Vetiver System for Erosion Control in India - a Home Grown Technology

Vetiver hedgerows have been used by some Indian farmers for generations for soil and water conservation, forage, structural strengthening and boundary delineation. Sadly most officials involved with soil conservation in India conveniently neglected these facts. Below is a short brief by two professionals who didn't! At that time (1980s) the World Bank for soil conservation in rainfed agriculture, promoted the replacement of traditional earthen bunds by Vetiveria zizanioides grass. Some observers in India were/are sceptical and most were under the impression that the technology is not known to Indian farmers. Subramanya and Ranganatha Sastry found that this was not the case. . Here are their findings.

"S. Subramanya and K.N. Ranganatha Sastry
As implementing officers of the khus-based vegetative barrier system for soil conservation, we were also sceptical at first, as the technology has not been tested by researchers. Some questions which arise are: Can the grass adapt to our conditions? What if it spreads like a weed? What if it gets diseased? What if it is browsed? Can it endure for many years? A glance through the flora of South India (Gamble, 1928; Sambasiva Rao, 1964) revealed that V. zizanioides grows wild in many parts of Karnataka State. The only economic uses stated were extraction of perfumery oil from the roots and using the leaves as fodder. The claim has been made that this plant was never used in India for soil conservation (Anon., 1988). In July 1988, we happened to find farmers in some villages of Gundlupet Taluka of Mysore District using V. zizanioides (khus) grass for soil conservation. Inquiries revealed that Vetiver vegetative bunds had already been farmer practice for decades. This evidence erased most of our doubts about the capabilities of the plant and made us think there might be more farmers practising this system independently as part of the natural innovative process. We then toured the State, visiting farmers, and made the following findings.

Independent selection
The local names of the plant differ widely between districts, suggesting its independent adoption. The farmers in Maddur, Channagiri, Halalkere, Tumkur and Kadur appear to have innovated on their own, seeking ways of conserving their soils, and eventually selected V. zizanioides. As one example: the plant is called "ramancha" by farmers using it in villages of Gundlupet Taluka of Mysore District. Even the oldest farmers (over 80 years) say they used it in their fields since they were young, just as their fathers did. Where irrigation and intensive land shaping were adopted, khus appeared less important for soil and water conservation but it is still used in the drylands. It has been planted in all vulnerable areas where rills and gullies would otherwise have formed. Even on almost flat fields, some farmers plant khus to mark boundary lines, as it is a perennial plant. These lines have remained for several decades. The farmers also use khus to protect waste-weirs and to stabilize drop structures. The farmers regard the fodder value of khus as an additional merit. They said that 3-4 cuttings can be obtained at an interval of 45 days, mainly during and shortly after the monsoon, yielding enough green fodder for two animals for 6 months in a year.

Farmers' practices
The farmers have developed their own ways of multiplying and propagating khus. On sloped land, they form small section bunds across the slope and plant 2-3 slips per rill 20-30 cm apart on the upstream side. In flat fields, the slips are simply planted in the plough furrow. In either case, they chop off the top of the plant and avoid planting inflorescence axles. Khus establishes well if planted after the first monsoon shower. Even without irrigation, the lines form hedges in about a year. The slips for further planting are taken from 3-year­old bunds. When waste-weirs or drop structures are to be treated, even clumps of khus are taken and placed at appropriate locations. During field visits, we noticed a sole case of diseased khus. The plants had been affected by Ustilago raysiae, a smut disease without serious consequence. None of the farmers regarded khus as a weed or as a host for pests and diseases. A few farmers in Tumkur District said that growing khus prevented the occurrence of striga, a root parasite. Khus has long been used by Indian farmers, but most scientists are still unaware of this. The indigenous knowledge of Indian farmers has not been appreciated. The knowledge they have gained in dealing with khus-based soil conservation systems needs to be documented and the other uses of khus, e.g. for fodder, should be studied.

S. Subramanya Gavt. af Karnataka Vidhanasaudha Building, Bangalore 560 001 India

K. N. Ranganatha Sastry, Visvesvaraya Centre, Dr. Ambedkar Road Bangalore 560 001 India"


Dick Grimshaw

Food Production in Africa and Asia

In the November 21st issue of the Economist there are two interesting articles. The first, “Feeding the World”, the second, “Monsanto the parable of the sower” Both articles reflect changing attitudes, policies and technologies towards food supply; how increase demand is to be met; and ways that farmers may reap the benefits of this new demand. These articles specifically relate to the poorer and more risk prone countries of south Asia and Africa, where the future is further compounded by climate change (for the worse) and more than average population growth effecting hundreds of millions of rural people earning less than $2 per day. Many of these countries are making new investments in farm inputs (seeds and fertilizers), market infrastructure (roads, storage and markets), market communications, and farm credit. Nothing new about any of this, although for the past 20 years the leading world institutions conveniently put most on a back burner in favor of policy adjustment credits, that did not have the intended impact.

Norman Borlaug’s revolution in wheat production succeeded because he bred high yielding wheats that responded to fertilizer and irrigation over a wide range of climatic conditions and were resistant to rust. The same is true in the increases in rice yields – fertilizer, irrigation and new varieties.

Five years before India’s Green Revolution another crop revolution was taking place in southern Africa: “The 1960 development of the SR-52 maize hybrid, by a little-known research station in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, was "a miracle of sorts, one that transformed African landscapes, racial politics, and diets over the next forty years. ... By the end of the first decade of majority rule in Zimbabwe, virtually 100 percent of Zimbabwe's maize fields were planted with the hybrids developed in the 1960s, including the short-season triple-crosses suited to drought-prone areas. (Maize and Grace: 
Africa's Encounter with a New World Crop 1500-2000. James C. McCann)”. Today descendants of SR52 make up much of Malawi’s widely acclaimed surplus maize production and is widely accepted.

In Kenya the Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA) program under the management of Africa Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) is supported by Monsanto, the Bill and Melinda Gates, and William Buffet Foundations with the objective of developing high yielding drought tolerant maize varieties over the next five years. I wonder with all the funds and modern technology available whether they will do better than that small and little known research station in Rhodesia?

In the years since SR52 was introduced African farmland has significantly deteriorated due to soil and nutrient loss and increased farm intensity. New varieties of maize and other crops will, if they are high yielding, require high levels of fertilizer input, and whether drought tolerant or not will require effective water and soil moisture management. Borlaug’s Mexican wheats took off where there was sufficient water and fertilizer delivery. Borlaug relied on the commercial sector to supply the fertilizer, and in turn the fertilizer sales men took advantage of the new high yielding wheat varieties to sell more fertilizer.

Most of African and south Asian farmers do not have access to irrigation and depend on rainfall. There is plenty of evidence that the Vetiver System, if applied correctly, will greatly enhance soil moisture and the retention of nutrients. The new crop breeding initiatives through WEMA will besides fertilizer require better managed soil and water resources. This is a good time to start introducing such practices in anticipation of these new varieties. Even without them, as is the case in Ethiopia and Malawi very significant maize yield increases have been achieved in association with the introduction of Vetiver System practices.

Dick Grimshaw

VETIVER ROOT - What does it look like in Brazil?

Every now and then something comes up to remind us what an interesting and wonderful plant Vetiver is. Recently Fernando Cost Pinto of Brazil dug up this 4 meter plant to display at Congresso Sobrade 2009 this month. The 300 participants had never seen vetiver before and had little idea of its use for land restoration and conservation. They were suitably impressed.

Brazilians are becoming a lot more interested in the Vetiver System; the country has an ideal climate to support strong and rapid growth of the plant, and has huge potential demand for its many applications. TVNI will be working closely with Fernando and others to disseminate the technology. If you would like to see how Fernando dug this root up, he has a fascinating picture gallery at: http://picasaweb.google.com.br/Biofabrica.JAFM/ArranqueDoVetiverECongressoSobrade2009#

He also has some rather interesting photos of the roots at: http://picasaweb.google.com.br/Biofabrica.JAFM/VetiverRaizesVermelhasNaoEditadas#

Among them are some red roots that are thicker than the average, from which emerge a mass of smaller roots, a bit like the core of a fibre optics cable - interesting - have never seen this before

Dick Grimshaw

VETIVER SYSTEM - SIX IMPORTANT LESSONS

You will recall that in a recent Blog headed Fight, Fight, Fight I referred to the death of Nobel Peace Laureate Norman Borlaug. Noel Vietmeyer’s second volume of Borlaug’s biography has just been published – it is truly a great story of sheer grit and vision under very difficult conditions. The book can be purchased online at: http://www.bracingbooks.com I highly recommend it.

During the 15 years that Norman Borlaug was developing rust resistant and high yielding wheats that would eventually spread across the world he learned a number of very important lessons. These same lessons could and should be applied to the development and promotion of the Vetiver System. I lift these lessons out of his biography- “Borlaug Volume 2”.

Lesson One: Feed Everyone: Opt to feed the whole population, not just the hungry. That way every citizen has a stake in overcoming the inevitable obstacles. The Vetiver System should be developed and promoted for large and small farmers; for other sectors as well as agriculture; for government, non-government, and private sector users; and in every country where VS has application potential. By doing this stakeholder involvement and number is hugely expanded.

Lesson two: Policy Matters: Governments policy should be sensible, supportive and never hinder the farmer’s will to produce more. Government support is very important for new technology to take root and expand. We find many government policies that are contrary to farmer or other user need, often this includes government either willfully or ignorantly promoting inappropriate technologies. This problem is often encountered when VS is being introduced as an alternative and superior technology.

Lesson three: Feed the plants: To feed the people first feed the soils, make them capable of supporting high production plants. In this instance Borlaug was referring to raising soil fertility through increased fertilizer use (frequently under irrigated conditions). In the case of VS the technology provides the means of improving soil moisture and the retention of plant nutrients. At this time of climate change and increased pressure on land the need for better soil moisture management, retention of rainfall, and optimizing fertilizer impact on crop yields is essential and requires technologies such as VS to be widely used and accepted.

Lesson four: Demonstrate, Demonstrate, Demonstrate: Work where everyone can see your results and judge for themselves. Farmers do not need to be told … but they do need to see. Essential for whatever application VS is to be used for, but particularly important for farmers. Demonstrations need to be properly laid out, using the correct application method (quality plant material, spacing, timing, fertilizer), and located at accessible and easily observed sites.

Lesson Five: Make a Profit: When something makes a profit people will adopt change. To succeed on a grand scale a plant should be profitable enough to double the family income. This is true among the hungry and especially among the poor. This is as true for Vetiver as it was for Norman Borlaug’s improved wheat. Although difficult to double incomes Vetiver has expanded on large scale in western Ethiopia because it has lifted crop yields significantly; in some cases of drought conditions crops would have not survived without Vetiver hedgerows. The private sector Vetiver use for non agricultural applications is accelerating because VS is PROFITABLE. Interestingly in Mexico, one of the prime marketers of Borlaug’s improved wheats were the fertilizer companies who wanted to sell more fertilizer. We should consider using fertilizer companies and small rural retailers as a means to promote Vetiver to farmers; since better soil protection and improved soil moisture would result in better plant response to fertilizer and more reliable and less risky crop production in drought years, resulting in higher demand and profit for both farmers and fertilizer salesmen.

Lesson Six: Circumvent Entrenched Interests: Recruit farmers and young scientists to the cause, then leave it to them to battle apathy, anger and umbrage, among their own officials. Aroused rural awareness is a force more powerful than foreign scientists or even local functionaries. Borlaug used poorly educated teenagers to scare the birds away, then he trained them to carry out the intricate and delicate task of hand pollinating wheat, not just a few but thousands of plants. He would not have achieved the results that he did without these young and “untrained” boys. We have seen the same in the East Bali Poverty Project where David Booth’s school children are leading the introduction of VS to their communities. We see farmers in India and Ethiopia whose VS knowledge and enthusiasm eclipse that of trained graduates and other government functionaries. The whole VS program today would probably not exist if a decision at a very early stage had not been taken to move forward without formal sanction from national research institutions in the belief that the latter would slow down the program, and that an unfettered expansion would eventually attract scientific research out of curiosity – which it did.

These are all important lessons, and, as I have attempted to demonstrate, are applicable to the promotion and development of the Vetiver System

Based on Norman Borlaug’s own experience, he gave, as Chairman of a National Academy committee that reviewed Vetiver (see Vetiver Grass - A Thin Green Line Against Erosion - available at Bracing Books), the heads up for us (the World Bank at that time) to move ahead with Vetiver and its development.

Thank you Norman!

Vetiver and its potential in the Gulf of Mexico Region

It is always nice to see private individuals experimenting with vetiver on their land. We have an example of Warren Sullivan who has land on the east side of Trinity Bay, Texas. He sent me the following message:

"I took these pic's at the end of September 2009. Th first image is the Vetiver that I received and planted September 28th, 2009. The second image was the Vetiver I received from Alberto (Vetiver Solutions) last year two to three weeks prior to Hurricane Ike. The third and last image shows the new planted Vetiver on the left of the tin shed and last years Vetiver on the right side of shed. I did not lose any plants due to the hurricane and they were totally submerged for a few days. Our area experienced a 16 -18 foot tidal surge. There is a refrigerator 8 feet up in a tree in the woods behind the shed which I am going to leave as a reminder ! There is a cabin immediately to the left of these pictures that had 4 feet of water inside the cabin and the house sits 2.5 feet off the ground on cement blocks

I gave my friend in East Texas, specifically Joaquin,Texas, which is north east of Nacogdoches,Texas about 1 hour or south of Marshall about 1 hour, 12 Vetiver plants 2 years ago. He planted these in his woods for erosion purposes along a road way ditch that washes quite a bit. It really was just a test to see if they would survive. I am happy to say that they are alive".

These images show just how well vetiver will grow on these coastal soils under the hot humid conditions of coastal Texas. Plants like these could provide real protection from tropical storms. (Incidentally the late Don Heumann of New Orleans who was an ardent vetiver grower produced similar strong and massive volumes of biomass from his vetiver (that too got totally submerged by Katrina). Gueric Boucard in the Dominican Republic is growing hundreds of hectares of vetiver using saline water unfit for agricultural crops to produce similar growth of 70 tons of biomass per hectare. He grows it for furnace feedstock to power electric generators. If grown at field scale and if managed correctly (intensively grazed when young) vetiver will produce high yields of forage that will support maintenance +.

If Texas gets hotter and drier due to climate change, vetiver might prove to be a very useful drought resistant plant.

When someone comes up with an economic solution for producing cellulosic ethanol vetiver has to be a very good candidate as a source of biomass. It might be an idea for the universities in the "Gulf States" to start taking a serious look at vetiver for these types of application and more.

Hats off to Warren Sullivan, Jack Bertel, Gueric Boucard, Pete and Bonnie Pate, Duff Swan, and Alberto Rodriguez (who supplied Warren the plants) for the pioneering work that they are doing with Vetiver System.

Vetiver and Energy

A university student wanted to know the energy value of vetiver which reminded me of a note from Gueric Boucard (Dominican Republic), Gueric uses vetiver as feed stock for his power plant, and energy prices are on the rise again:

• A vetiver plantation in the tropics under irrigation or good annual rainfall will produce up to 80 tons per hectare per year of dry vetiver grass.
• The grass can be baled with a standard hay baler after 3 or 4 days of sun drying.
• The dry grass was found to have a calorific value of 7,000 btu per pound. (about one half of that of coal).
• A modern thermal power plant would require 1000 tons of vetiver bales per day to produce 50 Megawatts around the clock. ( I know this, because there is a 50 Megawatt power plant in my backyard, in Barahona, D.R. which burns 500 tons per day of coal imported from Columbia with 13,000 btu/lb)
• 1000 tons of vetiver bales more than equal 500 tons of coal, and can be harvested from a 12.5 hectare field easily in one day.
• Hence to run the 50 Megawatt power plant 365 days per year on vetiver hay will require a plantation of 4,563 hectares, surrounding the plant. (think of a sugarmill surrounded by fields of sugarcane).
• Unlike sugarcane, the vetiver plantation does not need to be re-planted. The vetiver plantation will just grow back with natural rainfall and can be considered a renewable and sustainable FUEL MINE, which can be harvested every year, at any time of the year, for 20 years or more, just adding some fertilizer.
• If the power plant owns the farm land (like a sugarmill) and its own farming operation, I estimate the raw cost of producing one ton of vetiver biomass fuel at no more than US$15/ton, once the plantation is established.

Power plant engineers will have only one question for you: What is the cost of the fuel per Million btu (MMbtu)? Here is how to calculate:

• If one pound of dry vetiver leaves has 7000 btu, then it takes 1,000,000 divided by 7000 to establish how many pounds of the fuel will produce 1,000,000 btus. 1,000,000 divided by 7000 = 142.9 lbs. if one ton of vetiver fuel (2000 lbs) cost US$15, then US$15 divided by 2000 and multiplied by 142.9 gives you what it costs to produce 1,000,000 btus, that is: Vetiver fuel cost: US$1.07/MMbtu
• If you do the math for one of the cheapest fuels, which is COAL with 14,000 btu/lb, at US$45/ton (in the US), you will find: Coal fuel cost: US$1.60/MMbtu
• Let's try it for crude petroleum, just for kicks. At only $100 per barrel ( a barrel = 42 gallons or 336 lbs). One ton (2000 lbs) divided by 336 lbs = 5.95 barrels per ton....., multiplied by $100 = US$595/ton of crude petroleum. Now, petroleum has about 18,000 btus per pound...., so 1,000,000 divided by 18,000 = 55.5 lbs. It takes only 55.5 lbs of crude petroleum to produce a MMbtu. But US$595 divided by 2000 and multiplied by 55.5 lbs gives the fuel cost per MMbtu: Crude petroleum fuel cost: US$16.5/MMbtu

I don't rest my case yet. One could argue that planting vetiver for fuel, is one of the easiest and safest farming operations (no diseases, no weather damage, no nothing) and one of the most lucrative uses for tropical farmland....., if electricity at US$0.12 per Kw/h is the final product.

If somebody in the third world ever figures this out, one of the biggest problems will be to insure that food crops are not displaced for fuel production. Really, only second rate farmlands should be used or cleared for vetiver fuel production.

Food Security in Africa - "We Don't Need Your Money, But We Need Your Technology"

"We Don't Need Your Money, But We Need Your Technology". This was the response I got when I told an Ethiopian friend that TVNI didn't have any spare cash to hand out.  How refreshing this was coming from one of the world's poorer nations.  Of course they needed funds to help promote the technology, but for once the emphasis was on the technology and not the money.  Since then TVNI and Ethiopia have formed a useful partnership in the promotion of the Vetiver System.  The results are impressive,  Ethiopia is giving serious priority to accelerating the use of VS in its Food Security programs.  A recent story on our website reflects just how one of the many thousands farmers have benefitted.  "The Vetiver Man of Tulube" increased his maize yield by four fold in this year of drought through VS application and associated technologies.  Another farmer Hassan Ali has achieved similar results. VS was the key, allowing benefits from fertilizer and other practices to be optimized.

Until users, planners, developers and aid givers realize that unless one has a system that will greatly reduce rainfall runoff and at the same time keep fertile soil in place, significant and sustainable agricultural production increases that equate to long term food security will not be possible.  The Vetiver System will do this relatively efficiently, at low cost, and without the need for high tech and costly support.

Huge sums of money are being pumped into agricultural research from international development agencies and  large foundations, mostly with good intentions, but with slow outcomes, that are often not effective because the basic needs of tropical rainfed agriculture - soil moisture and fertility maintenance  - are absent. Tens of millions of dollars go to developing huge river basin and watershed plans, creating detailed maps and plans that never come to fruition or even get started; hiring armies of administrators, surveyors, engineers, etc who write detailed and exhaustive reports that mainly benefit the consulting companies that provide the input, and highly selected contractors.  In the mean time generations come and go and the basic poverty of Africa remains.  It is a disgrace. 

It is sad to see agencies like the World Bank and USAID turning their backs to small and relative simple investments (and the cost of supporting and promoting them) in favor of moving huge sums of loan and grant money that has little immediate impact on the farming communities of Africa.

I don't want to blow TVNI's horn too loudly, but what this small group of closely connected volunteers around the world has achieved through a technology transfer and support system that focuses on a simple and  "green" technology, that even the least educated can understand, is out of all proportion to the wide scale and significant results that have been achieved.

Africa needs more "technology" that itself can handle with confidence and achievement - this is what thousands of Ethiopian farmers and their support institutions have done over the past few years and what they continues to do with success.  They own the technology, they know it works, and there is an excitement in its use and the results that are achieved.  Many Ethiopians and others around the world are becoming passionate about the Vetiver System because it is so simple, it works, and they don't have to wait a lifetime for the benefits.  When there is passion then we know there must be something right and compelling in what is being done.

I take my hat off to "The Vetiver Man of Tulube" and to the many others like Hassan Ali - simple decent farmers who have led their families and communities to a better life.

Dick Grimshaw

New Vetiver System Blog from Venezuela

There is a nice initiative by Sr. Fedgar located in Aragua, Venezuela, who has a established a new blog. http://vetivercagua.blogspot.com/ The blog is in Spanish and should be a good one to follow

Fighting Climate Change in Africa

It is a real pleasure to see the progress being made in Ethiopia with the continued expansion of the Vetiver System for soil and water conservation. There is a lot written and talked about relating to combatting climate change in Africa and improving agricultural production. The possibilities of irrigation are very limited as compared to south and east Asia. Africa has to optimize her rainfed agriculture - a primary concern must be erosion control, soil nutrient retention, and insitu soil water conservation. The Vetiver System is proving to be the least costly and most effective method of achieving these objectives. If widely applied it might indeed prove to be a precursor to a new "Green Revolution" for tropical agriculture.

Today Belayneh Adugna, the Up-Scaling Component Coordinator and Soil and water conservation Specialist ofGTZ-Amhara Sustainable Land Management(SLM) Program in Ethiopia wrote the following to me"


"The books which you sent to me today will be important for us (practitioners in Vetiver System) to know more about the plant and for our future awareness creation campaigns. The progress made so far to scale-up the Vetiver System in Amhara region is promising. Many government and non government organizations who are working in the area of soil and water conservation are giving due attention to promote vetiver as the best solution for agricultural development and natural resources conservation. Vetiver nurseries are established in each corner of the region. Even private farmers are producing vetiver planting materials and generating income by selling vetiver seedlings. Moreover, the Vetiver System is the top in the agenda of options for sustainable land management and included in the governments extention technologies pakage. So, I am sure we can make a difference in this country through the application of the Vetiver System. Actually we need to do a lot of capacity building works at all levels."

As many of you know TVNI helped sponsor a major Vetiver System workshop in Ethiopia this last March. This new sense of accelerating the expansion of VS in Ethiopia is partially due to that workshop (see: http://www.vetiver.org/ETH_WORKSHOP_09/ETH_C2.pdf. and http://www.vetiver.org/ETH_WORKSHOP_09/ETH-OO%20Proceedings.htm)

Dick Grimshaw

FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT !!! - Norman Borlaug - Nobel Laureate

I see that the last blog that I posted was in July, the summer has flown by and today is October Ist. The start of a new period of Vetiver activity for me as the wet North West winter approaches!

I dedicate this blog to Norman Borlaug who died recently after a life time of service to mankind - particularly the millions of poor and hungry in the developing world. He was truly a great man, and someone, for all of us involved with development of whatever kind should attempt to emulate. His great friend and biographer - Noel Vietmeyer - has kindly allowed me to publish the "In Memoriam" that he wrote about Norman. It inspires me, and I hope will inspire you. His book "Borlaug; The Mild-Mannered Maverick Who Fed a Billion People" is in two parts and should be read by all.

IN MEMORIAM

"The day before this book went to press Norman Borlaug died. Having spent more than a decade assessing him and his contributions, I sadly append these few last-minute thoughts.

Norman Borlaug’s life is amazing mostly for its myriad dimensions:
More than a man of peace, he was a man of the people. His frank, straightforward attitude of comradeship made everyone his friend. His style and personality matched his frame—lean, active, unassuming, unpretentious. People not only responded, they bonded.

Though otherwise a nice guy, he was a fierce, take-no-quarter, Hunger Fighter. His field was action science, not academic science. Among the wheat he was so intense people got hot just watching him work.

He embodied the dictum that a little action beats a lot of argument. In wheat breeding he was a ringmaster who, with professional dispassion, forfeited millions of plants with no second thought. Genes, he knew, are as predictable as forked lightning, and can produce success or distress.

He was a master at managing mayhem and had an innate ability to transcend anxiety. Though often treated like a heretic in heaven, he never took offense, never abandoned his convictions, seldom lost composure. When it looked as if the Rockies had crumbled, he went on exploring the mysteries of the wheat world with his normal intensity . . .waiting for just the right gene to surface like a fish in a pool.

He was a rare and special soul who not only accepted years of delay but focused on the present while closely watching the future. He often dubbed himself a quarterback and his great capacity was reading the defense and spotting a way to the goal line.

He had courage and was willing to go out on a limb to do what needed doing, no matter the size of the limb or whether anyone followed. In that regard, he was never afraid to fall and make a fool of himself. He was not a man of inspiring words, just inspiring wheats. But those spoke volumes. He was never one to look in life’s rear-view mirror; being too busy driving hard into the future for anything so wasteful of time.

The only burden to never afflict him was the burden of extreme wealth. He worked his whole life without personal gain and was happy, nay eager, to let everyone else reap the rewards.

While others dreamed and dithered, he proved his worth through deeds. He chose to fight hunger not to write about it. And he chose to fight it full-frontal, full-scale, and in the places that needed food most. Moreover, he was an all-round Hunger Fighter—a source of all the necessary ammunition.

In the age of the specialist, he demonstrated the vital need for generalists. No combination of specialists could accomplish what he did.

His great gift was to share his exuberance and conviction. His spirits were usually as high as the Sonoran Desert thermometer at harvest time. With his associates—many of them disadvantaged youths—he developed an extraordinary esprit de corps. They trusted one another, and that provided a key to their success.

He taught us what to do when the diktats of dogma block humanitarian needs. “Fight,” he’d often say; “Fight, fight, fight!”
He admired horizon-filling miles of his own wheats but never gloated. He took yields to galactic heights but saw it only as his job and always felt unfulfilled.

His ultimate legacy resulted less from science than from his power to reach farmers and excite them into action. He fed the hungry but also created the right environment for a robust rural private sector. Every Borlaug seed enriched its grower and was its own excitement machine. Millions thereby got a hand up; none a handout.

He showed that a conscientious scientist with no agenda can solve problems that befuddle activists with their special agendas. While others were trapped in partisan views based on the past, he was discovering new pathways and following them straight to the future. He was Peace and Plenty’s pathfinder.

When he had to shift the shape of the world’s top crop, he embraced the unprecedented challenge. And for decades he and wheat were wrapped in their own private world, swirling in a sort of creative frenzy.

Finally, no one better epitomizes the notion that the 20th century was above all the century of the common man.

Farewell old friend. You came from nowhere. You reached for your stars and caught plenty of stardust. The waving fields of foodstuffs are your legacy. Among the members of the Greatest Generation, you were the greatest!

Noel"

Madagascar - Vetiver System Promotion

Yoann Coppin is a young Frenchman living in Madagascar who is committed to the commercial promotion of the Vetiver System.  His work is excellent and the quality of application cannot be faulted - the KEY to success is PROPER application using good quality plant material.

Yoann has kindly shared his picture gallery with TVNI - see:  http://picasaweb.google.fr/Yoannmada  I recommend you visit this site.  You will find some excellent examples of nursery management for Vetiver propagation, slope stabilization (railway cutting), clean up of urban drainage systems, handicrafts, and some images from his recent visit to Ethiopia.

If you, as a reader of this blog, want to get into the business of Vetiver then Yoann's example is something to follow.

Dick Grimshaw

The Vetiver System Knol Collection

Google's introduction of Knols - A Knol is a unit of information - provides another outlet for presenting information about Vetiver to the world.  Thanks to Alberto Rodriguez a Vetiver System Knol under Alberto's authorship has been established.  Use it and suggest to others who are interested to use it as well.

The Internet is TVNI's prime means of sharing Vetiver information world wide.  From all the indicators that we monitor the demand for Vetiver System facts continuously expands.  One source of information is via "Google Alerts".  Our most recent "Alert" is about an NGO, Ekoventure, operating in Pondicherry, India, that is supporting women's groups to stabilize the sides of water ponds using vetiver.  These ponds provide for storage and groundwater recharge. 

Dick Grimshaw

Vetiver System and Brazil

TVNI is stepping up its efforts to see an expansion of the Vetiver System in Brazil - where there is a huge potential for its use over a wide range of applications.  We need Brazilians to volunteer and support the effort.  We know from  the analysis of our website that Brazilians are visiting the site in growing numbers.  Vetiver has been in Brazil for many years and is grown for its aromatic oil, and I understand was reportedly used by Brazilian highways authorities for road stabilization in the Recife area.

Some of the Vetiver oil producers have very large areas of Vetiver that could easily provide added income if the crown of the plant was sold as Vetiver plant material for new growers.  In fact this plant material may be of greater value than the oil!

If any of you who read this blog and are from Brazil and would like to get involved please contact: Fernando Costa Pinto or Joachim Boehnert

Dick Grimshaw

Google Translation:

TVNI é intensificar os seus esforços no sentido de ver uma expansão do Sistema Vetiver no Brasil - onde há um enorme potencial para a sua utilização, ao longo de um vasto leque de aplicações. Precisamos de voluntários brasileiros e apoiar o esforço. Sabemos, a partir da análise de nosso site que os brasileiros estão visitando o site em números crescentes. Vetiver foi no Brasil durante muitos anos e é cultivadas para o seu óleo aromático, e eu compreendo foi alegadamente utilizado por Autoridades brasileiras estradas para o transporte rodoviário de estabilização na área de Recife. 

Alguns dos Vetiver produtores de petróleo têm muito grandes áreas de Vetiver que poderia facilmente acrescentar fornecer rendimento se a coroa da planta foi vendida como Vetiver material vegetal para os novos produtores. De facto, este material pode ser de maior valor do que o petróleo! 

Se algum de vocês que lêem este blog e são provenientes do Brasil e gostaria de entrar envolvidos, por favor contactar: Fernando Costa Pinto ou Joachim Boehnert 

Dick Grimshaw

USDA/NRCS Endorsement

Robert Joy the Species Coordinator at USDA NRCS Plant Materials Center, Hoolehua, Hawaii has worked with Vetiver for a good many years  and has produced a Plant Guide "SUNSHINE VETIVER GRASS, Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty, Plant Symbol = CHZI".  This is a very welcome  contribution in the expansion of vetiver applications throughout the tropics and semi-tropics.  Thank you Bob for the effort that you put into this guide.  

Importantly he stresses the low invasiveness risk of the plant, quote:

"For approximately the past 15 years, no volunteer seedlings have been observed from conservation plantings of Sunshine in the Pacific Islands Area. Sunshine was evaluated for invasiveness by the Hawaii-Pacific Weed Risk Assessment and Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk. It received a low risk score (-8) for the potential to become invasive."

I hope that this Guide lays to rest potential users worries over invasiveness issues. The Vetiver Network International and this blog have provided plenty of evidence of the good behavior of vetiver, including those sources quoted under the "Guide".

I am sure that Bob would appreciate constructive comments on the Guide in the event that he should update it in the future.

For new users of the Vetiver System you should be aware that "Sunshine" cultivar of Vetiver is named after the Vetiver grown by Eugene Le Blanc, at Sunshine, Louisiana, USA.  This cultivar has been grown in Louisiana for well over 100 years and has never shown signs of invasiveness.  This cultivar is very similar to other cultivars such as Monto (Australia), Hoffmnan (Central America), Natal, (South Africa), Jimma (Ethiopia), and Karnataka (India). All of these cultivars are sterile and all have been proven similar through DNA testing.

I recommend that the Guide is translated into national languages and used as support material when promoting the Vetiver System.

It gives me a good deal of pleasure to see the expanded use of Vetiver in the US.  There are many stakeholders involved in this expansion, I would especially draw attention to the efforts of Doug Richardson (California), Alberto Rodriguez (Puerto Rico), Charlie and Bonnie Pate (Alabama),  Duff Swann (Florida), and Mary Wilkowski (Hawaii).  All of these people and others are Vetiver producers, and some are landscapers as well.  I look forward to seeing more private sector involvement and more vetiver nursery businesses established as demand increases.

Dick Grimshaw

Vetiver System Applications: Technical Manual - French Edition

The French Edition of this popular manual has been published. It is available (from June 17) at Amazon.com for $15. It can also be downloaded (free) from this site.  French speakers please pass the word to others who may be interested.

Dick Grimshaw