Land Rehabilitation in the Northern Mariana Islands of the Pacific

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.

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

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

On Farm Soil Loss and Rainfall Runoff During Major Rainfall Events

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.

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

 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.”

Restoring Our Watershed

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.

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

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.

VETIVER AND COLD TOLERANCE.

Matthew Huffine's Vetiver in Winter
Mohave Desert, California

Paul Truong, TVNI's Technical Director has updated information relating to the tolerance of vetiver to cold. His slide presentation - COLD TOLERANCE OF VETIVER - should be of interest to users who live in areas of hot summers and cold winters - especially in desert areas where winter night time temperatures are very low, but have high winter day time temperatures that reduce the possibility of freezing and killing the vetiver crown- we have to thank Matthew Huffine who lives in the high desert (Mohave) of California for this information. The presentation shows that Vetiver can survive very cold winter, but dies when the crown is frozen in the ground. In very cold, frosted or under snow cover the outside plants of the thick sward protect the interior part, which remains green and actively treating effluent. Under extremely cold and dry conditions, its shoots turn brown but new growth resumes from underground buds.

Dick Grimshaw

WHY, WHY, WHY??

WHY, WHY, WHY, don't those responsible for public works protection and maintenance use the VETIVER SYTEM ?

Since 2000 the Vietnamese provincial governments have been testing and using the Vetiver System, at large scale, for highway (Ho Chi Minh Highway) - http://www.vetiver.org/ICV6_PROC/BIOENGINEERING%20/1%20Tran%20Tan%20Van%20Presentation.pdf - and for Sea Dyke Protection in the Mekong Delta http://www.vetiver.org/VNN_Estuary%20dikes.pdf - These are a very important applications and show the impact of vetiver over 8-15 years of use. When the Vietnamese under take trials, they don't mess around with a few meters, instead they think kilometers! I can see VS application for highway and sea dike protection in many countries, but specifically in south and East Asia (China, Philippines, Indonesia. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh and India). VS protection is long lasting and a very low cost (as much as 90% over conventional practices). The Vietnamese experience is FACT not FICTION and is applicable most places in the tropics. Why is it not being used widely? Many answers - the most important being: lack of knowledge, "too good, too cheap" syndrome (in other words PROFITS), and entrenched traditional habits or ignorance by those responsible - and in the latter I include many of the international and bilateral agencies! Please CORRECT me if I am wrong. Thank you Vietnam for showing the way.
Dick Grimshaw

VETIVER SYSTEM - BUILDING COMMUNITY RESILIENCE - Managing Polluted Water

Some of the 100 volunteers

A major TVNI objective is to give, through VS, the ability for communities to build resilience to climate change and associated problems created by unregulated third party activities - as in this case the disposal of toxic organic chemicals that pollute community drinking water sources.  There is always a high tech solution available, but most of the time the latter are too costly and out of reach of the majority of communities.  In an earlier blog I wrote about VS latrines that are providing relief to rural folks in Haiti and the positive social health related benefits. This blog focuses on the potential application of VS to clean up illegally dumped phenols that have polluted community groundwater sources in Thailand and are of great health concern.  

Vetiver protects latrines and provides privacy hedge in Haiti

Millions of dollars are being spent on improving public sanitation.  Most is expensive and will only reach just a few communities - those living in rural areas get little or no help. Even in most cities in the developing world many of the poor are without any sanitation. Very low cost solutions are needed.

The 6th International Vetiver Conference – May 5-8 2015

The 6^th International Vetiver Conference – May 5-8 2015.  This conference, “Vetiver System: Empowering Sustainable Development”, is only 3 months away and will be held in Danang, Vietnam.. 

Indonesian environmental volunteers embrace the Vetiver System

President Jokowi's Head Advisor,
 Ret.Gen. Hendropriyono and Irma Hutabarat

Vetiver System has been used in Indonesia for at least 20 years, and in particular the East Bali Poverty Project used VS for a number of effective applications.  Other groups and companies have used VS applications ranging from soil conservation to waste water treatment.  Now there are some new players who could have a significant impact on the widespread promotion of VS.  President Jokowi is a keen environmentalist and intends to do something about the deteriorating environment.

Soil Moisture Conservation and the Vetiver System

Although there are many other applications, Vetiver's most important use is for soil and water conservation, and the need to use Vetiver for this purpose is growing every day as the negative impacts of climate change accelerate.  This is especially the case in the poorer areas of the tropics and semitropics, including semi arid areas. Sadly the technology is not being used as much as it should for this purpose.

India is one such example - as the center of origin of Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) and with a traditional on farm use going back hundreds of years, it still is relatively unknown.

We would urge individuals, communities, and other development agencies to use vetiver hedges for soil and moisture conservation in their programs. We are familiar with the “microwatershed development” approaches being utilized in India and other countries that have (in our opinion) a number of problems that detract from long term success … problems that vetiver hedges are very well-suited to help resolve.  

Application of Vetiver System for Control of River Erosion

We are lucky to have dedicated and committed engineers like Shantanoo Bhattacharyya Executive Engineer, of Assam's (India) Public Works Department who has been working for the past eight years in applying vetiver for slope stabilization, particularly for stabilizing the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River and its distributaries.  In his photo essay he describes diagramatically the various types of river bank erosion problems and how they can be solved by either the Vetiver System as a stand alone technology or when necessary with other technologies.  On average the Brahmaputra in India is causing the loss of 8,400 ha of land a year.  Shantanoo shows how this can be reduced by using VS when applied correctly.  In fact when using vetiver there appears to be a net gain in silt deposition!  This photo essay, along with his comments, should provide some confidence to others who have to tackle similar daunting tasks.  I would like to underscore the importance that stabilizing river bank slopes can be extremely complex, and a knowledge of engineering is essential if the job is to be successful.  This means good design work, good application and supervision, and adequate follow up maintenance. Shantanoo also confirms the need: for community involvement (both for labor, plant propagation, and maintenance); for policy makers to include VS into the design requirements; and adequate numbers of trained professional staff to assure proper application.  Thank you Shantanoo!
Dick Grimshaw

Vetiver System - A Solution for Urban Waste Water Treatment

In most cities, towns, and villages in developing countries there is no connection to a public sewage/waste water treatment.  Where there is a connection the effluent is often discharged without treatment to near by rivers. Where there is no sewage system some properties may have septic tanks, and the majority of these leak and mis-function.  The result is that water tables, water bodies, and the local environment are polluted with consequential increases in foul smelling air, undrinkable water, and increased water borne diseases.  One such an example, described in a World Bank report on Indonesia describes the city of Palembang, South Sumatra, with a population of over a million having no direct sewage connections, and 70% of the households having septic tanks, of which 30% mis-function.

Correcting this situation with conventional costly technologies for Palembang, and tens of thousands of other urban centers in the tropics will be prohibitive and will take decades. It is essential to start installing low cost, flexible, and sustainable remedies, that might not be perfect, but are able to reduce the problems significantly.

THIS IS ALL THAT IT TAKES!

John Greenfield has asked us to share his note "Poverty Alleviation Using the Vetiver System in Tropical Developing Countries".  John has years of experience in development agriculture in the tropics and semi tropics, and has strong views on why soil conservation has failed in the past; on the continued and exhausting measurement of soil loss; on the failure of development agencies and countries to mitigate the problem; and on the over complication of finding and implementing solutions.  He has also a very clear message that however good a modern crop improvement technology might be, without adequate water the plant will NOT grow or reach its productive potential.  His solution is the application of the Vetiver System for on farm soil and water conservation.

More recent posts on this blog and on the TVNI website provide data that support his views, they also identify and provide background to some of the problems that are faced in introducing the technology to poor and often illiterate farmers who in many cases may have rather different priorities, but who mostly are happy to apply the technology when properly understood.
Dick Grimshaw

An Effective, Simple and Low Cost Method of Treating Contaminated Water to Control Diseases Using Vetiver Phytoremediation Technology

There are many occasions when we see, particularly in poorer countries, the impact on health due to untreated waste water, especially that associated with homes, schools, clinics, businesses, and temporary housing and facilities linked to refugee camps.  Vetiver Phytoremediation Technology (VPT), originally developed by Paul Truong, can do much to solve these problems at low cost.  Below is a slide show of a some successful case studies. This slide show can be downloaded as a pdf file

Recycling contaminated water for irrigation use using Vetiver Phytoremediation Technology (VPT)

Sandra Ugalde of the University of Tarapaca is the leader for this project.  The project's objective is, using Vetiver Phytoremediation Technology, to clean contaminated water for use in irrigation and to increase productivity in Arica and Parinacota Regions of Chile. Funding is provided by the Foundation for Agriculture Innovation ( FIA) and the Ministry of Agriculture. Details are at English  Spanish.  It will be interesting to follow this trial.  Dick Grimshaw
 

Vetiver Bioengineering in Venezuela

Reviewing the papers and presentations delivered at the October 2013 Vetiver Conference in Colombia there is one on Bioengineering in tropical Venezuela that should be read. (Non Spanish readers should use Google translate or just look at the presentation). The paper and presentation were made by Rafael Luque whose company "Vetiver AntiErosion" has been in operation for more than 10 years now and has applied vetiver for a wide range of engineering and phytoremedial uses including, road stabilization, gully control, bridge abutment protection, river bank stabilization, protection of electricity pylons, and rehabilitation of mine land.  Some of the applications can be considered "extreme".  In all cases the quality of application, the quality plants and the results have been very good.  Rafael will be the main resource person at an up coming Vetiver workshop in Brazil from April 24-25, 2014.  Brazilians should take the opportunity to attend.

Dick Grimshaw

Vetiver System Videos in Spanish - an old but useful collection

Jim Smyle sent me the links to some very useful short videos about vetiver that he made following Hurricane MITCH (1998).  Please use them as and when you need them:
Vetiver Para La Bioingenieria - #1 El Problema (1999) 
Vetiver Para La Bioingenieria - #2 Planta (1999)
Vetiver Para La Bioingenieria - #3 Historia (1999)
Vetiver Para La Bioingenieria - #4 Bioingenieria (1999)
Vetiver Para La Bioingenieria - #5 Taller de Reconstruccion Post-Mitch (1999)

Dick Grimshaw