Training manual - The Vetiver Network International

2.4.1.1 Uses of Vetiver: Involves any direct exploitation of live vetiver plant such as
for soil and water conservation, slope stabilization, erosion control, environmental protection, etc.
without having to change or process the vetiver plant into finished or semi-finished products.
Application of vetiver in agricultural and non-agricultural systems, first developed by the World
Bank for soil and water conservation in the 1980s. It is one of the most effective and low cost
natural methods of environmental protection deriving from its tolerance to adverse soil conditions
and heavy metal toxicities, and phyremediation, as well as in erosion protection and slope
stabilization.
2.4.1.2 Utilization of Vetiver: Involves some kinds of processing of dead vetiver
plants, including cut leaves, culms, roots, roots after essential oil extraction, etc. in the making roof
thatch, for essential oil extraction, as a medium for mushroom growing, as raw material for
handicraft making, as raw material for processing into industrial products (e.g. biodegradable
nursery blocks or pots, construction materials, etc.). It does not include, however, the utilization of
roots for essential oil extraction, since this requires the harvest of root mass which should be left in
the ground to perform its main function in soil and water conservation.
2.4.2. Agricultural Applications: Traditionally, vetiver has been used for soil and water
conservation in India for 200 years before the Vetiver System has been popularized in recent years.
The basis of soil erosion and acceptance of soil conservation measures will first be discussed (in
Section 6.1) in order to help the trainees to understand the principle of soil erosion and its
consequences. The use of vetiver in soil and water conservation, including soil erosion and
sediment control on sloping land and flood plain, flood erosion control and slope stabilization, etc.,
will then be discussed (in Section 6.2) followed by the works done by the Department of Land
Development in northern Thailand on the use of vetiver in soil and water conservation in
agricultural lands (in Section 6.3). The techniques of application of vetiver hedgerows on sloping
farmlands will be discussed in Section 6.4 with demonstration of various apparatuses, to be held at
the Chiang Rai Land Development Station during the study tour. Other benefits of growing vetiver
like soil moisture conservation, watershed and catchment management, biological pest control,
phytoremedial application, and trapping of agrochemical and nutrients will be discussed in Section
6.5.
2.4.3 Non-Agricultural Applications: It is undeniable that human activities are the main
source of changes in the world geography and environment. Explicit examples of such acts include
the explosion of mountains to build highways and railroads, drilling of mountains for mining,
construction of dams across the rivers to build reservoirs, or the destruction of forest resources.
Besides these, other causes include chemical changes in the atmospheres as a result of emission of
gas or certain types of chemical substance, earthquakes, landslide and land subsidence, extinction of
wild animal and plant species, as well as waves of extreme heat or drought which have occurred in
several parts of the world. Undesirable and critical changes to the environment caused by man are
now having impacts on human lives beyond control. Worst of all, one cannot anticipate the possible
disastrous outcomes of this ongoing situation. Different methods including reliance of heavy
machinery and cultivation of various crops have been attempted to resolve and prevent the problem.
The use of vetiver in non-agricultural applications can be categorized as follows:
2.4.3.1 Bioengineering (prevention mechanism): Bioengineering is defined as the use
of organisms, mainly plants, on its own in integration with civil engineering works, to address the
problems of erosion and slope stabilization. In this regard, vetiver can be employed in the
followings:
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