Liyu Xu, China Vetiver Network Coordinator, and his team from The National Institute of Soils (Nanjing), as well as many others, notably Xia Hanping (South China Institute of Botany), Lu Zhong-Xian (Institute of Plant Protection and Microbiology, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou) and Feng Ziyuan (Guangzhou City Vetiver Grass Industry Science and Technology Co) have demonstrated a lasting commitment to Vetiver Grass Technology that has built a strong base for its further scaling, and we thank them all for it. Their story can be found in this Newsletter (English Edition)
The 30‑year history of the China Vetiver Network (CVN) stands as one of the most significant national-scale demonstrations of how the Vetiver System (VS) can move from scientific curiosity to mainstream development tool. Since its establishment in 1996—supported by The Vetiver Network International (TVNI) and rooted in the Chinese Academy of Sciences—CVN has built one of the world’s most comprehensive, multi-sector vetiver programs. As the newsletter notes, “the vetiver system has rapidly developed in China, ranging from soil and water conservation in farmlands, to slope protection for highways and railways… and sewage treatment.”
- A National Platform for Knowledge, Research, and Coordination
CVN’s first major contribution was building a national information network across agriculture, forestry, engineering, water resources, transportation, and environmental protection. This early mapping of institutions and practitioners created the backbone for rapid dissemination. The network then organized landmark events—including the 1997 Fuzhou Workshop, the 1999 Nanchang Conference, and ICV‑3 in Guangzhou—each accelerating adoption and linking Chinese engineers and scientists with global leaders.
- Transforming Vetiver from Research Topic to Engineering Standard
China’s highway and railway sectors became global pioneers in bioengineering with vetiver. After the 1999 Nanchang conference, VS moved “from university classrooms and research laboratories… into the rapidly developing national economic construction.”
This shift was driven by:
- Large-scale demonstration sites
- Joint research on root mechanics, slope stabilization, wastewater treatment, and pest interactions
- Strong engagement from private enterprises
The result: vetiver became a recognized, low-cost, high-performance tool for infrastructure protection across China.
- Agroforestry, Water Conservation, and Rural Development
CVN’s vetiver-based agroforestry projects demonstrated how VS could support poverty reduction in mountainous regions. Key innovations included:
- Terracing protected by vetiver hedges
- Water-conservation ponds irrigating hundreds of hectares
- Integration of livestock, biogas, and fodder production
- Diversified economic forests (tea, bamboo, chestnut, camellia, fruit trees)
These projects showed that vetiver is not just a conservation tool—it is a rural development catalyst.
- Breakthrough Science: Vetiver as a Dead-End Trap Crop
One of China’s most important scientific contributions is the breakthrough in rice stem borer control. Research showed that vetiver attracts oviposition at rates up to 10× higher than rice, but larvae cannot survive—an elegant “dead-end trap” mechanism. This work has already protected more than 200,000 hectares of rice fields and represents one of the most promising global applications of VS.
- Handicrafts, Women’s Livelihoods, and Cultural Innovation
Beginning in 2007, CVN introduced Thai vetiver handicraft techniques to rural China, training more than 300 women across 12 courses. These programs created new income streams, strengthened community participation, and expanded the cultural identity of vetiver beyond agriculture and engineering.
- Popular Science and Public Awareness
CVN’s science popularization garden, exhibitions, children’s drama, and extensive publications—newsletters, manuals, posters, and fact sheets—have made vetiver one of the most widely recognized ecological technologies in China.
I wish to support what Dick is saying. I met Liyu Xu in 2003 at the International Vetiver Conference held in Guangzhou. As a newcomer to the vetiver movement I was greatly impressed with China’s adoption of VGT across so many subjects. What stood out above all was their professional approach to promoting VGT, the large number of research projects going on and the ability to coordinate the dissemination of successful technology across southern China. 23 years later I am still very impressed. If you take the time to look at what they have done, you will see how a national policy approach can have significant impacts on the ground and result in improvements that are stunning to see. Today we are grateful for their efforts as seeing is believing. Liyu sits at the heart of it all and he remains a pivotal figure demonstrating how good coordination, in depth knowledge, and solid research can produce results affecting millions of people. If you take the time to look at their work at vetiver.org you will also get to see what they have done.