Training manual - The Vetiver Network International

vetiver to reclaim ASS on Bang Nam Prieo soil series (P-Iia, Typic Tropaquepts) under greenhouse
condition. He concluded that the ‘Sri Lanka’ ecotype exhibited the highest plant height and
produced the highest number of tillers/hill. There was no statistical difference on plant height from
using every rate of 15-15-15 fertilizer. He was of opinion that the vetiver system reclaimed ASS by
retaining the runoff as a means of moisture conservation, gaining 60% of the rainfall to run off
vetiver system’s moisture conservation. He concluded that “This is the best way of recharging
ground water”.
7.3.2.4 Soil with Hard Pan: Planting of vetiver in compact hard pan and poor soil at
Huai Sai Royal Development Study Centre, Phetchaburi Province to study the development of the
roots system revealed that vetiver can penetrate hard pan layer of soil. This is verified by digging a
vertical soil profile and using water from a hose to wash off soil particles to exhibit the amount of
roots in both the topsoil and hard-panned layers. It can be concluded that vetiver roots could break
through the hard-panned layer as numerous roots were found in the hand-panned layer. A
breakthrough indeed.
7.3.2.5 Lateritic Soils: The Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Center has
carried out experiment on vetiver planted in lateritic soil to test the growth and survival rates of 14
ecotypes. The results suggested all 14 ecotypes under studay can grow moderately well and are able
to survive through the dry season.
References for Section 7.3:
Musensangk, S. 2000. The use of vetiver grass for reclamation and improvement of acid sulfate
soils in Thailand. I. Pre-experimental study. In: Preceedings ICV-2, 18-22 Jan. 2000,
Phetchaburi, Thailand, pp. 288-293.
7.4 Rehabilitation of Contaminated Soils and Wager
One of the causes of environmental degradation is pollution due to the presence of pollutants
in soil and water. The extent of the pollution in both the developing and developed countries is
quite significant owing mainly to uncontrolled discharge of pollutants from various sources,
including chemical by-products, heavy metal and other industrial wastes, pesticides, and fertilizer
residues, domestic garbage and landfill leachate, etc. into the environment. Such environmental
agencies worldwide. Various control measures have been attempted, but their high cost is a major
drawback, especially in developing countries. Thus there is clearly a need to seek certain low-cost
technology, such as phytoremediation, to deal with the ever-increasing levels of pollution.
7.1.4 Rehabilitation of Contaminated Soils:
7.4.1.1 Treatment of Mining Spoils: In many countries of the world with mining
activities, proper treatment of mining wastes to contain the degree of toxicity and to improve the
environment at and surrounding the sites have received much attention due to enforcement of
environmental regulations. However, the use of vegetation in the recent past was not too successful
due to the very hostile soil and ambient temperature conditions of those sites until the breakthrough
in vetiver applications. In South Africa, vetiver managed to rehabilitate the tailings of several
diamond, gold and platinum mines where other plants initially could not grow due to very high
temperature (40-50 o C).
In Australia, vetiver has been successful in rehabilitating tailings of coal, bentonite and gold
mines. In China, it has been experimented on a lead mine and being used on a copper mine.
79