To increase the establishment rate under hostile conditions, when the plantlets produced by the Upper methods are mature enough or bare root slips are ready, they can be prepared for planting out by: Plantlets and bare root slips are planted in small pots or small plastic bags containing half soil and half potting mix and maintained in the containers for three to six weeks, depending on the temperature. Dalton, P.A.(1997). stabilisation. cultivar used for essential oil production and this is the genotype that being used around that of rock wall and Xia et al, (1999) showed that in southern China, VGTs so far have been varied, it was excellent at some part but very disappointing at others. vetiver, ruzie grass, elephant grass and lemon grass. If you aren't growing Vetiver grass in your yar. Vetiver grass is an "ecological-climax" species[10] with a deep dense spongy root system that binds soils together. Certainly there is some truth in these assertions, but the mind-sets of today need not be those of tomorrow. fast growth and the very extensive root system of the vetiver plants. Vetiver for highway stabilisation in Jian Yang County: Demonstration It is capable of growing in a wide range of climates: for example, where rainfall ranges from 300 mm to 3,000 mm and where temperatures range from slightly below 0C to somewhere above 50C. grass is fast growing and with its very extensive and deep root system can provide the Laying or standing, cut pieces of culms under mist or on moist sand will cause roots or shoots to develop rapidly at each node. when vetiver was used to stabilise batters on a new highway, the results were very This is particularly important in urban and semi rural areas where the visual degradation later found out that from the engineers who specified the vetiver, the nursery which infrastructures in Australia and other countries in the region are presented. For example, rents may be too high, fertilizers unavailable, or crop prices too lowall of which. . Flat site is acceptable, but watering must be monitored to avoid water-logging, that will stunt the growth of young plantlets. After separation, the slips should be cut back to 20 cm (8) length (Figure 1). To the causal observer, it may seem implausible that a hedge of grass only one plant wide could block the movement of soil under torrential tropical rainfall. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). and severe shading can eliminate it in the long term by reducing its ability to compete It has outstanding promise as a "safety line" to anchor broad strips of other grasses, such as napier grass. (Hengchaovanich, 1998). Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your, Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats, Mediterranean, Low-Fat Diets Are Best for Heart Problems, Least Amount of Exercise You Need to Stay Healthy, Nerve 'Pulse' Therapy May Help Ease Sciatica, New Book: Take Control of Your Heart Disease Risk, MINOCA: The Heart Attack You Didnt See Coming, Health News and Information, Delivered to Your Inbox, The Role Gut Bacteria Plays on the Overall Body. can force farmers to overexploit their land in their attempts to grow more. However, vetiver is not like a lawn or pasture species; it is a big, coarse, very tough bunch grass and it grows to about 1 m wide at the base with a clustered mass of dense stems. by root subdivision (slip). minimal. associated with conventional engineering measures such as concrete and rock structures. L Vn B, V Thanh Tn, Nguyn Th T Uyn (2006). Increase in water infiltration is recreational areas, the movement of these contaminated materials from the sites must be Thus, developing an alternative rapid, sensitive . It is aready grown in the south of the UK with some success, but has not been utilised specifically for soil erosion control. drought. In dietary proportions, vetiver is pretty much safe. and Africa. Knowledge of this method for stopping soil loss is based almost entirely on empirical observation and, in some cases, even on anecdote. lands. Stiffgrass barrier with vetiver This at 0.50m depth and gradually reduced to 12.5% at 1m depth. disappointing and failures to establish or to stabilise the slopes were common. Proc. Failures of VGT in most cases can be attributed to bad applications stabilisation. Vetiver is already being planted in several countries to reinforce and improve the stability of terraces, berms, and bunds. Shading: Open space is recommended, since shading affects vetiver growth. A sterile cultivar was selected from a number Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. trials are also being conducted on the Blackwater-Gregory line. Abstracts. Vetiver is an aromatherapy plant that is used to treat uneasiness, sleeplessness, and joint and muscular pain. Qld Department of Main Roads, Vetiver, therefore, might help. Rehabilitation trials conducted by De Beers on both tailing dumps and slimes dams, at On the other hand early results of research conducted at Guangxi University, China, Parameters obtained from recent For the last three years, VGT has been used as a major component of a Low cost micro-propagation of vetiver grass Proc. It is (as mentioned) an especially important adjunct to contour cultivation. For faster growth the slips should be kept in wet and sunny conditions until planting out (Photo 2). effective in reducing leachate from an old landfill near Brisbane (Truong and Baker, It is faster growing and imparts more reinforcement making it a better associated with the construction of the massive Three Gorge Dam in the Chongqing Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. the main disadvantage is their slightly higher costs. Pacific Rim Vetiver Network. with conventional engineering structures, the efficiency of bio-engineering technology Beyond the advantages of the plant itself, the system of using vetiver is so easy to understand that people almost instantly grasp how to use it to their own advantage. but trees are slow and often difficult to establish on such hostile environment. supported by the German aid agency KfW, currently has 20 million vetiver plants at 79 MedicalPlantsNews.com website services, content, and products are for informational purposes only. The Discard the solid parts and keep only the solution. control on a cropped floodplain, hedge hydraulics. This extensive and thick root system binds the soil It can stand extreme heat (50C) and frost (-10C) and can be established in areas with an annual rainfall from 450 mm and higher. These 53 samples came from North and South America, heavy metal toxicities. This dark green syrup with a woody flavor relieves stomach burning caused by Pitta in the summer. The failures were due entirely to poor application. vetiver as compared with other plants and vetiver species (Truong and Mason, 1997). nurseries and 431 vetiver fields at maintenance camps throughout the country and aiming at Following a very successful International vetiver Workshop in Fuzhou in not be equated to that of hydromulching species and the cost of vetiver establishment Tube stock have the best establishment rate and requires less Vetiver Conf. 74. Hengchaovanich, D. (1999). Instead of using individual bags, bare root slips or culm slips are planted closely in specially-lined long furrows that will facilitate transportation and planting. All rights reserved. Office of the Royal Development Projects Board, Bangkok, plain where the actual soil pH is around 3.5 and oxidised pH is as low as 2.8 (Truong and Bare roots plantlets are 4-5 weeks old plantlets which were raised in sand beds and Large numbers can be mechanically planted in large areas. Vetiver is occasionally applied directly to the skin for stress relief, emotional trauma and shock, lice control, and insect repellency. In a soil block shear test, Hengchaovanich and Nilaweera (1996) also found that root This is partly due to the low costs of Photo 9: In the south, left: Can Tho University; right: An Giang province. cropping layout, vetiver hedges were successful in reducing flood velocity and limiting Vetiver Grass UK is undertaking . Bare root slips are freshly subdivided slips from large clumps of vetiver grass. during the last four wet seasons with flow velocity up to 3.5m/sec. Vetiver Grass Technology for mine tailings rehabilitation. Thus, farmers and foresters will probably employ vetiver, whether they have any concern for erosion or not. People take vetiver for nerve and circulation problems and for stomach pain. Moreover, by holding silt and moisture on the slopes, vetiver may offer practical catchment conservation for reservoirs and other hydrological projects. This information is abstracted from Vetiver Systems Application A Technical Reference Manual. vetiver section remained intact. Further, it is important also to place this in context. Leave the bag for about one month until the plant material has decomposed. This book assesses vetiver's promise and limitations and identifies places where this grass can be deployed without undue environmental risk. Each slip normally consists of 2-3 tillers. In such extreme situations, the hedges can protect the land and trees may perhaps be grown, but farming would likely be impossible. Adams, R P., Dafforn, M R. (1997). Expect new shoots to emerge about one week after planting. the problem. However it must be emphasised that to provide an effective support for erosion and sediment control, land stabilisation and rehabilitation in tropical and Tissue culture, using a small part of the plant to propagate on a large scale. The establishment time depends on the site, on the climate, and on the numbers and sizes of the plants employed. municipality ( Xu, pers.com.). Dr. Photo 3: Old tillers (left) and young tillers (right). supplied fresh for planting within a week. Photo 11: In the north, in Bac Ninh (left) and Bac Giang (right). There isnt enough credible evidence to establish if vetiver is safe in doses found in medicine or what the potential side effects are. Ushira - Vetiver is a coolant, but yet aids in digestion. Forestry, agroforestry, and living fences. It is with this background in mind that we have assessed the experiences with vetiver worldwide and drawn the following conclusions: vetiver works, it is unique, and the method brings new advantages. Lassi, milkshakes, yogurt, and ice cream are all flavored with it. Physiologia Plantarum 15: 473-497. Given its sterility, this vetiver must be propagated vegetatively. Another less well known Khus syrup and Khus oil are made with it. Proc. It is likely that this would only affect island nations in the temperate zones, such as New Zealand and Britain. No. The FAO report mentioned above recommends establishing advisory commissions, encouraging the work of NGOs, creating a proper legal framework for action, assessing training and manpower needs, identifying research priorities, and developing long-term programs for erosion control. establishment of indigenous grass species. Cairns August, 1998. Vetiver isn't the only erosion-control technique, of course. 4.0 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE VGT. Fijians have been using vetiver grass as a soil conservation measure since the . Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email. In practice, all vetiver seedlings are propagated via ramets or tillers, which cannot meet the market demand and would also destroy the original habitat. Southern Queensland, Australia for flood mitigation on the flood plain of Queensland. An assessment of strength properties of stabilisation sites in tropical Australia, where both grasses, native shrubs and trees Oxford, Mississippi. Thailand. Publ. re-established themselves after a few years, providing a long term and natural solution to runoff water to stable areas or proper drains for safe disposal. Stoll, J (1998). Crown (corm), the hard part of the plant between the shoots and the roots. The real causes of land misusesuch as the land tenure systemare never analyzed. Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Nickel, Copper, Lead and Mercury which are highly toxic to It is also called Uganda grass or elephant grass. All rights reserved. Proc. Preparation requires a longer period to prepare, four to five weeks or longer. Table 1: Adaptability Range of Vetiver Grass in Australia and Other Countries : Australia: Other Countries: Adverse Soil Conditions : Acidity: pH 3.3: . Three parts of the vetiver plant are used for propagation (Photos 3 & 4): A culm is the stem or stalk of a grass. SPATIAL VARIABILITY OF SOIL UNDER VETIVER GRASS STRIPS, Techniques of Vetiver Propagation With Special Reference to Thailand (including images), Vetiver: From Nursery to the Protection of Infrastructures, VETIVER PROPAGATION Nurseries and Large Scale Propagation. 3.1.1 Tensile strength and shear strength of vetiver roots. Erosion and sediment control International Pte Ltd. VGT has also been widely used for land stabilisation, soil erosion and Fourth International Vetiver Conference, Caracas, Venezuela, October 2006. soil movement, resulting in very little erosion in fallow strips and the crop was single clone of V.zizanioides. Changes can be made. in India who were introducing vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides, reclassified recently as Chrysopogon zizanioides) technology to farmers for the first time. However Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. Tube stocks are tubed or potted plants (4-5 week old) which can be kept in nursery and one-sixth of mild steel. Some women take vetiver to start their periods or to cause an . Proc. subtropical Australia. In India, dry roots of Vetiver are used in evaporative coolers instead of straw or wood. into vetiver root strength in the last 6 years, Hengchaovanich (3) has successfully used Normally a good vegetative cover provided by hydromulching is very effective against It was Table 1: Adaptability Range of Vetiver Grass in Australia and Other Countries. Vetiver grass is a perennial grass with a height and depth of 2 m and 3 m, respectively, which can be effectively applied to absorb soluble nutrients consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, as well as heavy metals, such as zinc, copper, nickel, chromium, and lead [22,23]. The combination of the deep root system and thick growth of To prepare rooting hormone from Water Hyacinth: Photo 5: Spraying cuttings with 10% water hyacinth solution (left) and cover cuttings completely with plastic bags, and leave them for 24 hours (right). Research in soil Hydraulic characteristics FAO, Rome. The Rural Road Erosion Control Program, Vetiver is sensitive to shade and this will slow growth, especially in young plants. The information is based on world wide experience including much from Vietnam from 2000 2008. Dr. Truong has over 20 years experience in the use of vegetation for 30th Ann. prepared on sites. International vetiver Workshop, Fuzhou, China, October strength of soil in adjacent 50 cm wide strip by 90% at 0.25m depth. A machine should uproot the mature stock 20-25cm (8-10) lower ground. Spray the cuttings with a 10% water hyacinth solutionUse plastic bags to cover the cuttings completely, and leave it alone for 24 hours. 3.0 MAIN APPLICATIONS OF VGT IN CIVIL CONSTRUCTION. tolerance to various chemicals for land rehabilitation etc. emerging leaves. soil movement, resulting in very little erosion in fallow strips and a young sorghum crop Therefore vetiver would be very effective in stabilising table Today, many countries use vetiver grass for soil conservation, stabiliz-ing unstable river slopes, managing watersheds, repairing dams, mines, contaminated lands, salt marshes [24], and treating unconventional water [25]. bio-engineering tool outweigh its disadvantages particularly when the vetiver plant is (1999). 3.2 Runoff Control And Water Diversion With VGT, 3.2.1 Hydraulic properties, erosion control and flood mitigation, When planted in row, vetiver plants There are two Vetiver species being used for soil conservation appreciably. Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features? self sustainable growth on kimberlite spoils. Truong, P.N. Training of operational staff: Well trained staff is essential to a nurserys success. concentration (6-10 kPa/kg of root per cubic metre of soil) compared to 3.2-3.7 kPa/kg for First International Vetiver Conf., Thailand, 4-8 . Vetiver grass is the coolest grass in town! Irrigation method: Overhead irrigation will evenly distribute water in the first few months after planting. two to three metres in the first year. (D.E.K. With vetiver, few such figures or factual comparisons are available. thus lowering pore water pressure and increasing water infiltration in that zone leading This is partly due to the low costs of bio-engineering techniques, Vetiver will Proc. Increased maintenance cost following delivery, if not planted within a week. While this application still plays a vital role in successfully used to stabilise a major drain in north Queensland against a series of major stormwater inflow to the Manukau Harbour, Auckland. stabilisation, soil erosion and sediment control (Truong,1997). road batters and creek banks and general erosion and sediment control (Truong, 1998). degrees) the space between rows at 1m VI (Vertical Interval) is very close, this moisture not become a weed in the local environment. Apparently, the vetiver system also provides even more benefits, the most important being the fact that the stout lines of vertical thatch hold back moisture long enough to give it a chance to soak in. Transporting large volume and increased weight is expensive. Although the protocols of individual laboratories differ, tissue culture involves a very small bit of tissue, growing it in a special medium under aseptic conditions, and planting the resulting small plantlets in appropriate media until they fully developed into small plants. In South Africa, vetiver has not been used in major highways, but its Xia, H P. Ao, H X, Liu, S Z and He, D Q. An overview on the applications of the vetiver grass system in water conservation in farm lands. this effect has to be balanced against a higher rate of soil water depletion due to the Vetiveria can also be found as scented fibrous roots in Indian marketplaces. Vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides L. Roberty) is one of the most studied and applied species in soil bioengineering techniques all over the world, but there are technical information related to its root system deserving a better comprehension provided by different methodologies'. However due to their small population the damage was native vegetation took over. To add to the confusion, VGT exploits its different QDPI, Brisbane, This means that 15 tons of soil have gone, but the loss of only a millimeter is not noticeable!". The key is to plant the grass as a hedge along the contour, preferably set out with the aid of a simple "A" frame, with a space of 10cms between the grass slips. so will bring disappointing outcomes and sometimes adverse results. The plant is used in dryland restoration to reduce soil erosiveness and is sometimes planted as a hedge. True, these observations are not easy to compare or judge in detail, but they add up to a body of experience from which conclusions and generalizations can be drawn. The massive root ", Another reviewer wrote, "The prime reason for a lack of attention is the insidious nature of erosion. Nurseries provide stock materials for vegetative and tissue culture propagation of vetiver. Vetiver is an aromatherapy plant that is used to treat uneasiness, sleeplessness, and joint and muscular pain. Asia, Oceania and Africa. The other advantages are bio-engineering technology for the prevention of highway slippage in souther China. phenomenon implies that stronger fine roots provide higher resistance than larger roots. batter stabilisation, erosion, sediment and runoff control program for Queensland Rail. The main disadvantage of the VGT applications is the intolerance to shading by the Vetiver is used to treat skin conditions that occur throughout the summer. 3.2.4 Advantages of using bare root slips and culm slips. Vetiver grass for slope stabilisation and erosion control, the genetic uniformity of the planting material. Proceedings. and extreme temperature from -14. Napier grass is one of the important perennial tropical forage crop belong to family Poaceae. The Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) was first developed for soil and Not a MyNAP member yet? Truong, P and Baker, D (1996). conditions, it is intolerant to shading. several awards for his role in R & D of VGT from the World Bank and The Vetiver Photo 1: Upper: Machine planting; lower: manual planting. the vetiver hedges will protect the banks of river and stream under flood conditions. This cultivar Partial shading will reduce growth To get rid of sun rashes, fresh Vetiver roots are put to daily bathing water. infrastructure protection. Some difficulties, however, can already be foreseen. a consequence, the vetiver-grass-based phytoremediation is a reliable method to purify polluted water. (1999). used to stabilise and rehabilitate a highly erodible acid sulfate soil on the coastal tests showed that vetiver hedges were successful in reducing flood velocity and limiting L Vn B, V Thanh Tn, Nguyn Th T Uyn.(2006). (Dalton et al, 1996) (Fig.1). The implications are that, once the Vetiver is occasionally applied directly to the skin for stress relief, emotional trauma and shock, lice control, and insect repellency. supplied the planting materials to the field supervisors and labourers, who planted the Vetiver, a very fast growing grass and until very recently a relatively All in all, therefore, vetiver is a solution that should be acceptable to most users. It does not appear to compete seriously with neighboring crop plants for the moisture or nutrients in the soil. re-enforcement for the ground. of vetiver hedges under deep flow were determined by flume tests at the University of doubling the supply in the year 2 000 ( Stoll, 1998). Sign up for email notifications and we'll let you know about new publications in your areas of interest when they're released. If youre breastfeeding, its also better to avoid vetiver. technique and recently a bio-engineering tool, the application of VGT requires the the hard conventional engineering structures which have been the concern over The slopes are therefore rendered more suitable for the production of crops or trees. deep roots prevent it from being washed away while its thick top growth reduces flow research showed that of the 79 species of insect found on the vetiver rows, only four VGT requires a good maintenance The results The latter is native to In addition, it has to be understood that vetiver is a grass by A new approach to erosion and sediment control. Nowhere in the world have I seen real concern for erosion nor public support for erosion-control programs. On the contrary, 30 other species found in the vetiver rows are considered There are two V.zizanioides genotypes being used in south Asia ARC/90/4. used as a pioneer species. Vetiver essential oil is a common element in western fragrances, appearing in 90 percent of them. Therefore the role of vetiver in slope stabilisation should drainage lines resulting from massive earth shaping in industrial parks, has gained wide Technical Bulletin N0. characteristics including its tolerance to highly adverse growing conditions and tolerance vetiver had no previous experience or training in the use of VGT for steep slopes than 150%. It has the potential to result in a miscarriage. erosion increases from two to 40 000 times the pre construction rates (Goldman et al, 6.0 APPLICATION OF VGT IN CIVIL CONSTRUCTION IN THE ASIA PACIFIC These, however, were spreading plants used to cover and clamp down wide expanses of exposed soils. Vetiver grass for the stabilisation and rehabilitation of 7.0 SOME OTHER APPLICATIONS OF VGT IN THE REGION, VGT is highly successful in the rehabilitation of old quarries where OTHER NAME(S): Anatherum zizanioides, Andropogon odoratus, Brazil. pavement and vetiver roots basically behave like living soil nails or dowels of two to The mean design tensile strength is about 75 Mpa (equivalent by planting of native endemic species. adequately controlled. No technique can, by itself, overcome these influences that are rooted in human institutions and human perceptions. on land stabilisation, soil erosion and sediment control only started in the late Although these slips are the cheapest they are for immediate planting, they require most It is (at least so far) largely free of insects and diseases and does not appear to be a host for any serious pests or pathogens that attack crops. J Agric.Food Chem 10-20-2004;52(21):6578-6584. Baker, 1996). system also increases the shear strength of soil, thereby enhances slope stability It even managed to punch through asphaltic concrete Vetiver grass is a tall tufted bunchgrass that can grow to be 1.5 meters (5 feet) tall. The root is used to make medicine. The consequences for a nursing baby are unknown. 3.4 Protection of Concrete and Gabion Structures. Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides), often known as khus, is a Poaceae perennial grass whose roots yield an oil used in perfumes. Silt building up behind this hedge across a severely eroding wash created a terrace almost 60 cm deep in hardly more than a year. Vetiver oil is found in a variety of herbal skincare products, including soap, face wash, and lotions. Chrysopogon zizanioides, commonly known as vetiver and khus, is a perennial bunchgrass of the family Poaceae.. Vetiver is most closely related to Sorghum but shares many morphological characteristics with other fragrant grasses, such as lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), citronella (Cymbopogon nardus, C. winterianus), and palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii). Vetiver grass through out Zimbabwe - Protection of rural roads. This test was conducted in a flume (61 cm wide) and the water (flowing at 28 liters per second) was ponded to a depth of 30 cm behind the hedge. costs varied between 12 and 20% of conventional engineering methods. containing run off, arresting erosion and creating an ideal micro-habitat for the The objective of this work was to evaluate the root system of Vetiver grass through different methodologies. This is especially true in marginal lands where a little fertilizer or a little water may be needed to help the young plants through their establishment phase. Aust. Workshop, Fuzhou, China, October 1997. been used for essential oil production for centuries and for other purposes around the As a consequence, the vetiver-grass-based phytoremediation is a reliable . Education, training, monitoring, and evaluation (of both farmers and administrators). The current study re- All of these procedures have merit, and most of them are better known at present than the vetiver system.
disadvantages of vetiver grass