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The Broken Hydrological (Water) Cycle — and Feedback from Vetiver users (NL 2024-08)

The Broken Hydrological (Water) Cycle. Summer is always a rather slow time for exchanging vetiver information –  a time to relax and reflect.  I have been re-reading Charles Massy’s book “Call of the Reed Warbler” (available from e.Books.com). It makes an interesting read (focusing primarily on his own country, Australia) about landscapes that were once in balance with nature, but, since colonization and the introduction of European agricultural methods, have been changed and destroyed, particularly the soils and related water balances.… Read the rest “The Broken Hydrological (Water) Cycle — and Feedback from Vetiver users (NL 2024-08)”
RIchard GRIMSHAW
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change adaptation, erosion, forage, infrastructure, management, Network News, Phytoremediation, pollution, slope stabilization, wastewater, waterTagged , , , , , , , , ,

Vetiver Roots as a temporary carbon sink, China Vetiver Network publications, Vetiver and Women, & Vetiver and Regenerative Ag – a bi-national program (NL-2024-07)

Vetiver Roots as a temporary carbon sink Source: Wilson, B., Daniel, H., and Baldock, J.A. 2022. Functional Links between Biomass Production and Decomposition of Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) Grass in Three Australian Soils. Plants 2022, 11(6), 778; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11060778 In the broader discussion of the Vetiver System’s relevance in managing the impacts of climate change, this author’s view is that the focus should be on VGT applications for climate change adaptation, with greatest urgency being to support rural communities and smallholder and rainfed farmers in the Global South,  followed by protecting vulnerable lands and making critical infrastructure climate resilient. … Read the rest “Vetiver Roots as a temporary carbon sink, China Vetiver Network publications, Vetiver and Women, & Vetiver and Regenerative Ag – a bi-national program (NL-2024-07)”
Jim Smyle
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change mitigation, Vetiver research, Vetiver technical publicationsTagged , , , , , , ,

The Vetiver System – A Changing Perspective. (NL-2024-05/06)

The Vetiver System – A Changing Perspective Ethiopia – old constructed terraces retrofitted with vetiver hedgerows located on edge of riser greatly improves efficiency of terrace both for soil and water conservation When John Greenfield and I introduced vetiver grass hedgerows to Indian Watershed development projects in the 1980’s the objective was to replace poorly designed — high maintenance, high cost conservation structures (graded contour engineered  terraces) that did not perform well either for soil conservation or rainfall loss reduction — with a low cost and effective biological system that mimicked nature – the vetiver grass contour hedge.… Read the rest “The Vetiver System – A Changing Perspective. (NL-2024-05/06)”
RIchard GRIMSHAW
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, community, disaster mitigation, erosion, forage, infrastructure, Phytoremediation, plant, pollution, upscaling vetiver, water qualityTagged , , , , , ,

Mitigating heat and drought in Vietnam using Vetiver Grass

Ngô Đức Thọ is an engineer, and is the Coordinator for the Vietnam Vetiver Network and a TVNI farm advisor. He is also the founder and administrator of a very successful Facebook group — Vietnam Vetiver Farmers – that has some 10,000 members. I often visit the group page as it has some great information and thousands of vetiver related photos. The new ideas and ways of managing vetiver on small farms and gardens are being generated and put into practice by this group.… Read the rest “Mitigating heat and drought in Vietnam using Vetiver Grass”
RIchard GRIMSHAW
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, community, Network NewsTagged , , , , , , ,

Vetiver Farm Design Applications, Mulching and other News. NL-2024-04

Over the years many people have started using vetiver and, in the process, have joined various vetiver social media groups. I realize that many of them find the amount of information available overwhelming, and often not easy to find. This newsletter delves into both past and present selecting a few observations that support current interest and applications of vetiver in the agriculture sector – specifically for farmers and horticulturists.  But first……… India Vetiver Foundation (IVF) The Agriculture World Vetiver Whats App group continues to expand – like an octopus with many legs – moving, wriggling, and feeling out the many potential avenues and means, both environmentally and commercially, that could and should use vetiver.… Read the rest “Vetiver Farm Design Applications, Mulching and other News. NL-2024-04”
RIchard GRIMSHAW
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, community, erosion, forage, management, Network News, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver Videos, waterTagged , , , , , , , , ,

ICV-8, Vetiver Networking in Latin America, Reducing pesticides in Venezuelan farm’s runoff, Promotional video on Green Infrastructure (TVNI-NL-2024-03)

Announcement of the 8th International Vetiver Conference The India Vetiver Foundation (IVF) – a recently constituted Indian organization dedicated to the promotion, cultivation, and utilization of vetiver grass as a sustainable solution for soil conservation, climate mitigation, and economic empowerment – submitted the successful proposal to host ICV-8 in Chennai, India in July/August of 2026. Begin your planning now to attend! The IVF’s principals include Dr. CK Ashok (President), Mr. P.N. Subramanian (Vice-President), Mr. M.C. Dominic (Media Relations), Mr.… Read the rest “ICV-8, Vetiver Networking in Latin America, Reducing pesticides in Venezuelan farm’s runoff, Promotional video on Green Infrastructure (TVNI-NL-2024-03)”
Jim Smyle
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Labels: agriculture, community, Conference, infrastructure, Network News, Phytoremediation, pollution, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver Videos, water qualityTagged , , , , ,

Critical Info and Data are in these Newsletters!

Vetiver Network News Letters from 1990-2002 This compilation of newsletters created from the originals, the latter were authored by Jim Smyle, Joan Miller, and Dick Grimshaw, record the research and development of the Vetiver Grass Technology following its introduction by John Greenfield to Indian watershed programs starting around 1986. They contain invaluable and critical information and research data from work on all the major continents, except for Antarctica! The information is just as relevant today as it was 25-35 years ago, and some of it can be used to support the necessary data for future vetiver related planning, as well as providing some very useful information to vetiver users.… Read the rest “Critical Info and Data are in these Newsletters!”
RIchard GRIMSHAW
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, community, Conference, disaster mitigation, energy, erosion, Establishment, forage, handicrafts, infrastructure, invasiveness, management, Network News, Phytoremediation, plant, policy, pollution, propagation, slope stabilization, urban, wastewater, water, water quality, WorkshopTagged , , , , , , , , ,

Up-Scaling Vetiver Grass Technology Using the Internet (TVNI-NL-2024-02)

Up-Scaling Vetiver Grass Technology – Using the Internet One important reason, amongst others, why Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) is not used more widely is that not enough people know about the plant and its many applications. We have to do a better job at marketing, promotion, and Public Relations (PR).  We are fortunate to have a 40 year collection of information, data, photographs on our website that provides the evidence and the basis for successfully application of the technology for multiple environmental needs in any country of the world where vetiver will grow.… Read the rest “Up-Scaling Vetiver Grass Technology Using the Internet (TVNI-NL-2024-02)”
RIchard GRIMSHAW
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, community, erosion, Network News, plant, propagation, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver VideosTagged , , , , , , , , ,

Root Geotropism – A Reason why Vetiver Grass can stabilize steep slopes

Paul Truong, Technical Director of TVNI, brings an amazing photo gallery of VS demonstrating extreme slope stabilization from Africa, Asia and and South America. The presentation “Geotropism of Vetiver” is compelling and is the work of Dr. P.K.Yoon of Malaysia (author of “Look See at Vetiver Grass in Malaysia”), and demonstrates the strong geotropism characteristics of vetiver grass.  He did this experiment to show how vetiver could be grown in open ended horizontal tubes that were inserted in to shotcrete on near vertical walls on a highway batter in Hong Kong.  … Read the rest “Root Geotropism – A Reason why Vetiver Grass can stabilize steep slopes”
RIchard GRIMSHAW
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Labels: slope stabilizationTagged , , , ,

Vetiver and Permaculture (TVNI-NL-2024-01)

This month’s newsletter gives some focus to vetiver, and its role as a potentially important component in permaculture practices, regenerative agriculture and the restoration of degraded lands, particularly in tropical and semiarid areas of the world. Those who know intimately the value of using Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) for its multiple applications and many benefits have to ask why more people are not using the technology to meet the challenges of climate change  as they relate to soil health, degrading lands and water, and poverty.… Read the rest “Vetiver and Permaculture (TVNI-NL-2024-01)”
RIchard GRIMSHAW
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