The Vetiver Network International

Newsletter – Slope Stabilization Standards, VS Training Opportunities, India & Latin America WhatsApp Groups, Monthly Latin American Roundtable Summaries, A Possible Pan-American Conference in 2025 (NL 2025-02)

Standard Specification for Slope Stabilization Using Vetiver Grass (coming soon) Dr. Mohammad Shariful Islam, a distinguished researcher and practitioner in the field of bioengineering, has done much to advance the understanding and application of Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) as a nature-based solution for mitigating soil erosion and stabilizing critical infrastructure. In the forthcoming technical guide, which is primarily intended for professionals (including engineers, policymakers, and project managers), he shares detailed technical guidance on the design, implementation, and maintenance of Vetiver-based systems, based on his many years of experience in Bangladesh and beyond.… Read the rest

Jim Smyle

Feb 28, 2025 at 07:43 PM

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Labels: agriculture, climate change adaptation, community, Conference, Network News, Promotion & Dissemination, slope stabilization, uncategorized, Vetiver technical publications, Vetiver VideosTagged agriculture, bioengineering, climate smart technology, community, Conference, Dissemination, Newsletter, Promotion, Slope stabilization, Training, Vetiver System, vetiver video

Watershed restoration using the Vetiver System.

In many parts of the world, villages and their inhabitants are closely connected to the surrounding landscapes, often sharing ownership. Typically, issues related to soil erosion and water pollution are addressed as either agricultural/forestry or urban problems, each requiring different mitigation actions and technologies. However, as urban and farm densities increase, these problems and their solutions increasingly merge and affect both groups. Vetiver Grass Technology is a unique example where the same plant, vetiver grass, can be used as a crucial component for cross-sector mitigation.… Read the rest

RIchard GRIMSHAW

Feb 09, 2025 at 12:34 AM

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Labels: agriculture, climate change adaptation, community, erosion, infrastructure, Phytoremediation, pollution, urban, wastewaterTagged agriculture, climate smart technology, erosion control, Nature-based Solutions, pollution mitigation, regenerative agriculture

Newsletter – Vetiver Secrets, Soil Health, Wastewater, Forage (NL 2025-01)

The Secrets of Vetiver. As research is carried out on various attributes and applications of vetiver we are coming to learn how the plant functions and what it can do. A recent Chinese study “Reshaping the microenvironment and bacterial community of TNT- and RDX-contaminated soil by combined remediation with vetiver grass (Vetiveria ziznioides) and effective microorganism (EM) flora“ The degradation rates of TNT and RDX after 60 days of combined remediation were 95.66% and 84.37%, respectively.… Read the rest

RIchard GRIMSHAW

Jan 25, 2025 at 10:30 PM

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Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change adaptation, disaster mitigation, erosion, forage, Network News, Phytoremediation, propagation, Vetiver research, water qualityTagged agriculture, bioengineering, climate change, Nature-based Solutions, pollution mitigation, Slope stabilization, vetiver grass, Vetiver System

Newsletter – The Vetiver System in 2024 (NL 2024-12)

The Vetiver System in 2024 As we come to the end of 2024 – which marked about 40 years since John Greenfield and Dick Grimshaw began to explore the use of Vetiver grass as an alternative to structural soil and moisture conservation practices in India – it is deeply satisfying to see that, by all appearances, not only has interest in the Vetiver System continued to expand globally, but that the use of VS has continued to gain traction as a sustainable and effective approach for addressing a wide range of environmental challenges around the globe.… Read the rest

Jim Smyle

Dec 30, 2024 at 06:16 PM

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Labels: agriculture, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, community, disaster mitigation, erosion, Network News, policy, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver researchTagged agriculture, bioengineering, Carbon farming, climate change, community, Vetiver Grass Technology, Vetiver System

Slope Stabilization and Land Restoration (mining) in China

Feng Ziyuan who owns and manages the oldest vetiver service company in China (more than 20 years) has been a serious contributor to the advancement of the Vetiver System. He sets high standards resulting in above average VS applications, and he has been generous in sharing his results. This short presentation “Vetiver System Technology Application” that he made recently relates to his slope stabilization, mine, and gully restoration applications . Feng is also involved with the deign and execution of phytoremedial applications of vetiver for the treatment of waste and other contaminated water.… Read the rest

RIchard GRIMSHAW

Dec 20, 2024 at 09:33 PM

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Labels: climate change mitigation, disaster mitigation, infrastructure, slope stabilizationTagged Nature-based Solutions, Slope stabilization, soil & water conservation

Newsletter – Vetiver and Youth, Bio-engineering, Wastewater Treatment, Global Feedback (NL 2024-11)

This newsletter addresses Vetiver and youth, global outreach, feedback from users, and research news. Sharing experiences and information. The more this group and other vetiver users share their experiences the more people will use the technology. I see this happening in many countries and regions, recently especially in Latin America, India, Kenya, and Vietnam. Key users, often with different approaches, are making real progress and creating interest for others. Sharing/information sources of current note include: the monthly webinar series “Conversatorio” hosted by Yorlene Cruz (Coordinator of the Costa Rica and member of Latin Vetiver Networks) are posted on TVNI’s Youtube channel; the new Facebook page – Vetiver in Kenya – attracts a growing readership; India’s Agricultural World Whatsapp, AW#VETIVER forum, focusing on “all things vetiver” is expanding and contains lively discussion on a range of vetiver topics and applications.… Read the rest

RIchard GRIMSHAW

Nov 26, 2024 at 05:47 PM

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Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, community, erosion, infrastructure, Phytoremediation, pollution, slope stabilization, upscaling vetiver, urban, Vetiver researchTagged agriculture, bioengineering, climate change, climate smart technology, community, erosion control, forage, Nature-based Solutions, regenerative agriculture

Black Cotton Soils (Vertisols) and the Vetiver System

What follows is a reprint of a note by the late John Greenfield on conservation practices for black cotton soils (vertisols) – It should be an interest too many of you. I was faced with the problems of managing black cotton soils in the early 50s in Australia while working with the Soil Conservation Service. Overnight, a heavy storm had wiped out a large area of a farmers wheat crop and fence line leaving gullies several meters deep.… Read the rest

RIchard GRIMSHAW

Oct 31, 2024 at 08:57 PM

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Labels: agriculture, climate change adaptation, disaster mitigation, erosionTagged climate smart technology, Eco based Adaption, erosion control, vertisols, Vetiver Grass Technology

Vetiver Grass Technology – Carbon Farming Management – Research – Global Outreach – Feedback (NL 2024-10)

CARBON FARMING FOR FARMERS – MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES “Soil organic matter is the elixir of life” . … Rattan Lal “A healthy soil should contain 2-4% Soil Organic Matter (SOM) half of which is Soil Organic Carbon.” The Potential of Regenerative Agriculture for Carbon Management and Sustainability This (18 min) video by Dr Rattan Lal – — the World’s leading soil scientist, World Food prize winner, and Director of Rattan Lal Carbon Management and Sequestration Center (Ohio State University) — is recommended as an introduction to soil and carbon.… Read the rest

RIchard GRIMSHAW

Oct 29, 2024 at 09:17 PM

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Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, community, disaster mitigation, erosion, forage, infrastructure, management, Network News, slope stabilization, Vetiver research, Vetiver VideosTagged agriculture, bioengineering, Carbon farming, climate change, climate smart technology, community-led adaptation, Eco based Adaption, ecological engineering, Nature-based Solutions, soil & water conservation, soil health, Vetiver Grass Technology

Costa Rica: biological control of an insect pest on Vetiver; Colombia: Vetiver history; Vetiver research trends; Vetiver oil’s medicinal potential; USA & India: Vetiver initiatives; USA: Vetiver for climate resilient infrastructure (NL 2024-09)

A well-planted Vetiver hedgerow Costa Rica: biological control of spittlebugs (Aeneolamia spp, Prosapia spp.) in Vetiver / Control biológico de salivazo en Vetiver The following article comes from Yorlene Cruz in Costa Rica. Yorlene is the owner/founder of Vetiver Systems Costa Rica, the organizer and host of the monthly “Conversatorios Virtuales Latinoamericano Vetiver”, TVNI’s Costa Rica Coordinator, and a Director of TVNI. For more details see the full write up of this case study (in Spanish) and a video that shows the affected plantings.… Read the rest

Jim Smyle

Sep 30, 2024 at 09:52 PM

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Labels: agriculture, climate change adaptation, disaster mitigation, infrastructure, policy, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver research, Vetiver VideosTagged agriculture, bioengineering, biological control insect pests, climate smart technology, ecological engineering, Insect pests, medicinal use, natural disaster risk mitigation, Network news, Research trends, Vetiver history

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

RIchard GRIMSHAW

Aug 26, 2024 at 04:57 PM

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Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change adaptation, erosion, forage, infrastructure, management, Network News, Phytoremediation, pollution, slope stabilization, wastewater, waterTagged agriculture, climate change, climate smart technology, erosion control, Global Hydrolgical Cycle, pollution mitigation, Slope stabilization, vetiver grass, Vetiver Grass Technology, Vetiver System