NEWSLETTERS & POSTS

Newsletter (NL2026-01) Vetiver Grass Technology – Read and Think Deep!

The Five Non‑Negotiables for Successful Vetiver System Establishment Effective vetiver installations don’t happen by chance. They require disciplined quality management with trained supervision to ensure every step—from cultivar selection to long‑term maintenance—meets Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) design and application standards. When these fundamentals are assured, performance is predictable, costs stay low, and hedges last for decades. 1. Approved Vetiver Cultivar Use only sterile, deep‑rooted planting stock with verified provenance. 2. Quality‑Assured Planting Material Supply live, vigorous slips grown, prepared, and shipped in full compliance with standards.… Read the rest “Newsletter (NL2026-01) Vetiver Grass Technology – Read and Think Deep!”
Dick Grimshaw
0
Comments
Labels: agriculture, climate change adaptation, design standards, Establishment, health, infrastructure, Network News, pollution, propagation, Vetiver technical publicationsTagged , , , , , , , ,

A new technical reference and guide for slope stabilization from Dr. Mohammad Shariful Islam

The Vetiver Network International is pleased to present this new technical reference and guide: Standard Specification for Slope Stabilization Using Vetiver Grass. Authored by Dr. Mohammad Shariful Islam, a distinguished researcher and practitioner in the field of bioengineering, Dr. Islam’s work has advanced the understanding and application of Vetiver Grass Technology (VGT) as a nature-based solution for mitigating soil erosion and stabilizing critical infrastructure. The author shares his knowledge and long experience, which he has gained both from his research and field applications.… Read the rest “A new technical reference and guide for slope stabilization from Dr. Mohammad Shariful Islam”
Jim Smyle
1
Comments
Labels: infrastructure, slope stabilization, Vetiver technical publicationsTagged , , , , , ,

New Experimental Evidence: Vetiver Nearly Eliminates Runoff — What This Means for Micro Catchment Restoration

For years, practitioners across the Vetiver Network have known — from field experience, hydrological logic, and scattered academic studies — that vetiver hedgerows dramatically increase infiltration and reduce destructive runoff. Yet one of the persistent barriers to institutional uptake has been the absence of simple, intuitive, quantitative demonstrations that show just how much difference vetiver makes under real rainfall. A new 400‑day experiment from Maharashtra (India) carried out by Chandrashekhar Bhadsavle, Anil Nivalkar, Parshuram Agivale – paper attached –  fills that gap with remarkable clarity.… Read the rest “New Experimental Evidence: Vetiver Nearly Eliminates Runoff — What This Means for Micro Catchment Restoration”
Dick Grimshaw
1
Comments
Labels: uncategorized

Newsletter (NL 2025-12) – a year in review & other news

The Vetiver System in 2025 The most outstanding aspect of the Vetiver System in 2025 were the people of the VS global community.  WhatsApp groups in India and Latin America, the monthly Latin American Conversatorios, and numerous active Facebook groups carried on wide-ranging discussions that moved riverbanks in Vietnam to hillside farms in India, to coastal landscapes in Latin America, and land restoration in Africa. A grower showed how chop-and-drop vetiver mulch held moisture through drought; another captured riverbanks that stayed intact after storms when vetiver was an integral part of a bioengineering scheme.… Read the rest “Newsletter (NL 2025-12) – a year in review & other news”
Jim Smyle
2
Comments
Labels: agriculture, community, infrastructure, Network News, Phytoremediation, Promotion & Dissemination, slope stabilization, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver researchTagged , , , , , , , , ,

Newsletter (NL 2025-11) – Mine Restoration – Knowledge Resources – Global Voices

From Scarred Mines to Blueberry Fields: A Story of Restoration from South China. In Baisha Town, Yingde City, the scars of illegal rare earth mining once defined the landscape. Jagged rocks and barren soil stretched across Mendong Village’s Fourth Pond, a stark reminder of ecological damage. Today, that same ground is alive with vetiver grass and rows of blueberry bushes — a living testament to how innovation and determination can turn devastation into opportunity. In 2023, Baisha Town has invested more than USD4 million in an ambitious 114 ha restoration project.… Read the rest “Newsletter (NL 2025-11) – Mine Restoration – Knowledge Resources – Global Voices”
Dick Grimshaw
2
Comments
Labels: agriculture, climate change, community, Conference, disaster mitigation, health, infrastructure, Network News, Phytoremediation, plant, urban, Vetiver research, water qualityTagged , , , , , , , , , ,

Newsletter (NL 2025-10) WhatsApp to Watersheds: Peru Testimonial, Innovations, Impacts, and Economics, and WhatsApp Chat Insights

A testimonial from Alois Kennerknecht : The Vetiver System – a multipurpose plant in an urban community in Peru A few months ago TVNI launched a “Vetiver Testimonial Campaign” with an open call, asking you to share your stories and the positive impacts it has had in your and/or your community’s life. This is important because while data shows that the Vetiver System works, your stories shows why it matters. When decision-makers and leaders can hear — in your words — how vetiver protected your farm and restored soil health or, protected your home and livelihood, or helped solve a previously unsolvable problem, they connect, trust, and act.… Read the rest “Newsletter (NL 2025-10) WhatsApp to Watersheds: Peru Testimonial, Innovations, Impacts, and Economics, and WhatsApp Chat Insights”
Jim Smyle
2
Comments
Labels: agriculture, benefit/cost, economics, erosion, management, Phytoremediation, policy, Promotion & Dissemination, slope stabilization, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver research, Vetiver Videos, water quality, watershed managementTagged , , , , , , ,

Trial on the Potential Use of Vetiver Grass for Engineering Purposes

Led by the late Diti Hengchaovanich of Erocon Sdn Bhd, Kuala Lumpur and supported by   Dr. P.K.Yoon (vetiver researcher and consultant – now 87 years old!), the 1990s vetiver trials on Malaysia’s East–West Highway were conducted along the Gerik–Jeli stretch, particularly near Banding Island and Lake Temenggor in the Titiwangsa Range. This region was selected for its steep terrain and erosion-prone slopes, making it ideal for testing vetiver’s slope stabilization capabilities. THESE TRIALS WERE THE FORERUNNERS OF PRESENT DAY VETIVER APPLICATIONS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE SLIOPE STABILIZATION.… Read the rest “Trial on the Potential Use of Vetiver Grass for Engineering Purposes”
Dick Grimshaw
0
Comments
Labels: plant, propagation, slope stabilization, uncategorized, Vetiver researchTagged , , , ,

Vedu and Nachu Thatha’s Vetiver Tale – A Green Gift to the World

Vedu and Nachu Thatha’s Vetiver Tale – A Green Gift to the World.   This downloadable  children’s book by Indian author Lakshminarasimhan Sridhar is very well written, engaging and understandable for young children, and is highly recommended. Here follows an AI generated summary: “Vedu and Nachu Thatha’s Vetiver Tale” is a heartwarming story that introduces children to the significance of Vetiver, a miraculous grass known for its environmental benefits. The narrative follows a young boy named Vedu and his grandfather, Nachu Thatha, as they explore the wonders of Vetiver in their village of Velkur, Andhra Pradesh.… Read the rest “Vedu and Nachu Thatha’s Vetiver Tale – A Green Gift to the World”
Dick Grimshaw
0
Comments
Labels: agriculture, climate change, community, disaster mitigation, handicrafts, plant, uncategorizedTagged , , , ,

Newsletter (NL 2025-09) 100 year old vetiver hedges! Slope Stabilization, Feedback from the Field and more

100 Year old Vetiver hedgerows still functioning Vonnie Roudette of St Vincent and the Grenadines – “the best project manager ever”.   Vonnie is one of a number of outstanding women who develop and execute Vetiver related programs. She is a committed vetiver and social activist especially in helping poorer disadvantaged communities and empowering women. Vonnie first came to the global vetiver scene when she produced the documentary “The Grass Men” that told the story of how the lives of some inmates in a St Vincent prison were changed through a vetiver handicraft program that she introduced and managed.… Read the rest “Newsletter (NL 2025-09) 100 year old vetiver hedges! Slope Stabilization, Feedback from the Field and more”
Dick Grimshaw
3
Comments
Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, community, disaster mitigation, erosion, handicrafts, infrastructure, Phytoremediation, Promotion & Dissemination, slope stabilization, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver research, water quality, WorkshopTagged , , , , , , , , ,

Newsletter (NL 2025-08) A Look at AI’s Potential for Vetiver Promotion, Welcome to TVNI’s New Technical Directors, A Large-scale Ecological Remediation Project in China, Recent News/Research

Can AI help accelerate the scaling and uptake of the Vetiver System? As we are all aware, communities across the Global South are experiencing the accelerating impacts of climate change — soil erosion, flooding, drought, and degraded farmland. For hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers, credible large-scale planned adaptation programs will arrive too late. What these communities urgently need are low-cost, community-led solutions that are: Proven: backed by decades of field evidence Scalable: adaptable to diverse climates and soils Accessible: simple enough for farmers to implement with minimal inputs We also know that the Vetiver System (VS) meets these criteria and should be playing a much larger role than it currently is playing.… Read the rest “Newsletter (NL 2025-08) A Look at AI’s Potential for Vetiver Promotion, Welcome to TVNI’s New Technical Directors, A Large-scale Ecological Remediation Project in China, Recent News/Research”
Jim Smyle
1
Comments
Labels: agriculture, climate change, climate change adaptation, community, erosion, Network News, Promotion & Dissemination, slope stabilization, uncategorized, upscaling vetiver, Vetiver researchTagged , , , , , , , , , ,