Fuzhou, China, P.R. 21-23-26 October 1997
Background
The environmental issues has dominated the agricultural and natural resource sectors for years. Attention has been given to the massive problem of soil erosion and, more specifically, to the need to reduce soil and water losses caused by excessive rainfall runoff. 11 million hectares of forest are cut down each year, one-half is estimated to be needed to replace cropland that has gone out of production owing to erosion and the consequent loss of fertile soil. At the same time, many millions of hectares of land once classified as cropland with high potential are annually being downgraded to land with low potential and high risk..
Over 30 years of testing vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) as a soil conservation measure and over 100 years of experiences with grass as a boundary hedge has shown it to be the ideal plant to prevent soil erosion, and as an important tool in rehabilitation of degraded farmland. Vetiver technology was recently recognized by a panel of international judges to be the best of 71 sustainable technologies that were entered for the "John Franz Sustainability Award". The technology has been extendfed to many countries or regions in tropical and subtropical areas.
In the recent decade, since 1980's in specific, the grass has been tested and extended in many provinces and by many institutions. In china it has been experimented and field tested in Jiangxi, Fujian, Sichuan, Hunan, Guizhou, Hainan, Guangdong, Gansu, Henan, and Zhejiang Provinces. The followings are some details:
� Experiments were carried out by research institutes and universities on the biological characteristics; hedge establishment and maintenance; hedgerow impacts on soil fertility, moisture, crop yield, and soil losses (these experiments and field trials confirmed the effectiveness of the technology;
� In Guangdong Province, large scale demonstrations have shown the effectiveness of vetiver for barren land (Red Desert) rehabilitation, river bed stabilization, and embankment stabilization for railroads and highways;
� Many permanent and temporary nurseries were established;
� Vetiver hedgerows were established to protect tea, tea oil(camellia), and citrus plantations;
� Vetiver grass has been used to feed fish, livestock, and to mulch ground surface of orchards;
� In Fujian Province vetiver has played an important role in stabilizing sands and in the control of wind erosion along coastal areas the latter are of considerable area in Fujian.
There are a growing number of institutions through out China that wish to test and use vetiver. The grass is being applied by many new users and a lot of old users are testing its new applications.
Sponsors
The workshop will be co-sponsored and /or supported by The World Bank, (Small Grants), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Vetiver Network (International), China Natural Science Foundation, Institute of Soil Science (Academia Sinica), and Fujian Water and Soil Conservation Station, and China Vetiver Network.
Topics and objectives
The main topics include:
� Results and achievement of vetiver research, experiments, application, and extension in the past decade.
� New vetiver applications and its management of extreme soil rehabilitation (seriously eroded red soil, mobile sandy dunes, toxic soils, etc.), watershed management, waterway stabilization, earth works reinforcing, pollution control, disaster prevention, etc.
� The needs of vetiver application to satisfy farmers' basic needs (fuel production for example).
� Application and management of vetiver in different agroforestry systems and different area..
� Economic and policy consideration on vetiver application and extension.
� Considerations and proposals for new vetiver projects.
Program structure
The program will consist of presentations and discussions; poster presentation, exhibition of articles and publications, mid- tour, and post-field survey to Wuyi Mountain.
Expected Output
The following will be prepared and disseminated through the China Vetiver Network/ Institute of Soil Science. Some will be released before the workshop in order to encourage farmers, extensionists, and scientists activelyinvolved with vetiver to participate in the workshop. The balance will be issued after the workshop.
� Six issues of Vetiver Fact Sheets (in Chinese) will be released in large circulation (4,000 copies for each issue). They will introduce substantial technics generated by both Chinese and foreign experts, extensionists and farmers.
� Four issues of Vetiver Newsletter in Chinese will be released introducing news and activities happened in both China and foreign countries.
� Two issues of Vetiver Newsletter in English will be issued introducing results of the workshop and Chinese experience into the world (these newsletters will be incorporated in the newsletter of The Vetiver Network for world wide distribution).
� The Vetiver Field Manual will be revised, to include Chinese experiences and is expected to be better understood by farmers.
� A series of Vetiver posters will be prepared and printed whichwill vividly describe the character, function, and management of vetivergrass. All of the above outputs will be completed by the end of 1998.
� A proceedings or paper collection is expected to be published in Englishdepending on financial sources.
Language
The working language will be English or Chinese. Translation will be provided.
Timetable
Registration: 1st September 1997
Submission of abstracts (no more than 400 words): 1st September 1997
Submission of full paper (no longer than 15 pages doubled-spaced including tables, figures, and references): 20 October 1997
Plenary presentation, discussion, and mid tour: 21-23October 1997
Post-survey to Wuyi Mountain: 24-26 October 1997
Costs
Registration: USD150, if participating only in workshop; or USD 400, if participating in both workshop and post-field survey.
Accommodation (hotels and meals): USD100/day
All payments are required in cash in US Dollars paid at the time of arrival.
Climate
As usual, Fuzhou is warm in November (October) with mean monthly temperature of 21.9C
Insurance
The organizers will not be held responsible in case of accidents, illness, theft or death while traveling to and from, or staying in China to attend the workshop and the field surveys.
Contacts:
Liyu Xu, Coordinator of China Vetiver Network, c/o Institute of Soil Science, P.O.Box 821, Nanjing 210008, China, P.R.
Fax: 86-25-3353590. Tel. 86-25-3367364
Email: [email protected]