Comments on: Vetiver Grass – A Hedge Against Erosion

By: Glen Novello

Glen Novello — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:57:10 +0000

would vetiver be suitable for areas with regular winter frosts? I can’t seem to find where I could obtain some from, does anyone know of a good supplier in Australia?

By: john greenfield

john greenfield — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:32:20 +0000

As the man that started the modern vetiver revolution way back in fiji in the 1950s, I would appreciate your getting my name right, not as quoted in the above ” This deeply rooted, persistent grass has restrained erodable soils for decades in India, the Caribbean and in Fiji, where its use was discovered by John Greenwood in the late 1950s” GREENWOOD I am not, try John Greenfield!

By: Dick Grimshaw

Dick Grimshaw — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:21:03 +0000

Ref: vetiver and infiltration. The standard practice in Ethiopia for soil and water conservation has generally been through the use of terraces known as “fanyaju”. This has led to many problems not least the habit that they provide for rodents. Over the past 20 years Ethiopian wetlands have dried up. following the introduction of vetiver hedges there has been significant improvement in wetland restoration dues to vetiver’s capacity to improve rainfall infiltration. These changes are so significant that the Ethiopian Wetland Association is one of the leading promoters of watershed stabilization using vetiver. There is an interesting article at:http://www.vetiver.org/ETH_WORKSHOP_09/ETH_A2a.pdf

Other evidence from Ehiopia shows the newal of year round potable spring water in areas where vetiver has been used extensively for upland soil and water conservation.

The issue of mycorrhiza. Containerised vetiver will usually have mycorrhiza when planted out. However it is expensive to propagate in this way. Bare rooted plants normally grow very well and will acquire mycorrhiza in the process. At least 95% of the vetiver planted world wide is bare rooted.

Heavy metals: research indicates that except for lead most of the heavy metals are retained in the roots of vetiver and that it is safe to use the leaves for forage, mulch etc.

Slope stabilization: whatever slope it is important apply the technology correctly. Failures reportd in Vietnam were due to (a) some untrained contractors been used for planting and (b) failure due to inherently difficult slopes and soils where the failure surface is lower than the depth of the vetiver roots.

Dick Grimshaw

By: Don Miller

Don Miller — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 10:52:12 +0000

I cannot agree with the comments regarding swale versus vetiver hedge. The sediment trapped by the contour vetiver hedge also contains any light organic matter that is washed downslope – animal dung, leaves etc. Because of this a very high infiltration rate can be maintained above the hedge. In a swale light organic material floats and mainly fine sediment sinks to the bottom creating a silt layer of low permeability.

A swale has a high risk of overtopping with consequential concentration of water flow and disastrous rill erosion. That cannot happen with a vetiver hedge. They are self leveling as any low spot traps a greater amount of sediment – magic.

The roots of the vetiver plant facilitate infiltration, possibly by penetrating compacted soil horizons, although other mechanisms may be significant.

My own work in the Pacific has shown that small catchments that had effectively no water storage developed quite different hydrological characteristics after vetiver hedges had trapped moving sediment and formed just small terraces. The water stored during rain events in those terraces was released over several days, which illustrated just how much water had infiltrated and how it had been retained in the trapped sediment.

Don’t underestimate the value of the vetiver hedge until you have tried it. I have been using the technique for 20 years now without disappointment.

Don Miller
Vanuatu

By: Jesse Johnson

Jesse Johnson — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:43:53 +0000

Vetiver or khus khus grass does a wonderful job filtering sediment but is not a substitute for swale and berm, which allow actual water storage and infiltration. Note that it is mycorrhizal, so put some old root soil in new planting holes to get the fungi established; don’t buy bare, cleaned roots. Only trained personnel should design plantings on more than a 1:1 (45 degree) slope. In Vietnam, poorly designed plantings have failed (no duh!). Don’t use it as forage if you have heavy metals, it will uptake them. Suitable for planting one plant wide on property borders; forms underground hedgerow against moles, who hate it.

By: R.VINOTH

R.VINOTH — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 10:37:55 +0000

sir iwant vettiver processing and uses

By: Don Miller

Don Miller — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:10:48 +0000

An excellent and accurate article by Richard Webb. I have been using vetiver grass to control soil erosion on various Pacific Islands for almost 20 years and have yet to discover any problem associated with it. The vetiver grass plantings have made very positive impacts on coral reef sedimentation while also allowing the restoration of indigenous forest on the worst types of gully erosion.

Check out:http://www.vetiver.org/VAN_REEF/VAN-reef2.htm for further details. An email address is included there if further information is needed. I will be happy to forward a higher definition version of that presentation.

By: Human

Human — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:27:51 +0000

refreshing, an article that’s not about politics. Not that i don’t like politics, I just prefer grass. Thanks for the post.

By: Dick Grimshaw

Dick Grimshaw — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 21:12:51 +0000

Good article, and correct!! Learn more about the remarkable Vetiver System at: http://www.vetiver.org