serious thought needs to be given to environmental education.

Research . There are plenty of opportunities for vetiver research in many areas of application. Vetiver research needs to be better coordinated. Such research should be multi-sector driven and not just the responsibility of the agricultural sector. Vetiver in its many applications could prove a very valuable a tool to mitigate many soil and water issues relating to climate change. A good case could be made to the World Bank and others to support such research

Policy: With 35 years of global research, development and experience to call on there is an opportunity for Government agencies to set out a clear policy directive on the use and development of Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) in all aspects.

VGT is a proven success, is low cost, and applicable for a wide range of applications under a wide range of conditions. What more does one need!

VETIVER GRASS TECHNOLOGY (VGT) - OBSTACLES TO ITS APPLICATION

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 02:18:00 +0000

We have been promoting the modern concept of VGT since 1986, nearly 34 years, and even though most of the evidence from research trials and the field show that VGT in its many forms works well and is accepted by users, the rate of expansion in the use of the technology is not accelerating fast enough, particularly in the light of current global needs to mitigate climate change generated problems relating to land and water. I have recently been writing about the use of vetiver for river bank stabilization, a practice that is proven and being used effectively in a number of countries. A yet to be published paper that reviews the West Bengal (India) river bank stabilization program reaches the following conclusions:

VGT did what it was supposed to do and applications resulted in stabilization of river banks and the local communities were generally happy with the technology that it is more effective (superior) and much less costly than engineered structures. Some of the more important conclusions of the review included: (a) the need to create appropriate policies that will encourage the use of vetiver (b) the need to develop effective technical specifications that can be incorporated into design manuals (c) the need for support to communities, both financially and technically to effectively use VGT (d) better involvement of local communities in the selection and design of riverbank stabilization sites (e) educating/informing communities in the many other applications and benefits of vetiver that would be of value to them (e) the need to develop appropriate mechanisms to allow smoother implementation of community based vetiver based schemes (f) the lack of interest and understanding by the engineers of the organizations responsible for drawing up design solutions for using biological solutions, particularly vetiver, and (g) the inability of community individuals (most of whom have daily income of less than $2) to fund river bank improvements or any other conservation activities without outside help.

These conclusions are not new and are not confined just to West Bengal, but rather are generally a global phenomena. Three key things have to be done: (1) creation of policies, including technical specifications and guidelines, at various levels of government that support biological solutions including vetiver (2) educate both professionals and communities in the technology and (3) find funding solutions that can be executed rapidly.

Comments are welcome!!

The Role of Hedgerows in Agriculture

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Thu, 24 Oct 2019 21:09:00 +0000

Woody hedgerows have played a vital role in English agriculture for centuries. Originally planted to primarily demarcate land holdings and to contain livestock movement and side benefits not fully understood until recently following studies undertaken as a result of alarm for the rapid removal of hedgerows in the period since World War II. A paper "The role of hedgerows in soil functioning within agricultural land (2019)" by a team from Leeds University exposes some of the many soil related benefits linked to hedgerows.

The Abstract :

"Intensification of agriculture has led to major losses of hedgerows and field margins worldwide. Soil sample extraction, in situ time series of soil moisture, temperature and soil water quality analyses, annual earthworm sampling and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi sampling enabled comparison of soil functions between typical hedgerows, grass field margins, pasture and arable (mainly winter wheat) fields in a temperate, lowland setting. Mean bulk density (upper 50 cm), surface compaction and soil moisture content were significantly lower while organic matter content and pore water dissolved organic carbon concentrations were significantly greater in hedgerow soils, than margins or fields. Mean nitrate and phosphate concentrations were three and ten times larger, respectively, in soil solutions under hedgerows than arable fields while ammonium concentrations were least in arable fields. Saturated hydraulic conductivity was significantly greater under hedgerows (median=102mm hr−1) where it took an average of one hour longer for soils to reach maximum moisture content following rainfall, than adjacent arable (median=3mm hr−1) or pasture fields and margins (median=27mm hr−1). Hedgerow soils had a greater proportion of flow through micropores and less macropore flow than other soils. The pasture and margin soils had the largest proportion of macropore flow (> 85%) and more (and larger) anecic earthworm species, such as Lumbricus terrestris which produce vertical burrows. Earthworm density, biomass and diversity were greater in pasture and margin soils, followed by hedgerow soils, and tended to be lowest in arable soils. For both total and AM fungi, hedgerow soils hosted a distinct and heterogeneous soil community, margin and pasture communities were diverse but clustered together, and arable communities formed a distinct cluster, with low inter-sample variation and significantly lowest AM fungal richness. The findings demonstrate that soils under hedgerows, which should be conserved, can provide important functions on farmland including storing organic carbon, promoting infiltration and storing runoff, increasing earthworm diversity and hosting distinct AM communities." Full paper at: https://www.vetiver.org/UK_HoldenSoilbiohedge2019.pdf

The paper concludes;

"Both hedgerows and grassy field margins can provide a wide range of enhancements to soil function that may provide wider ecosystem service benefits to accrue from agricultural systems. Given that global food security is a pressing issue and more intensive farm production may be required in some regions, it will be important to develop simple land management strategies that can enable food and fibre production to occur in a sustainable way. Enhancing the area of both field margin woody hedgerows and grass strips globally could be an important technique for reducing flood risk as well as for enhancing total soil C storage and the diversity of soil ecosystems across agricultural landscapes. One trade off that requires further research is the potential of hedges to capture pollution from the atmosphere which may result in reduced water quality in runoff and groundwater flow emerging from soils below hedges."

I find this paper interesting in that the positive benefits from woody hedgerows (as well as grassy field margins as grown in England) replicate many of the benefits shown in vetiver grass related research, particularly those aspects relating to the role of soil micropore, rainfall runoff reduction and the slow down of flooding, the high arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and enhanced soil carbon storage. Although not specifically addressed in the paper, well managed English hedgerows when planted across the slope act as formidable soil retention barriers as any one can see when taking a walk along a hillside hedgerow where the difference between up slope and down slope can be as much as 3 or 4 feet -- just as we find with vetiver hedge barriers.

This paper reinforces the need to plant dense vegetative barriers (hedges) along farm field boundaries in our efforts to mitigate climate change and intensified agriculture. Under small farm agriculture in the tropics, where landholdings are extremely small, vetiver "hedgerows" make ideal boundary barriers, and when properly managed, take up minimum space, have an infinite lifespan, and provide many secondary benefits.

THE VETIVER LATRINE

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Sun, 05 May 2019 17:20:00 +0000

THE VETIVER LATRINE from Roger Gietzen (see: http://www.healthy-mind-body.com/humanitarian/vetiver_latrine.html for details of vetiver latrine design and its construction)

"It's now been three years since I started installing vetiver latrines in Haiti. For all those who helped me with that project, I want to thank you again. You know who you are. Here is an update on my progress:

175 latrines have been installed in the two communities I serve. They are providing sanitation where there was absolutely none. The people are happy and likely healthier. There was not a case of cholera this last year, whereas in the previous years there was always 1-2 during the rainy season. But these numbers are too small to draw conclusions from.

I have not done any formal testing on whether the leachate is cleansed while moving through the vetiver roots, or whether it inhibits bacteria. If anyone wants to travel to Haiti to conduct such testing, this serves as an open invitation.

Although the latrine method has not yet spread rapidly in Haiti, it is disseminating. The technician who does the best installation work has traveled to 4 other communities in Haiti and sponsored training sessions there. At least one of the communities has started their own program.

the one and only pit collapse (no one injured)

To date, the latrines have proven to be durable and lasting. Of 175 installed, only one pit collapsed. That failure happened because the pit filled with rainwater before it was capped with the concrete slab. The standing water inside eroded the pit walls and it caved in just weeks after it was finished. That was an important lesson for our team. They left the pit uncovered too long during the construction phase, and I believe it was located in a rainwater runoff zone. Both are problems that can be easily avoided in the future.

a shaded latrine, after picture in 2018

It appears the latrines do well even when installed in partial shade. We encountered many households that had mostly shaded land. To address that situation, I purchased a quality handheld pruning saw for the team. But occasionally it's not realistic to create a full sun exposure area, either because the trees are too large or there are fruit trees which cannot be heavily pruned. I found that even in moderately shaded locations the vetiver grew and the pits have been stable.

The latrines are easily modified. Some communities expect an elevated seat, or a privacy screen from day #1. Without any input from me, the people have come up with some solutions to these problems. A plastic bucket or a cement stand have been used as a seat. Just about anything can be used for privacy.

a modified latrine for a small school, where boys
and girls are expected to have their own seats.

At the schools in Haiti, it is expected that the boys and girls have their own seats. At one small rural school the team met this expectation in a creative way. They simply made a larger concrete slab, by combining two of the plastic forms to make one large one. Then the elevated seat was modified so that two holes were located on the top. In the end, this was an adequate solution for that community.

a modified latrine with an inexpensive
elevated seat and privacy screen.

One of the biggest challenges I have faced has been due to lack of recognition of the importance of the vetiver grass. Some families intentionally removed the grass, others swapped it out for a different plant and others allowed their kids to trample it to death. When I assessed these situations, in every case it was clear they did not understand that the vetiver roots actually performed an important function in stabilizing the pit walls. After I explained to them that I was concerned their toilet could fall in and I wanted them to have a latrine that lasted for decades, they all fixed the problem.

Now I have created educational materials to prevent this. I have made a cross-section drawing which depicts the roots holding the pit walls up and included this in a document written Creole, with some other images. The team will show this to every family before they build the toilet. Soon I will know if this prevents the problem.

Another unexpected problem that I have encountered, is that some Haitians reject the latrine. So far I have found that the people with no toilet or latrine at all, universally embrace it.

latrine with a creative hand washing station
in the foreground, made from a plastic container
on a stick that turns over when the string is pulled

The ones who reject this have been men in leadership positions, who have nicer toilets at their homes, and feel the vetiver latrine demeaning to the people they serve. They have made this decision without actually asking the people themselves. It appears that it is pride which causes them to reject this solution even when no other solutions are in sight.

I believe a flood in demand for the vetiver latrine is inevitable. So my solution to that problem is to just move on and help those who want it. Someday many people will appreciate this solution which makes sanitation accessible, here and now, even for the poorest in the world. And on that day, even the proudest in the community will soften up to the idea that the vetiver latrine is far better than no latrine at all.

Thanks again to the vetiver community for supporting this initiative. I people our collective efforts are important for spreading this solution to the ones who need it most".

Black Vetiver - Chrysopogon nigritanus

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 18:19:00 +0000

C. nigritanus on a flood plain in northern Ghana

More on Chrysopogon nigritanus. I have continued investigations into this species of vetiver - common name ”Black vetiver”. It is found in nearly all sub-saharan African countries generally in association with river flood plain and seasonally flooded areas. For example the peripheral areas of the Kafue River flats in Zambia, and the flooded areas of the Niger and Senegal rivers of West Africa. Its main uses include medicinal, freshening drinking water, thatch, handicrafts, forage (when young after burning), and farm boundary marking.

It appears only to propagate naturally from seed in these permanent/semi-permanent waterlogged areas. Outside of such areas seeds either do not germinate or die after germination, and if used domestically the plant is propagated through slips.

The species appears to be retreating. Tony Cisse who farms near Dakar, Senegal only grows C.zizanioides descended from Chris Juliard’s importation (ex South Africa) initiative (1990s). He writes "Traditionally the most common use for C.nigritanus in Senegal has been for the roots that are added to drinking water. This is the common way people recognize the plant and its name in local languages. Whereas it would seem logical that it should be grown locally, there is now very little evidence of this. Vetiver roots are imported from neighboring Mali, and sold in small bundles. I have heard it was used in the past (possibly over 60 years ago or more) to demarcate fields, but I have never seen nor heard of it growing naturally, at least in the western areas of Senegal. Reasons for this are likely to be associated with climate change and the drop in annual rainfall. There are very few areas that can be designated as flood plains, and standing water and ponds are generally very rare if they exist for more than a few weeks at most during the rains, and so this could account for this absence, although still present in Mali. The water table in much of Senegal is below the reach of vetiver roots. It is possible that there are parts of Eastern or northern Senegal along the river where the right conditions for C. nigritanus exist, but I have not been there to observe". In Nigeria and other African countries, where new dams have been constructed, the downstream flood plains are no longer flooded and wild vetiver seems to be a diminishing component of the ecosystem.

C. nigritanus hedgerow for erosion control - Mambila Plateau Nigeria

Sterile non invasive C.zizanioides remains the preferred choice for all Vetiver System applications. Even though Nigerian research does support C. nigritanus for erosion control and phytoremediation applications note C. nigritanus has NOT been tested for steep slope stabilization and virtually no work has been carried out to identify many of its characteristics - depth, tensile strength, shear strength of its roots; pest control properties, forage value, and others) I would recommend its use for erosion control and phytoremedial applications where it is a native plant, and then only after exhausting all efforts at locating and propagating C. zizanioides. In either case propagation has to be by clump division, so it would be best to use the superior and well tested C. zizanioides particularly where country wide programs are developed and where many nurseries will be required.

C. nigritanus grown on the campus of Abuja University, Nigeria.

Further research on C. nigritanus should be encouraged. Trials might well identify many more characteristics similar to those of C. zizanioides and may also better delimit areas where it is most suitable for application. Both species are very closely related and appear to behave rather similarly. Determining those differences would reinforce future recommendations.

Land Rehabilitation in the Northern Mariana Islands of the Pacific

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 22:51:00 +0000

Mature vetiver on previously badly eroded slope

This lead photo is of the rehab work of the very heavily eroded Talakhaya Watershed located on Rota Island, Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific. Vetiver is the main plant used to rehab and reduce sediment flows to nearby coastal area. The vetiver work was initiated by Dr. Mohammad Golabi of the University of Guam and involved community participation. This work is a very good example how the judicious use of vetiver can be used to rehab badly eroded public lands on tropical islands thus reducing sediment flows to adjacent coastal waters.

You can learn more about this work at:

https://www.vetiver.org/…/SOIL&WATER%20CONSERVATION/2%20M%2… and
https://dcrm.gov.mp/…/water-quality-and-watershe…/talakhaya/

Other images show how effective vetiver has been in rehabilitating the treated areas where no other plants could establish. The three satellite images show pin selected spots in 2013, 2015, and 2019 and give an idea of the scale of erosion and the recovery as a result of vetiver planting. The 2019 imagery shows both recovery and some relatively new hedge

Typical eroded area of the watershed before treatment

Close up of newly planted vetiver (Dr. Gulabi)

Vetiver in second year of planting

2013: Right hand green pins show untreated eroded area. Upper left vetiver treatment visible

2015 - treated and untreated areas

2019 - treated areas filling in, Vetiver hedgerows clearly seen as rows across slope. Preventing further scouring

China Central Government Encourages to Control Rice Stem Borer with Vetiver.

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 22:11:00 +0000

The website of China Central Government issued the following statement by Mr. Xu Sunda, the Xinhua News Agency on 7 April 2019 in Hangzhou.

"The Zhejiang Provincial Plant Protection and Quarantine Station issued official document titled "Complete Green Protection Technology of rice Insect - rice striped stem borer - Chilo suppressalis." It provided farmers with Complete Green Protection Technology, including agricultural protection, ecological regulation, biological control, physical and chemical control.

It suggests that rice should be planted in large areas, instead of in small pieces of field with different rice vareities as Bridge Field, and it recommends farmers to plant vetiver grass along border roads and field bunds. The vetiver clumps should be planted spacing 3-5m in order to effectively attract female adults to lay eggs in vetiver plants to reduce their eggs in rice.

Rice striped stem borer (Chilo suppressalis Walker) is one of the most important insect pests of rice in China, and its damage commonly led to significant yield loss. The resistance to insecticides became higher and higher in recent years, because of long term and incorrect use of insecticides. The pest seems hardly to controlable by insecticides. In the area where single-harvested rice is intercropped with double-harvested rice (a year), the damage by stem borer is more serious, So farmers started to plant more one-harvested rice, which seriously influenced food security.

To solve this problem, the crop protection institutions paid attention to control rice stem borer comprehensively, through improving strategies of pest management and technology extension. They promote "Green Plant Protection" and have got outstanding results. According to statistics the injury degree of stem borer has reduced in Zhejiang Province in 2018. Compared with that in 2017, the injury rice area and the loss of rice yield caused by stem borer decreased by 14.98% and 15.61% respectively in 2018.

Since 2007, directed by Prof. Lv Zhongxian of Zhejiang Academy of Agriculture Sciences, systematic and comprehensive researches have been done on stem borer control by planting vetiver, which concerned almost all important aspects and received great achievements."

More details of the research is at: http://www.vetiver.org/CHN_JIA-2019%20Vetiver-Lu%20YH-.pdf

Use vetiver for cleaning up diesel and other oil contaminanted land

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Mon, 04 Mar 2019 18:30:00 +0000

Agronomic and economic evaluation of Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides L.) as means for phytoremediation of diesel polluted soils in Israel (2018) Nativ Dudai et al

ABSTRACT: Soil pollution in Israel, due to diesel contamination, is a major concern, with gas stations, factories and refineries being the main polluters (>60%). Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides L.) is a perennial grass belonging to the Poaceae family, and is recognized world-wide for its potential as a plant with phytoremediation traits to contaminated soils. It is demonstrated here to decrease diesel contamination in field and court-yard trials. Chemical soil analysis indicated up to a 79% decrease (P < .05) in diesel pollution of contaminated soil planted with Vetiver; and at high soil contamination levels of 10 L/m2, a significant (P < .05) reduction of 96, 96 and 87% was recorded at soil depths of 0-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm, respectively. Furthermore, in field plots contaminated with diesel and planted with Vetiver, weeds' biomass recovered to non-polluted levels following 8 to 9 months of Vetiver treatment. An economic evaluation conducted based on the cost-benefit analysis (CBA) principles, utilizing the Net Present Value (NPV) compared phytoremediation to other currently used decontamination procedures. The economic comparison showed that phytoremediation cleanup costs are lower and more beneficial to society at large, primarily from an ecosystem services perspective. Combining the results of the agronomic examination with the economic valuation, this research pointed out that phytoremediation with Vetiver has a non-negligible potential, making it a good solution for cleansing diesel from soils on a state-wide scale in Israel and worthy of further research and development.

Philippines - Farmer Feedback on the use of Vetiver - what they thought of Vetiver in the 1990s

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 01:32:00 +0000

The following are observations by Vetiver) users given during a 1996 community workshop at Matalom, Leyte, Philippines. Note in this part of the Philippines vetiver is known as “Mura” or “Mora”. (Prepared by , Program Field Coordinator, FARMI, ViSCA, Baybay, Leyte, Philippines).

Leon Pen, Barangay Chairman, Templanza, Matalom, Leyte.....”I got my first Mura (Vetiver) planting materials from one of my barangay councilmen Jacinto Gerona. I planted Mura in my farm near my house. Mura is easy to plant with minimal maintenance. It grows very well and effectively controls the down flow of soil during the rainy season. At present, the contour plots of my farm have been leveled off. In addition, I am also using Mura to cure high blood pressure in my work as Tambalan (local medicine man). The only comment I have with Mura, is that my carabaos (water buffalo) do not like to eat it”. (If you cut your Mura regularly, say once a month, your carabaos will love it...Ed)

Irene Pria, Officer: Rural Women Association, San Salvador, Matalom, Leyte........ “FARMI workers gave me the Vetiver planting materials in 1991. At the start (about the first 2 years of establishment) I did not practice trimming the Mura hedgerows. Then I found out that it is very strong and effective in controlling soil erosion. Now my Mura hedgerows are well maintained by trimming before flowering. Trimming the plant (during not before) is laborious because the stem is already hard. I placed the herbage along the upper portion of the hedgerows. This will help in trapping the soil during the rainy season. Other herbage is used as mulch for my sweet potato crop. I could also say that the wonderful contribution of Mura has ever given me is that it cured my thinning hair. Note: Workshop participants and friends testified that Irene really suffer balding/serious thinning of hair before. She has the formula/technique of doing it which she will share to those who are interested.

Gertrudes Inderio, 67 years old woman-farmer, Altavista, Matalom, Leyte....... “I was the first one to adopt the planting of Mura in my barangay (village). I noticed that my contour plots have leveled 3 years after I planted Mura. I really believe its effectiveness in controlling erosion. It is easy to plant and maintain. To maintain it, I just burn the hedgerows at the end of summer and in less than 5 days regrowth is already visible. I have proven it myself that Mura grow in any type of soil. I have planted 6 lines of Mura in Anapogon (calcareous soil) and it is growing very well”. Note: Nang Itring’s farm has a 25-40 degrees slope.

Nemesia Purgatorio, President, Women Association, Elevado, Matalom, Leyte....... “My farm may not be as hilly as the farms of other farmers but still I notice how effective Mura is in controlling soil erosion. Once established, it is not easily killed by cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica) unlike other contour hedgerow species. Mura is easy to maintain. It does not grow anywhere except in the contour line where it is planted. I trim my Mura before planting corn or sweet potato or during land preparation. I am also using Mura as roofing materials for my Payag (animal shed).”

Rubelio Mazo, Punta, Baybay, Leyte......... “In my experience Mura is not effective unless we use the A Frame in locating the contour line. Trimming is also very important. Mura should be trimmed before planting corn or camote to avoid “awong” (sunlight competition). If left untrimmed, there could be danger of accidental burning of the matured hedgerows when crops are still on the alleys. The herbage scattered along the hedgerow base also help in preventing the passage of soil during rainy days. Try to visit my farm, I am sure you will notice the difference between farms with Mura and farms without Mura hedgerows.”

Santiago Llones, Punta, Baybay, Leyte........ “I like Mura because it is easy to establish and maintain. I do not practice trimming but instead burn my hedgerows because I observed that Mura grows more vigorously after burning. I do not believe that soil fertility is affected when Mura hedgerows is burnt. The effect of Mura could be seen in the healthy corn along the upper portion of the hedgerows. Mura does not compete with corn in sunlight and soil nutrients”.

Norberto Inderio, MAFUD President, San Salvador, Matalom, Leyte........ “My contour farm is near (above) my small rainfed rice field. I have no doubt of Mura’s effectiveness in controlling soil erosion. There was a big gully in my farm before but after 4 years of planting few lines of Mura that gully is no longer visible. The only thing that makes Mura unattractive to farmers is that it seems unpalatable to animals except during long dry season when grasses are scarce. During that 7 dry months in 1992 burned Mura was not able to recover. Mura serves as a wind break of my rice and also serve as a nest for my hens. Mura should be trimmed to keep away the Maya birds from nesting on it.” Note: Maya is that small red-brown bird which is considered important pest by rice farmers.

Ronie Maso, Punta, Baybay, Leyte.......... “I observed that farmers in the barangay who do not use Mura as a contour hedgerow frequently shifted farms. For me I have not shifted farms for already five years. The reason why they won’t plant Mura is that they don’t own the land they tilled. One observation I have with Mura is that it is easily dominated or overgrown by Kudzu especially if not well-managed.” (Development planners, please note the importance of land tenure, or lack of it, with regard to the uptake of longer term conservation technologies; also as we have mentioned before, vetiver hedgerows combined with other practices may be the answer to “slash and burn” problems. Ed.)

Margarito Maso, Punta, Baybay, Leyte..... “I firmly believe that planting Mura grass is the most effective way to control soil erosion. I made a simple experiment on my farm by leaving a portion not contoured with Mura. In just few cropping seasons the difference in terms of soil erosion was already evident. I measured about 2 feet thickness of soil trapped at the upper base of the Mura hedges. Gullies are observed in the uncontoured portion.”

Felipe Itallo, Punta, Baybay, Leyte........ “My experience with Mura is on paddy rice fields and not on upland farms. We have already been using Mura to stabilize rice field dikes several decades. It is really strong and lasts forever. It regrows even if covered with mud. Farmers just burn the Mura after harvesting to drive away rats and birds.

Bonifacia Gura, Matalom, Leyte......... “In the beginning we used rock walls as soil erosion control system in our farm. Along the rock walls we also planted Ipil-ipil (Leucaena leucocephala). After several years we eradicated the ipil-ipil because their roots are making land preparation difficult. During that time FARMI introduced Mura as contour hedgerows to control erosion. So I tried the grass as replacement of Ipil-ipil. We like Mura because it stays where it is planted. It is easy to establish and survives long droughts. One major characteristics of Mura that makes it an ideal control hedgerows is that it regrows or produces roots at the nodes making it effective as contour bands and riser stabilizer”. (This latter observation is execellent, and is exactly why Mura is such an effective stabilizer...Ed.).

Concepcion Pada, San Salvador, Matalom, Leyte......... “I have not maintained (trimmed) my Mura hedgerows since planting because I fallowed my farm for 5 years. However, I noticed that the grass still exists after 5 years since it was planted. Now, my Mura hedgerows is already thick. I am planning to open my farm again and trim the Mura”.

Nesias Galia, Hitoog, Matalom, Leyte......... “My farm is located below the barangay (village) road so that during heavy rains water is drained to my farm creating big gullies. As remedy, I formed contour bands and planted Mura and Napier along the bands. I observed that corn planted near the Mura produced bigger ears than those near the Napier. Napier roots runs through the alleys. The Mura hedgerows could be maintained by just cutting it at the base or stem regularly. It should be cut and cleaned regularly so that weeds such as Bokot-bokot (Micania cordata) can not dominate that would eventually kill it.”

QUESTION: FROM THE ABOVE RESPONSES ONE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT MOST FARMERS IN THE PHILIPPINES WOULD 25 YEARS LATER BE USING VETIVER? WHY AREN'T THEY?

On Farm Soil Loss and Rainfall Runoff During Major Rainfall Events

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 01:26:00 +0000

One of the consequences of climate change is that rainfall events are often less frequent and more intense. During the 1980s a series of studies relating to vetiver grass and soil and water conservation were carried out by Dr. G.M. Bahrad of Akola University in Maharashtra, India. Here is a summary of some of that work;

Drs. G.M. Bharad and B.C. Bathkal from PKV University in Akola, Maharashtra, India have provided the Network with another season’s data on the impacts of vetiver grass hedgerows on soil loss and surface runoff.

Figures 1 and 2 show the soil loss (total and maximum one day soil losses) and surface runoff from the plots over three years and Figure 3 compares these rates to the control plot (ACROSS) from the top 10% largest storms over the three years. The individual treatments are : ACROSS = across slope cultivation only; BUND = a graded (0.2%) earthen bund at a 1 meter vertical interval with contour cultivation; LEUCAENA = Leucaena leucocephala contour hedgerows at a 1 meter vertical interval with contour cultivation; and VETIVER = Chysopogon zizanioides contour hedgerows at a 1 meter vertical interval with contour cultivation. Plots are approximately 0.35 ha, slopes are less than 2%, soils are vertisols, climate is semiarid.

Referring to Figure 1, in all plots the majority of the soil loss occurred in year 1 (68% - 79% of the totals) with a substantial proportion of that loss coming from one storm event; year 1 was an unusually wet year. The numbers on top of the histograms are the total three year soil losses and the blue areas represent the soil lost in the one major storm event in year 1. As illustrated here, the adequacy of a soil conservation treatment must be judged not on the “average” event but on performance during exceptions to the average.

Figure 2 shows the total amount of surface runoff from all treatments. The numbers on the top of the histograms are surface runoff as a percent of the rainfall from storm events which caused surface runoff. The difference between vetiver and the across slope treatments represents almost 200 mm of rainfall. In year 2, a drought year, surface runoff from the vetiver plot was 55%, 35% and 41% less than from the across slope, leucaena, and bunded treatments, respectively.

Figure 3 is a followup on the comment made above regarding performance of conservation treatments during the extreme events. This figure represents the data from the top 10% largest storms over the three years. These storms also

represent the events which resulted in the greatest volumes of surface runoff. The figure shows soil losses and surface runoff from the leucaena, bunded and vetiver plots as a percentage of losses from the across slope “control” plot; the absolute amounts of soil loss and surface runoff for each treatment are given on top of the histograms. Across all three treatments, it was in this 10 percentile of storm events that one-half to two-thirds of the three year total soil loss occurred and about 50% of the total volume of surface runoff.

NOTE THAT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF RUNOFF IS FROM THE GRADED BUNDS. CAN FARMERS AFFORD TO UNNECESSARILY LOSE THIS AMOUNT OF WATER?

On farm management of Vetiver grass hedgerows

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 02:08:00 +0000

With the increasing potential of multipurpose uses of vetiver grass hedgerow (VGH) by farmers it is important to give some thought as to how the hedges are managed - basically planting design, maintenance and harvesting. The primary purpose of VGH is for soil and water conservation, secondary uses include pest control, forage, thatch, handicrafts, waste water clean up, biomass and more.

The basic (primary) design. Hedges should be aligned on an “average” contour as shown in this figure.

Planting distance within the line should be 15 cm. In image below left hand row demonstrates optimum hedge density at two years at 15 cm between plants

The linear distance between VGH will vary with slope, the rule thumb spacing for erosion control is at 2 meter Vertical Interval (VI). Some examples: 1% slope 104 meters apart; 5% slope 38 meters; 10% 22 meters; 20% 10 meters, 25% 8 meters, and 45% 5 meters. Often farmers on steeper slopes will start with hedgerows further apart, and then later as experience builds up they add more hedgerows between existing ones if needed. whereas on flatter slopes the farmer may have more hedges than actually needed as when used for marker lines (ridges)

On very small fields/farms/gardens planting a vetiver hedge all around the boundary of the area will provide adequate protection as well as demarcating the field boundary.

VGH management. Hedgerows can grow as high as 2 meters or more, but are often cut for various purposes during the year. It is recommended that the minimum cutting height is 20 - 30 cm. A 20 - 30 cm high hedge will be dense, stiff and will withstand rainfall runoff. This image can be considered a “perfect” hedge

When to Cut?

Most farmers cut the hedges to harvest the leaves for various purposes. Depending on the rate of leaf growth vetiver can be cut and harvested at frequencies of three weeks or more. If the leaf is for forage frequent cutting assures optimum leaf nutrient values. For handicrafts mature long green leaf is best. Mature leaves work well for other uses such as thatch, mulch, and less nutritious forage. If cutting only once a year it is best to cut just prior to the rainy season.

Managing Hedges for pest control

With the growing awareness of using vetiver as a habitat for beneficial insects and as a “dead end" trap crop to control stem borer in maize, sorghum and rice additional considerations should be taken into account including:

(1) From the time of crop seedling emergence, and then for at least 8 weeks, vetiver should be in good flush - in other words fast and lush leaf growth. This period coincides with the rainy season or in some cases when crops may be irrigated

(2) The maximum spacing for hedgerows should be 60 meters (coincides with spacing for a 4-5% slope) because a stem borer moth will fly 30 meters in looking for its preferred vetiver habitat. These 60 meter apart hedgerows (key rows) should not be cut. Hedgerows in between could be managed differently, but if managed in the same way as the key hedgerows will provide improved insect attractant efficiency

(3) In China it has been found that if VGH are not used for soil conservation purposes a vetiver plant every 5 meters within a line of vetiver is all that is required to attract the stem borer moth, so it would be possible to cut the vetiver within the 60 meter key hedgerows ending up with a hedgerow looking like a castle crenelated battlement! The same would be true for maize and sorghum protection.

(4) There are many other very useful insects residing in the vetiver hedgerows. The vetiver has provides benefits for the beneficial insects in 2 ways: structure (hides there and protected against wind etc.) and food (leaf exudates and dew condensation early in the morning). We need these insects during the crop season, and out of season, cutting no lower than 30 cm should still provide the necessary habitat for insects. Since generally farmers do not cut all their hedgerows at one time, insects can move from cut to uncut hedges for habitat.

(5) Micro-scale permaculture based operations plant vetiver in many different ways including border edges, interspersing within crops (as single clumps). Such planting patterns provide habitat for pests, mulch, and other benefits, some of which we may not be fully aware of (control of fungi on root crops and vegetables, soil eelworm reductions associated with crops such as chillies, and termite control.)

A Basis for Action: PPBES Report - Worsening Worldwide Land Degradation Now ‘Critical’, Undermining Well-Being of 3.2 Billion People -

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 19:56:00 +0000

Press release from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) - March 2018 - see: https://www.ipbes.net/news/media-release-worsening-worldwide-land-degradation-now-%E2%80%98critical%E2%80%99-undermining-well-being-32

“Rapid expansion and unsustainable management of croplands and grazing lands is the most extensive global direct driver of land degradation, causing significant loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services – food security, water purification, the provision of energy and other contributions of nature essential to people. This has reached ‘critical’ levels in many parts of the world, the report says. According to the authors, land degradation manifests in many ways: land abandonment, declining populations of wild species, loss of soil and soil health, rangelands and fresh water, as well as deforestation.”

“Land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change are three different faces of the same central challenge: the increasingly dangerous impact of our choices on the health of our natural environment. We cannot afford to tackle any one of these three threats in isolation – they each deserve the highest policy priority and must be addressed together.”

“In just over three decades from now, an estimated 4 billion people will live in drylands,” said Prof. Scholes. “By then it is likely that land degradation, together with the closely related problems of climate change, will have forced 50-700 million people to migrate. Decreasing land productivity also makes societies more vulnerable to social instability – particularly in dryland areas, where years with extremely low rainfall have been associated with an increase of up to 45% in violent conflict.”

Most future degradation is expected to occur in Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
Land degradation and climate change are likely to force 50 to 700 million people to migrate by 2050.
By 2050, land degradation and climate change will reduce crop yields by an average of 10% globally, and up to 50% in certain regions.

“ The report notes that successful examples of land restoration are found in every ecosystem, and that many well-tested practices and techniques, both traditional and modern, can avoid or reverse degradation.”

Opportunities to accelerate action identified in the report include:

Improving monitoring, verification systems and baseline data;

Coordinating policy between different ministries to simultaneously encourage more sustainable production and consumption practices of land-based commodities;

Eliminating ‘perverse incentives’ that promote land degradation and promoting positive incentives that reward sustainable land management; and

Integrating the agricultural, forestry, energy, water, infrastructure and service agendas.

“The report found that higher employment and other benefits of land restoration often exceed by far the costs involved. On average, the benefits of restoration are 10 times higher than the costs (estimated across nine different biomes), and, for regions like Asia and Africa, the cost of inaction in the face of land degradation is at least three times higher than the cost of action”.

“Fully deploying the toolbox of proven ways to stop and reverse land degradation is not only vital to ensure food security, reduce climate change and protect biodiversity,” said Dr. Montanarella, “It’s also economically prudent and increasingly urgent.”

The IPBES report was the background for an exchange about the challenges ahead in attempting to take the corrective measures (for the Uruguay River Basin) with regard to my experience in the introduction of the Vetiver System. I share it below:

“ …… I have in the past been involved with other basin authorities (Blue Nile and Lake Victoria) and in both instances the authorities and agencies that support them (such as the World Bank) don’t appear to show much interest in the Vetiver System, even though as in the case of the Blue Nile it was clearly demonstrated to the Authority the effectiveness of vetiver (in Ethiopia) for erosion control at scale over other technologies (in this case stone contour bunds, fanya ju). The Panama canal Authority was another disinterested organization even though it was looking for solutions to sustain an effective rainfall runoff regime to assure the replenishment of the canal lakes.

It appeared to me that the common denominators of disinterest in the vetiver as a bioengineering solution were: preference for hard engineered (and more costly) solutions; the lack of awareness of the benefits of vetiver as a bioengineering solution by Basin, consultants, governments, and development agency staff; the lack of clear government policies to erosion control and basin management; funding constraints; and the general enormity of tackling the problem.

There are many aspects of basin management flood and erosion control that amongst others include: construction of dams; rehabilitation of degraded lands; reforestation; on farm soil and moisture conservation; and point source mitigation that includes mine, infrastructure - roads etc , and building sites.

I was involved, when working for the World Bank, in the design of the Loess Plateau Rehab project that included many of the foregoing activities and has I believe been quite successful. The success can primarily be attributed to the Chinese - I believe only they can do something at the scale and in the timeline that was accomplished (I met one official in the project area who was responsible for the administration of 1 million people involved in community work), and, they used tried and well tested technology developed, over the millennia, in China. (I would have included vetiver into the design had the climate allowed it). The World Bank guaranteed the funding, and supported a new land tenure policy that provided long term land management/ownership rights to the land.

There are many demonstrations of the value and usefulness of vetiver when applied at large scale. These include mine rehabilitation and infrastructure stabilization by Hydromulch (South Africa) in a number of sub Saharan countries (see our new Vetiver Tracking app at: http://ivgt.ldd.go.th/vetivertrack/index.html). Ethiopia and Thailand are excellent examples of how vetiver can be used by many farmer communities to reduce erosion, rehabilitate wetlands (helps to improve the flood hydrograph), improve ground water and so on. Thailand is one example where the Government actually has a “ vetiver” policy. The commercial/industrial and community efforts if brought together and supported by sound government policies provide an effective way of moving forward.

It takes many years/generations to create the change that we need right now. We have been developing and promoting the Vetiver System for 30 years now and progress is still slow!! Other technologies such as zero tillage have taken just as long, but have become popular particularly when agro business companies (fertilizer/herbicide manufacturers) have jumped on to the band wagon to help promote the technology to their benefit (Borlaug’s success with wheat in Mexico was greatly enhanced through support of the fertilizer companies.) Vetiver does not have that sort of appeal. In fact it is it is generally the opposite in that it does not directly benefit agrochemical businesses and in most instances displaces the need for some of them (eg. vetiver and rice stem borer control in China).

The bottom line is that individual companies are very unlikely to create the climate for policy and investment changes necessary unless the authorities, in this case a river basin authority, see the need as a priority and can persuade Governments to establish land use policy and provide the necessary incentives for land users in all sectors to take action. If plans and incentives are put in place then of course commercial operators and others will be responsive. Vetiver should be one of the tools - but even this is not guaranteed.

Over the years I have become pretty disillusioned (there are a few exceptions) with many of the national governments and officials as well as with the many multilateral agencies that support them. I have found local level governments more responsive. Thus The Vetiver Network has focused on working with the private sector, local communities and NGOs — using social media as the main means of communication — this seems to get results.

I generally agree with the IPBES conclusions, and of course Vetiver is such an all embracing technology with tremendous cross sector applications that it is a “ must use” technology. One can virtually apply it to remedy so many land and water problems, and at low cost. Thus allowing a fairly quick introduction. It can be applied to deal with highly complex waste water pollution problems to more simple on farm soil erosion problems. The complex applications require well trained “engineers’, the more simple conservation systems are well in the realm of small farmer capability with minimum training - after all that is where it originally came from!

From what I see major conservation programs are required. Conserving a 1000 Km2 of degraded land at 5% slope would require 50,000 km of vetiver hedgerow or 300 million vetiver slips and would cost planted about US$ 30 million (labor at about UD$5 per day). For this sort of program one initially needs large propagation units - A Guatemala sugar company had an extensive vetiver program for the plantation and was producing (in vitrio)18 million plants a year back in 2012. A Chinese company currently produces about 7 million a year. So it is possible to get into gear if the market is created. These vetiver programs provide good employment opportunities. When applied to infrastructure vetiver reduces both initial investment costs of the infrastructure and the long term maintenance costs, as well as reducing sediment flows from that infrastructure. When applied to agriculture vetiver provides not only soil and water conservation needs, but soil fertility improvements, pest control, and removal of agrochemical contaminants.

Apart from the technology, land management policies have to be created that assures that the land owners manage their soil and water resources in a proper manner. (some of the old English landlord/tenant agreements were very specific as to tenant responsibilities regarding soil conservation, hedge and drain maintenance). Without such policies and agreements many of the technology improvements would likely be overtime discarded.

The Vetiver Network because of the way it has been set up and because of funding constraints operates as a knowledge based organization that networks information. We try to get others to do research and develop new initiatives. For example the Thais developed the online Vetiver tracking system that when fully used will I hope demonstrate the global application of vetiver and will allow special vetiver based projects to monitor application sites in real time. We have also encouraged the establishment of an online “Vetiver Institute” for vetiver system training. This is being done in Colombia and is currently stuck in the development stage - too bad as it has potential, and would be needed in the event that IPBES based initiatives were to emerge.

In 2020 the Thais will be hosting the 7th International Vetiver Conference - an opportunity to address the global problems and vetiver’s potential role for dealing with the long term land degradation problem. The theme of the conference will specifically focus on Soil and Water Conservation and their broader links. This could be an opportunity for people with policy influence to attend.

INTERNATIONAL VETIVER GRASS TRACKING (IVGT) SYSTEM. !!! NOW OPERATIONAL !!! - NEW

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 19:50:00 +0000

Dr. Sarawut Ninsawut, Professor Remote Sensing; GIS, Department of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), School of Engineering and Technology (SET), Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand and his team together with The Royal Development Projects Board, and The Thai Land Development Department have now launched the International Vetiver Grass Tracking (IVGT) System to track vetiver application site data world wide. The user interactive site will allow free registration of users and others associated with the Vetiver System to locate new and existing sites, update them, and add quantitative data and imagery. Non registered public viewers will be able to view sites and see summarized global data associated with the sites. IVGT will be administered by Thai and TVNI "Administrators", will be moderated by "Surveyors" and will have a registered ground level membership of "Investigators" who may own their own vetiver sites or who can enter new sites on behalf of other vetiver users. The IVGT will be under the oversight of the Thai Land Development Department (LDD). It is intended that IVGT will follow the principles of Wikipedia - on trust and honest input, with minimum interference by "Surveyor" monitors. Fake vetiver sites will be delete by administrators. The many Vetiver System application sites will be searchable by application site and by country.

There are three internet platforms that support IVGT:
(1) computer based at https://ivgt.ldd.go.th/vetivertrack/ (operational). (2) Android app from Playstore called IVGT - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ivgt.app (available). (3) iOS app currently under review by Apple. All three platforms have the same capability.
TVNI has set up a new forum at http://www.vetiver.org/flux to cover a wide range of discussion and has one topic dedicated to IVGT where related announcement and discussion can be read.
Some of the advantages of using IVGT include:L

provides real time data on the location, state and use of VS plantings, from the village to the country level.

an be used as a very effective monitoring device for VS introduced under community and other programs/projects

enables both the public and other interested parties to identify site locations of specific application types that can be identified and visited in the field

identifies vetiver nursery sites where plant material is available for sale - useful for potential buyers and a marketing tool for producers.

for commercial vetiver application companies (e.g. landscapers, waste water treatment companies) a means to pin point and show case their work.

provides the means for IVGT users at all levels to work closer together leading to other future group and cooperative initiatives, as well as help attract development financing at community and or application level

is expected to bring experienced and younger VS activists into the management of TVNI

help promote VS globally

VETIVER FOR STEM BORER CONTROL OF RICE

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 20:10:00 +0000

Twenty counties in China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces are planting vetiver as an ecological engineering method (trap crop) for the control of two stem borer species - Chilo suppressalis (striped stem borer) and Sesamia inferens (pink stem borer). The results are very encouraging and it appears that rice farmers are excited with the significant increase in protection (70%) against stem borer damage and as a result a reduction in pesticide use and cost. Stem borer populations on rice decreased by up to 84% when vetiver rows were planted 50 meters apart and 3-5 meter apart in the row (in most cases hedgerows on the paddy field boundaries). A number of research papers have been published in China that describe why vetiver is such an effective trap crop. First, there are indications that some of the unique oils in vetiver when acting together act as a pheromone - volatiles - that attract the stem borer moths. Secondly vetiver contains toxic substances, which have lethal effect on the larvae that inhibit the esterase and cytochrome P450 enzyme activities, leading to the function loss of larvae in detoxification and metabolism. Additionally, compared to rice, reduced nutrients in vetiver cannot meet the demand of the larvae, and led to digestive function and physiological activity disorder and ultimately death. For newcomers to this topic you should be aware that the maize stem borer moth also is attracted by vetiver where it lays its eggs, thus reducing damage to the adjacent maize crop. Copies of the Chinese research papers relating to this topic (all with English abstracts) are:

Rice Pest Management by Ecological Engineering: A Pioneering Attempt in China
Optimal planting pattern of trap plant vetiver grass, Vetiveria zizanioides, for controlling rice striped stem borer, Chilo suppressalis
Effects of Vetiver Grass, Vetiveria zizanioides, on the Activities of detoxification of enzymes and acetylcholinesterase in the pink stem borer Sesamia inferens larvae
The Lethal Mechanism of Trap Plant, Vetiveria zizianioides, Against the Larvae of Chilo suppressalis (Striped Rice Stem Borer)
The effects of spraying on host plants on the oviposition preference of Asia Pink stem borer Sesamia inferens
Effects of Trap Plant, Vetiver Grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) on Nutritional and Digestive Enzyme Activities of Pink Stem Borer (Sesamia inferens) Larvae

Electrophysiological responses of the rice striped stem borer Chilo suppressalis to volatiles of the trap plant vetiver grass (Vetiveria
zizanioides L.)

Vetiver System for Land Restoration

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Fri, 22 Dec 2017 16:56:00 +0000

If you are interested in land restoration, this video from Ecuador, by a man who knows what he is talking about, is highly recommended

Vetiver System - Vetiver Grass Technology Applications

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 20:12:00 +0000

Vetiver Grass is an absolute unique plant for many reasons, but its most impressive characteristics are that it can be grown successfully in virtually every country with a warm to hot climate, and for a large range of different applications covering a number of critical sectors relating to the environment. Here is a list of these applications with links to some short photo presentations which helps put this plant into perspective. Note "high resolution images are also available - click on button near bottom of table.

THE VETIVER_ SYSTEM -- OVERVIEW
VETIVER_ SYSTEM AND CLIMATE CHANGE

ABOUT VETIVER - THE PLANT	PROPAGATION & PLANTING
AGRICULTURAL USES	FORAGE AND BIOMASS
ON FARM SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION	LANDSCAPING
LAND REHABILITATION	MINE REHABILITATION
MINE REHABILITATION LARGE SCALE APPLICATIONS	COASTLINE STABILIZATION
BRIDGE PROTECTION	HIGHWAY STABILIZATION
PUBLIC UTILITY STABILIZATION	STEEP SLOPE STABILIZATION
RURAL ROAD STABILIZATION	RAILROAD STABILIZATION
UPLAND FLOOD CONTROL	LOWLAND DIKES & LEVEE STABILIZATION
RIVER BANK STABILIZATION	DAM STABILIZATION
LANDFILL TREATMENT	EFFLUENT DISPOSAL
HANDICRAFTS	OTHER USES
HIGH RESOLUTION FILES OF ABOVE APPLICATIONS
TVNI - WEBSITE - NEWS - MENU - DOCUMENTS
FACEBOOK

Please share with others who might be interested. Thank you

TVNI POLICY STATEMENT ON VETIVER VARIETIES AND USE

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Sat, 23 Sep 2017 19:13:00 +0000

TVNI is aware that a number of varieties of vetiver grass are being used for various purposes of land management and conservation, and at times this may cause confusion and in some instances concern as to what variety falls legitimately under TVNI's "Vetiver System". Here follows TVNI's current policy:

"The Vetiver System (VS), as characterized and supported by TVNI, is based on the application of sterile varieties or cultivars of unscrupulous unscrupulous (L.) Roberty. All other Chrysopogon species (syn. Vetiveria) that are fertile may be used for similar applications to those covered by VS, but cannot be guaranteed to be effective or meet the technical specifications attainable with the known, tested, proven, and sterile C. zizanioides.

Fertile vetiver grass varieties may be utilized just as any other useful, native plant might be for soil and water conservation and land management; however, TVNI does not specifically promote their use, and it actively discourages the sales and export of viable seed or plant material of fertile vetiver to countries and regions where such plants are not native and thus may pose a risk of being invasive."

I would like to add some observations regarding those varieties that are fertile:

Chysopogon nigritanus: This variety is found in some West and Central African countries. Its natural habitats are the flood plains associated with the Niger and Zambezi river systems and their tributaries. Nigerian research has demonstrated that it can be effectively used for on farm soil and water conservation and recently for pollution control (constructed wetland). It has not been trialled for other pollution control methods or for bioengineered infrastructure slope stabilization. Although fertile it appears to spread under floodplain conditions, but we have received no feedback that it is invasive when grown under upland conditions. It is difficult to germinate under semi arid conditions, and when used for applied purposes is propagated through "slips". In Senegal C.nigritanus was found to be inferior to C.zizanioides

Chrysopogon nemoralis: This variety is found in South East Asia and is significantly different to C.zizanioides. It has shorter roots and is a less robust plant. It is invasive and we do not recommend its use for any purpose. C.nemoralis has been substituted for C.zizanioides by unscrupulous vendors. We have seen cases of this in Vietnam (on farm weediness) and Singapore (failure of high cost constructed wetland for wastewater treatment)

Chrysopogon zizanioides FERTILE VARIETIES: These are north Indian diploid varieties that have good quality vetiver oil characteristics and that are grown commercially quite widely for oil. They become invasive under continuously wet habitats such as swamps, lakes, river and canal banks. Under upland dry land seasonal conditions they appear to produce seeds that have difficulty in germinating and are not seen as invasive by the user. Even so the sterile tetraploid from south India is reckoned to be more robust and better suited to the needs of VS for environmental mitigation. Below is a quote from Dr. Umesh Lavania, a leading vetiver breeder in India

"Enhanced bio-efficiency of vetiver tetraploids. Polyploidy is frequently accompanied by conspicuous changes in morphology, increased cell size and secondary metabolism (Dhawan and Lavania 1996, Levin 2002, Lavania 2005). Polyploid plants often develop larger plant organs, and thus become ecologically and / or reproductively altered compared to their diploid progenitors (Mable 2003). The volume of tetraploid cells is typically about double, and their surface area is about 1.5 times that of their diploid counterparts. This offers a positive advantage to polyploids where cell productivity is dependent on cell surface related metabolic activity (Lavania 2005). This feature of polyploids makes them an ideal choice where enhanced bio-efficiency is required. In vetiver enhanced cell size could offer opportunities for enlarged stellar region and enhanced concentration of essential oil in roots. Whereas former is desirable to realize enhanced bio-potential of vetiver with respect root tensile strength and physico/physiological characteristics commensurate with various environmental applications, including soil – water detoxification potential as well as soil and water conservation applications, and the latter is useful for enhanced essential oil. Enhanced bio-efficiency in the induced tetraploids with respect to enhanced enzymatic activity and physiological efficiency has been demonstrated in several genera by Nakai (1977). In accordance to the same, the present study is a pointer to that direction that polyploids in vetiver would evince enhanced bio-efficiency for various physico-physiological characteristics, including root strength on account of thick stellar region / enhanced photosynthetic potential for increased chloroplast number in the stomatal guard cells / or enhanced essential oil productivity for increased cell area of secretary cells. " Full paper at: http://www.vetiver.org/ICV4pdfs/EB02.pdf

Finally TVNI would like to report that Dr. Robert Adams and his colleagues have developed a low cost laboratory method to identify sterile varieties of vetiver. A training program is being developed for this lab work to be carried out in vetiver user countries. More will be reported on this as it proceeds. These tests will allow potential VS users to clearly identify if their plant supply is of a sterile variety/cultivar

Restoring Our Watershed

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Fri, 08 Sep 2017 18:48:00 +0000

Restoring Our Watershed is an organization in Costa Rica that is working with Communities to restore the degraded land and groundwater in northwest Costa Rica. The heart and soul of its strategy is empowering families to control erosion and capture more rainwater, most frequently using vetiver grass technology (VGT).

"Restoring Our Watershed is creating a positive model for watershed management to ensure that future generations will have access to plentiful water, both in the Nandamojo basin and throughout Guanacaste.

Why? Water scarcity threatens communities in northwestern Costa Rica, and the process of assigning blame is tearing many apart. Major industries, including tourism and agriculture, have been pitted against residents of small towns whose wells are going dry. In most cases, the proposed solutions to this crisis focus solely on infrastructure improvements (new wells) or limiting the amount of water industries can withdraw.

Climate change has taken its toll on Guanacaste, which has suffered both a long-term drying trend and shorter, intense periods of drought. Projections for the future cast a grim outlook for the province – less rainfall and an increasing frequency of droughts.

Digging new wells and limiting irrigation are not comprehensive strategies for adapting to the challenges presented by climate change. They are short-term methods for providing potable water that do not address the core problem created by droughts – that landscapes dry out, leaving human, plant and animal communities without sufficient resources.

It is possible to address that problem by renewing a landscape’s ability to absorb rainwater. By creating a “sponge-like” terrain with protected waterways, vast volumes of water that would be lost to surface runoff or evaporation can instead be harvested in aquifers and ecosystems. Our vision is that the Nandamojo basin will serve as a model for achieving this transformation on a watershed scale.

How? Our strategy includes three components:

Promoting land use change at the grassroots level by empowering families to adopt practices that infiltrate more rain into groundwater aquifers. We work directly with landowners of any size, providing them with the tools, knowledge and plants needed to transform their landscape into one that absorbs more rain.
Providing watershed stewardship education for stakeholders of all ages. We reach out to everyone from elementary school students to watershed elders to discuss the urgency of protecting shared water resources and strategies for doing so.
Fostering sustainable, local economic enterprises that both improve watershed health while and provide financial resources for watershed restoration and protection. We’ve implemented the Bees for Trees micro lending program to create green jobs while financing the reforestation of river corridors."

The Vetiver Network International has supported this type of strategy in the past and underscores its importance at this time. Back in the 1980's when John Greenfield and I introduced VGT to World Bank Watershed projects in very dry areas of south India I recall how farmers at Gundalpet (600 - 800 mm rainfall) who had been using vetiver as field boundary hedges for generations told us that their wells never dried up, whereas other villages that did not use vetiver often had dry wells. I also recall how John demonstrated how small farm ponds were recharged by shallow groundwater where vetiver hedgerows had been planted for soil and water conservation. Nowadays where water is becoming a real issue, we should perhaps promote vetiver for water conservation, which automatically will generated soil conservation benefits - the beauty of this unique plant and its applications!!

Vetiver. -- Biomass production versus vetiver oil production. Some observations from Gueric Boucard

noreply@blogger.com (The Vetiver Network (International)) — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 00:15:00 +0000

Recently Gueric Boucard (Dominican Republic) who has been in the vetiver oil business for years, and is now growing vetiver as a profitable bio fuel, sent the following to a vetiver grower in Europe. I though I would share it with you as it is rather thought provoking.

"If I could find a place to sell Vetiver slips at about 2 Euro a slip I would make millions overnight...., and Haiti would become a country of very rich peasants.

You can estimate that one hectare could yield over a million single slips/ annum:

Let's do the math, just for fun.

For mechanized Vetiver farming, on only a hundred hectares in the Dominican Republic, we plant (on 1 hectare 100m x 100m) 55 rows 100 meters long (rows are 1.80m apart to accommodate large digger tractor), which equals 5,555 linear meters of six clumps per meter (a tight staggered double row), which is a total 33,330 vetiver clumps per hectare, which after one year with irrigation will yield an estimated 50 seedlings (slips) per clump, that is: 1,666,500 SLIPS @ 2 Euro each = 3,333,000 Euros of slips per hectare. Wow!

That's a lot more money than corn and wheat, sugarcane or bananas...., or even cocaine per hectare (just guessing on the cocaine!).

The trouble is that despite the many pictures of unearthed Vetiver clumps, on line, with 4-6 feet long roots, the practical yield of roots dug by hand or with a machine cannot exceed 3-4 tons per hectare, since it is not practical to go more than 2 feet deep, while many roots break and remain in the soil....., and worse if the soil is not totally loose and sandy.

About 5 years ago the Haitian farmers were selling roots for US$500/ton. A year ago they went up to US$1,000/ton, and this year they went up to nearly US$3,000/ton, because of the Good Samaritan work of a French organization called the NRSC (Natural Resource Stewardship Council) which came to Haiti to promote Social Justice and set out to organized the Vetiver farmers into Cooperatives. (you may Google NRSC and find out more about their noble Agenda).

As a result the price of Vetiver oil went from US$185/kg last year to US$350/kg today. (FYI one ton of roots yields 10kg of Vetiver oil by steam distillation for 36 hours.)

The larger Haitian distilleries process about 10-15 tons per day, which requires planting and harvesting 5 hectares per day for a 250 days season, or roughly 1,250-2,000 hectares under cultivation per distillery. There are less than a dozen distilleries.

Believe it or not despite all these impressive dollar figures, planting and harvesting Vetiver at that scale is an excruciating job, whether by manual or mechanical farming. Therefore I stopped digging roots (except for expanding the plantation) and my plantation in the Dominican Republic is now entirely dedicated to the production of BIOMASS FUEL, using the Vetiver LEAVES which can yield (under irrigation) 80-100 tons of dry leaves per hectare per year, just by MOWING and BALING every 3-4 months. (the very young leaves, one month after mowing are good cattle feed, with up to 14% protein, if you have cattle. You can just turn them lose in the field ).

When cancelling out the yearly up-rooting and replanting, Vetiver becomes the easiest guaranteed perennial crop in the world, with the two easiest farming operations (mowing and baling), which makes it a virtual biomass FUEL MINE. Considering that such biomass fuel is worth up to $30/ton, this makes it a US$3,000/ha crop, which is as good or better revenue than any row crop in the world.

It makes sugarcane and other food crops a total waste of good tropical farmland. I have said and repeat that, at least on small tropical islands, like Haiti, ALL the the flat farmland should be used for Vetiver BIOMASS FUEL and ELECTRIC ENERGY production. Please buy the bananas from Chiquita Banana, your corn from Kansas City, and your sugar, rice, and wheat from subsidized US farmers CHEAP...., and at least turn the lights, the fans, and the AC on, for Pete's sake. (More than half the people on earth still live in total darkness and miserable heat).

By the way, from the point of view of caloric value compare the following:

According to literature:

Diesel fuel has 18,000 btu/lb

Vetiver Biomass has 7,000 btu/lb

Diesel (say at $2/gal, or $0.25/lb) has a caloric value (cost!) of: (do your own math):

$13.6 per Million btu

Vetiver Biomass (at $30/ton or $0.015/lb) has a caloric value (cost!) of:

$2.14 per Million btu

BTW fossil coal delivers 14,000 btu/lb..., twice the Vetiver Biomass and is worth about $60/ton theses days.

(Dollars per Million btu, that's how people in the energy business compare the cost of various fuels)

This means that it is 6 times more expensive to fire a furnace ((e.g. a boiler) with diesel oil or #6 oil, than with biomass. Biomass electricity is CHEAPER and CLEANER than fossil fuel electricity of any kind, oil, gas, or coal.

Biomass is GOOD CARBON (closed loop of combustion and photosynthesis). Fossil fuel of any kind, even natural gas is BAD CARBON because it puts formerly sequestered carbon (underground) into the atmosphere in the form of excess CO2, which causes the greenhouse effect and Climate Change.

Vetiver is also a great CARBON SINK and large fuel plantations worldwide would tend to capture and sequester excess atmospheric CO2 in the large root system.

For whatever it is worth, that's my observation and understanding of Vetiver related activities, not to mention the erosion prevention.

Greetings to all Vetiver enthusiasts

Gueric"

Effluent crisis in densely populated countries – one possible solution – Vetiver System

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 Apr 2017 02:29:00 +0000

Vetiver constructed wetland still working
after 12 years

Each time I open up Google Earth and look at various locations in India I see densely populated rural and urban centers, and know that many of them have no formal waste disposal systems, and are unlikely to have such facilities in the foreseeable future. In the mean time the problem multiplies as the population continues to grow. The options are: (1) do nothing - not acceptable (2) wait for government to do something - slow and huge funding constraints (3) look for solutions that may not be perfect but will at least move towards some mitigation of the problem, (4) find solutions that depend heavily on community involvement. and supporting voluntary organizations. The problems if not at crisis level now, will be a crisis in the foreseeable future - that means soon – it also means that options 3 and 4 have to be given serious consideration.

I think that the Vetiver System applications could provide a useful and important tool in any mitigation effort, particularly in rural and semi rural areas because the technology is people friendly, very low cost, has widely tested and of course we know it works. Question is why hasn’t it been taken up at a significant scale? There are I am sure many reasons including political, cultural, lack of information and other constraints. But I am sure one of the major reasons is that we have not really approached mitigation as a community effort, by which I mean all the people - citizens, leaders and officials in a village/town whether they be farmers, teachers (very important to teach the children), health workers, sanitary workers and others. If we could get them all involved and interested in the benefits we might get some action and positive results. The Vetiver System can be applied to all the sectors that operate in a village or small town. If you plant Vetiver to stabilize the side of the road, that same hedge will dry up standing and often filthy water, reduce breeding grounds for mosquitoes, provide some privacy around a house, reduce dust movement - - community health improves. Vetiver hedges on the village rubbish dump will stabilize the dump, will reduce litter from being blown all over the place, reduce smell, reduce toxic leachate entering drains and groundwater – resulting in better health and cleaner effluent. Vetiver hedges around the village tanks (ponds) and floating Vetiver pontoons on the tank water surface will stabilize the sides of the tank and help reduce sedimentation and rubbish inflows, will remove phosphates, nitrates and other toxic chemicals from the tank and will result in cleaner water enhancing the beauty of the village, better bathing conditions, and health. Follow back to source the open drainage systems within a village and where possible (probably mostly not!!) plant Vetiver along side the drains. Introduce the Vetiver latrine concept (again where possible) to reduce fecal material entering the ground water. These same villagers own land adjacent to the village and can use Vetiver to stabilize their farms, reduce loss of rain water, and remove excess agricultural chemicals, improve crop yields, and some drought proofing. Treat point source small industry waste effluent with Vetiver to remove toxic compounds. Create (if land available) Vetiver wetlands to process surplus drainage water from village. Apart from all the foregoing benefits the other benefits including handicraft materials and forage are well known and established bi-products. None of this should get in the way of installing modern sewage systems – constructed vetiver wetlands can provide long term tertiary treatment for such systems.

A community approach using VS applications to mitigate these sorts of problems might just work, and if it does, it should be possible to scale it up country wide. The feedback that we get from some other countries shows positive results when the communities are involved. One such an example from Lima, Peru – is rather impressive – one man, one shovel, Vetiver, and lots of ideas and commitment, and very little money, got a community involved and gave it hope.

NGOs and others need to take the initiative and find communities that might be interested to solve these sorts of problems and to help them pinpoint the issues, assess and identify the main sources of pollution, create a plan, and then execute it. We know that each individual VS action will work -- all the evidence firmly supports the use of Vetiver -- imagine what might be the result if multiple Vetiver applications come together.

Dick Grimshaw, Earth Month - April 2017