NEWSLETTERS & POSTS

Certificates of Technical Excellence

Certificates of Technical Excellence. TVNI provides two types of certificates that recognize individual or company expertise in various applications of the Vetiver System. Details about this certification, lists of those certified, and an application form are at a completely revamped and simplified page that can be found HERE.  Those applying for certification should read the guidelines carefully.  Note the two different levels of certification. Professional Certification is for those applying for certification in bioengineering and phytoremedial applications, where detailed engineering and water related knowledge is required, and where there is potential risk, if applied by people with limited knowledge. … Read the rest “Certificates of Technical Excellence”
Dick Grimshaw
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Vetiver System Short Video Competition with Cash Awards

A Short Video Competition with the theme “Vetiver System – A Climate Smart Technology” has been jointly organized by the Office of Royal Development Projects Board (ORDPB) of Thailand and The Vetiver Network International (TVNI). Cash AWARDS totaling US$8,000  Purpose: To demonstrate, through appropriately focused short videos, the development, application, promotion, dissemination and impact of the Vetiver System (VS). Special attention should be given to the importance of VS for building community resilience and adaption to increasingly common extreme weather events and changing climate.… Read the rest “Vetiver System Short Video Competition with Cash Awards”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: climate change, community, disaster mitigation, Network NewsTagged ,

Propagating Vetiver Grass – some practical advice from southern Spain

Recently a state-owned, Surinamese company that is involved in the mining of minerals and ores reached out to TVNI to locate a supplier for Vetiver Grass and inquire about what they might expect should they establish their own nursery.  Dave and Anna, the owners of Vetiver Spain (a reputable and reliable Vetiver supplier in Spain) asked their head gardener to provide his insights and recommendations on propagating Vetiver in their southern Spain location: Where to plant?… Read the rest “Propagating Vetiver Grass – some practical advice from southern Spain”
Jim Smyle
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Labels: management, plant, propagationTagged ,

Vetiver Grass Technology – Ecological Engineering in Pest Management for Rice in China.

On March 1, 2022 TVNI hosted a webinar (#5): Vetiver Grass for the Control of Stem Borer of Rice in China. The Guest speaker, Dr. Zhongxian Lu, professor and head of crop insect pest management at the Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, China. He gave an excellent presentation of the science that backs the use of vetiver grass as the key component of an eco-engineering technology that has thus far transformed the control of striped and pink stem borer in 270,000 ha of rice in 14 provinces of southern China.… Read the rest “Vetiver Grass Technology – Ecological Engineering in Pest Management for Rice in China.”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, management, plant, pollution, uncategorizedTagged , , ,

The Vetiver System can provide a low-cost solution for shallow landslide mitigation.

  The most recent (February 2022) devasting landslides in and around the City of Petropolis (located in Brazil’s state of Rio de Janeiro), are not new to the region, but the frequency and severity appears to be increasing due to a combination of extreme, climate change, induced rainfall events and poor land use; the latter includes unregulated housing on steep slopes, poor drainage, and deforestation.  Not all landslides can be prevented, but many can, and most landslide sites can be rehabilitated so slippage does not occur again.… Read the rest “The Vetiver System can provide a low-cost solution for shallow landslide mitigation.”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: climate change, community, disaster mitigation, erosion, infrastructure, slope stabilizationTagged , , , , ,

Vetiver Networking and Expanding Application in Tanzania

Goodluck Estomih, of Arusha, Tanzania, has played a critical role in the more recent promotion of the Vetiver System in Tanzania. He writes … “My greetings to you from Mara region in the Lake Victoria zone of Tanzania. … Not known to many, we established in June 2017 a What’s app group called VENIT (Vetiver Network in Tanzania), after an intensive and comprehensive training by Elise Pinners (TVNI Director) and Jane Wagesa (Kenya Vetiver Network Coordinator).… Read the rest “Vetiver Networking and Expanding Application in Tanzania”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: agriculture, community, erosion, infrastructure, uncategorized, wastewater, water

The Vetiver Education & Empowerment Project (VEEP) Model. 

For those who understand and have witnessed the significant benefits and impact of Vetiver System (VS) applications, are often perplexed that the technology is still unknown by many potential users despite global promotion efforts. Degradation of soil and water is accelerating, due to population growth, misuse and mismanagement of resources, and climate change. Many communities, particularly rural communities in poor countries know the problems but lack the means to mitigate them. The challenge of climate change calls for new approaches in delivering information and in training and empowering communities in need.
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, community, disaster mitigation, erosion, handicrafts, infrastructure, pollution, slope stabilization, uncategorized, waterTagged ,

Coal Flyash Dump Successfully Stabilized with Vetiver Grass

When not stabilized and protected, fly ash dumps, associated with coal fired power generation plants, are serious health hazards due to heavy metals (Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cd, and As) in the fly ash dust and associated dumpsite leachates. These toxic chemicals impact surrounding people, animals, land and groundwater. Phytoremedial mitigation using vetiver grass can be very effective, primarily through phytostabilization of the fly ash, with phytoextraction of toxic metals as a secondary benefit.  Vetiver when grown in fly ash: has a dense mass of ash binding roots; is tolerant to the heavy metals (that when extracted remain mainly in the roots — the leaves can be fed safely to livestock or used for other purposes); and shows no significant sign of plant damage thus assuring long term survival.  … Read the rest “Coal Flyash Dump Successfully Stabilized with Vetiver Grass”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: agriculture, disaster mitigation, health, pollution, slope stabilization, waterTagged , , , ,
vetiver fed to buffalo

China – Vetiver Research and Development

China – Vetiver Research and Development. Recently Liyu Xu, China Vetiver Network Coordinator, sent me the digital text (in English) of a book published in 2003 relating to the title of this post. It contains useful information and data from 1988 to 2003 – a period when there was a lot of vetiver activity following the introduction of the Vetiver System to the World Bank funded Red Soils Project located in Jiangxi and Fujian Province in 1988.… Read the rest “China – Vetiver Research and Development”
Dick Grimshaw
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Labels: agriculture, climate change, erosion, forageTagged , ,

MAP YOUR VETIVER LOCATION COMPETION

MAP YOUR VETIVER LOCATION COMPETION. This competition closed on March 31. The leaders Vetiver TT (Trinidad and Tobago), Tho Ngo (Vietnam), and Vetiver GT. Ingeneria-Viva- (Guatemala) are listed in the attached image from the iNaturalist site. We audited the first three (excluding Grimshaw – ineligible to compete) and found all to have a few deficiencies. They have been asked to update and correct. These will be then checked again and the winners announced by the end of April   XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX   MARCH 31, 2022 DEADLINE: VETIVER PLANTING LOCATION MAPPING – CASH PRIZE COMPETITION. … Read the rest “MAP YOUR VETIVER LOCATION COMPETION”
Dick Grimshaw
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