Especially helpful to new-comers are these three primary sources of information. There
is also a Full Bibliography (23k)
Vetiver Grass -- The Hedge Against
Erosion. (general description, 4k; full text to come)
This is the basic summary of the system, now in its fourth edition with over 100,000
copies in print in several languages. A new English edition will soon be available
on-line. The "vetiver handbook" is primarily intended to meet the information
requirements of fieldworkers and farmers who wish to use vegetative systems of soil and
moisture conservation in developing countries. Small-scale engineering concepts are also
shown. Copies are available free-of-charge from the Vetiver Network. (World Bank. 1993. Vetiver
Grass: The Hedge Against Erosion. 4th ed. The World Bank, Washington, D.C.)
Vetiver Network Newsletter (1k)
The Vetiver Newsletter has been published since 1989 by the Asia Technical
Department of the World Bank. It is distributed free-of-charge to members of the Vetiver
Network. It provides a forum to exchange current information and serves as the written
record of advances in understanding the vetiver system and related technologies. Recent
editions of the newsletter are available on-line (1k), and a complete
index is under construction. For information from earlier editions, please contact the
Vetiver Network.
Vetiver Grass: A Thin Green Line Against Erosion
The U.S. National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council issued the report Vetiver
Grass: A Thin Green Line Against Erosion in 1993. The study was sponsored by the World
Bank and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, with core funding from the U.S. Agency for
International Development. A peer-reviewed panel (5k), chaired by Nobel Peace-Prize
winner Norman Borlaug, endorsed the "vetiver system" of vegetative hedges as a
cheap, safe, and effective way to control erosion and increase soil moisture in the
tropics. The panel recommended widespread adoption of vetiver hedges in field agriculture,
watershed protection, and civil engineering. The preface to the report will soon be
on-line. (National Research Council. 1993. Vetiver Grass: A Thin Green Line Against
Erosion. National Academy Press, Washington, D.C.) To receive a copy of the report,
please send a request to the Vetiver Network.