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

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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. Your lived experiences can turn evidence into urgency and helps convince others to support more communities like yours. Please add your voice with a short testimonial so we can take VS to the next level.

This testimonial is courtesy of a long-time champion of vetiver from Peru, Alois Kennerknecht. Please follow Alois’ example and help us collect more compelling stories: your story!

This is the testimony of our community work with vetiver at the Tablada Child Protection Center, located in Tablada de Lurin, Peru, a lower-middle-class area on the outskirts of urban Lima. This work began as a community project, during the beginning of the pandemic in 2021, to both beautify and establish green areas on what was then a steeply sloping, stony wasteland, devoid of vegetation on a hill that rose at the back of the children’s center. (Figure 1) An image of the environment is presented in Figure 2.

Figure 1. Condition of the land (bottom left) & established vetiver.                                      Figure 2. A typical scene in the neighborhood

Our previous experiences in Peru have demonstrated that communities and local residents are enthusiastic about taking advantage of vetivers many different applications (Figure 3) and has allowed us to develop approaches and methods for local people to establish and maintain vetiver-based initiatives and projects, with successful results across diverse contexts: urban landscape applications, deserts, jungles, mountain range to altitudes above 3,000m.

Figure 3- Local people show their enthusiasm for vetiver

The work shown here was carried out by volunteers from the community, along with the project’s leader. The vetiver planting material and technical advice were provided by Ing. Alois Kennerknecht. Special techniques were utilized here to overcome problems with the terrain and to ensure successful establishment and growth of the vetiver. The problems to be overcome included very poor soils and the scarcity of water for irrigation. This later problem was solved with the use of “biorope” and an “irrigation drill” to improve in situ soil moisture, ensure deep infiltration, and good water retention properties. This latter was where the biorope technique came into play (see Figure 4) and drilling with a soil augur to the depth of depth and filling the hole with water to recharge soil moisture at depth, prior to planting the vetiver. Figure 5 shows the effect on roots and growth.

Figure 4. “Biorope” retains water to enable establishment on dry sites, and becomes compost in 6 weeks

Figure 5 – Using the irrigation drill (soil augur) to a depth of 1m; comparing roots from where the drill used (left) and where it was not (right)

During the project difficulties of a political nature arose following a change in administrations; a quite typical issue often faced by many local organizations. These were resolved, however, through negotiations that resulted in an agreement to maintain independence of decision-making for the local organization carrying out the project. We present the intermediate results in 2022 (see Figure 6) and more recent results in September 2025 (see video). As the project developed, community supervision was assigned to Carlos N., a worker with experience in communal work and an interest in ecology. He is currently the person who is enthusiastically in charge of the project and greatly enjoying his work at the Center.

Conditions have now been created conditions that allow the establishment of fruit trees and vegetable gardens between rows of vetiver; e.g., papaya, beetroot, zucchini, etc. These will enrich the diet of the children in the Center. It has also served to motivate the children in the community to show interest in conservation and environmentalism, as well as to learn the cultivation methods used not only in vetiver but also in various other vegetables. In summary, this has been a successful and beneficial project for the community from multiple angles and reinforces our commitment to the promotion of the vetiver system in Peru. It deserves additional support.

Figure 6 – Left, insert shows site prior to planting of vetiver, and post planting; right, established vetiver hedgerows in intermediate stage of growth.

Twelve years of Vetiver research (1990-2002)

Between 1990 and 2002 the Vetiver Newsletters reported the findings and conclusions from over 120 research initiatives, falling broadly into the areas of Soil & Water Conservation/Agricultural (78 articles); Land Rehabilitation & Bio-Engineering/Structural (31 entries); and Phytoremediation & Pollution Control/Water Quality (13 entries). A summary table of the articles and their findings and conclusions may be found here (in pdf format) or here (in sortable, Excel format). These articles documented rigorous, field-based research from across India, China, Southeast Asia, East/Southern Africa, Australia, the Americas, Pacific islands—spanning arid and semi-arid zones, humid tropics, subtropics, coastal sands, and cool highlands. The breadth is striking: erosion/runoff control, crop productivity, slope engineering, establishment, stress tolerance, and environmental remediation.

Core agronomic results were consistent and large: hedgerows commonly cut soil loss by 70–95% and runoff by 30–80% while raising yields (e.g., +14–32% on Vertisols in India; +39–53% in mango/longan orchards in Thailand). Highland studies reported ~94% less soil loss and +41% infiltration; Uganda saw 88% less soil loss and 69% less runoff. Engineering results showed rapid root penetration (~3.1 m in 7 months) and major shear-strength gains; on 60° Malaysian slopes, soil loss fell 96% and shear strength rose ~140%.

Environmental applications matured quickly. Vetiver filtered farm runoff (>80% sediment with N/P capture), treated pig-farm and landfill effluents (BOD/COD/N reductions), and accumulated Pb/Zn from mine wastes while lowering leachate metals by 80–90%. Tolerance trials confirmed performance on pH 3.3–9.5 soils, high sodicity/aluminum, and salinity where 50% yield-loss thresholds often exceeded ~17–20 dS/m; coastal work showed 30–70% wind-speed reduction and dune stabilization.

Practical lessons: close spacing for fast hedge closure; polybag slips for establishment under arid/dry conditions; propagation from existing hedgerows using  a “low-dig” approach*; and minimal crop competition beyond the first maize rows. Together, these studies were critical in establishing the credibility and acceptance of vetiver as robust, low-cost “green infrastructure” for farms, slopes, and polluted lands, with transferable designs and benefits across climates and continents, for practitioners worldwide.

* Rather than dig up the plant to divide culms, use a shovel to “cut” just below the crown and remove them from downslope side of the hedge, and treat with a rooting hormone so they root reliably, preferably in a polybag for later planting.

Discover the power of the Vetiver System for natural water purification!

Oswaldo Luque, from Venezuela, has played a major role in the development of VS (Vetiver Systems) in Venezuela, both in research and in practice. Oswaldo can be credited with having persuading the POLAR Foundation to host the Fourth International Vetiver Conference in Caracas in 2006. Among others, Oswaldo has also been a leader in the promotion of the use of vetiver grass for handicrafts and the involvement of women. In this short video, he shares recent work for on-farm treatment of wastewater and water quality protection in a small water body.

In this video, Finca Dos Aguas showcases how they are pioneering the use of Vetiver grass biofilters, a natural technology known as phytoremediation, to treat wastewater on their farm. Join expert Oswaldo Luque as he guides us through three innovative and successful applications:

1. Leachate Treatment: See how channels lined with Vetiver grass absorb and evaporate leachate from their organic waste deposit, preventing soil and water contamination.
2. Greywater Wetland: Learn about their constructed wetland that completely purifies and evaporates greywater from their vegetable processing plant. This zero-discharge system eliminates coliforms, heavy metals, and other contaminants.
3. Pond Purification: Watch how they use floating Vetiver platforms to clean their ponds. The plant’s extensive root system not only removes pollutants but also naturally controls and prevents algae growth.

This video is a fantastic look at the “Finca Dos Aguas” philosophy: returning to the environment what you take, only cleaner. A must-see for anyone interested in sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly solutions!

What’s up with Vetiver WhatsApp groups?

INDIA’S AW#VETIVER

This practitioner-led chat has become a dynamic hub for knowledge sharing and collaborative action. It began as a coordination hub for Agriculture World’s June-2023 Vetiver Special Edition, which was unveiled at ICV-7. Following that, the group quickly broadened and expanded into a working space for ideas, links, and logistics. Today it has 319 members.

What participants talk about most: everyday, field-ready uses. Members trade notes on fodder (tender leaves), mulching for horticulture, and handicrafts/livelihoods, often with how-to tips and visuals. Water quality solutions are a recurring theme—especially floating vetiver rafts and filters for ponds and sewage—alongside calls to compare designs and cultivars. Roads, rail and farm-track stabilization also feature, framed as low-cost, high-employment alternatives to hard engineering. There’s sustained interest in regenerative/no-till “food forest” systems that put vetiver at the base layer. The commercial potential of vetiver, through essential oils, handicrafts, and even biofuels, is another prominent topic of conversation. Members also flag capacity gaps, which are discussed below.

Why the group matters (participants’ view) it’s rapid peer support and curation—research slides, short videos, specs—plus expert Q&A and matchmaking across government, academia, and farmers. It also helps collect and disseminate cases of interest to the participants.

Capacity gaps flagged by members:

Nurseries & supply chains

• Too few small, local nurseries near end-use sites; strong push for decentralized, farmer-run nurseries (≈Rs 1/slip) to cut transport time and losses.
• Unreliable supply and long lead times (orders not filled; “local supply chain is a must”).
• Packaging & transport know-how: slips often packed in non-breathable plastic, suffer heat on 2–3-day hauls; calls for better packing, rail options, and sourcing within ~50 km.
• Business model & pricing: Rs 1.5–2.5/slip debated; need sustainable margins to motivate farmer-nurseries; with irrigation, 1 million slips/ha/yr is feasible.
• Genetic/quality control: cheap northern seeding cultivars sold as slips become weeds and are shallow-rooted; insist on the South Indian cultivar for environmental work.
• Workforce/Standard Operating Procedures (SOP): lack of trained “vettipreneurs” and clear SOPs; labor bottlenecks delay planting and kill slips.

On-the-ground know-how

• Planting technique: slips should be well-prepared and not planted deeper than 2–3 in; many plant too deep.
• Barrier design: for flow-stopping hedges, 15 cm spacing on contour; users adjusting practice based on guidance.
• Rooting prep: simple pretreatments (e.g., cow-dung slurry) to speed establishment aren’t widely known.
• Hedge management training: gap-filling, cutting (fodder), burning for termite control, and adjacent cultivation to protect hedges; adoption depends on farmers understanding relevant benefits such as yield gains, groundwater recharge, etc.
• Dieback & cultivar selection: need guidance on drier/shallow soils (<600–700 mm rain; <15 cm soils), termite/fungal issues, and site-specific cultivar testing; the need reduce bad practices via education.
• Black-cotton soils gap: public programs keep funding trench-cum-bunds that fail on BC soils; members call for redirecting to vetiver—plus more on-farm demonstrations to prove utility on BC lands.

Value-added for the members:  Participants have expressed that the collaborative environment has been invaluable, describing the shared knowledge and enthusiasm as “infectious” and “enriching”. This synergy has already led to concrete outcomes, including the successful launch of the special magazine edition at the 7th International Conference on Vetiver in Thailand, the revitalization of the India Vetiver Network (INVN), and the initiation of several on-the-ground projects and awareness campaigns across the country.

LATIN AMERICA’S MUNDO VETIVER

This regional chat functions as a bridge between Latin America Vetiver Network and on-the-ground users—an open line for guidance, quick answers, and curated resources. Members explicitly describe it as a communication channel linking Coordination and practitioners, which sets the tone for practical exchanges.

What participants talk about most:

• Climate action/accounting: A primary focus is on vetiver’s role in climate action, including a push to georeference plantings via iNaturalist to feed a global census of CO₂-capture areas and bolster SDG-13 (the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal for Climate Action) recognition.
• A near real-time help desk: growers and implementers post concrete technical questions (from carbon measurement to pellets, hedge spacing, geotextile installs, and cacao/Cd remediation), and usually receive same-day, actionable replies. Answers come with rules-of-thumb and specs (e.g., ~10 plants/m bare-root or ~7/m potted for barrier density), links to reference materials and courses, and quick design guidance (e.g., source-oriented interceptor hedges for cadmium sites). Admins and experienced members also share prior project data (like pellet calorific values and binder options) and confirm field details such as planting through sisal biomats. Crucially, the chat doesn’t stop at advice: people are routed to Zoom slots (i.e., the monthly Conversatorios Virtuales Latinoamericano Vetiver), local suppliers, contacts, technical guides, etc., turning questions into immediate next steps.
• Biomass & energy: recurring threads on pellets/briquettes, calorific value, and industrial viability; recently one operator reported lab-verified specs and sought scale-up partners.
• Water/soil management. Explanatory posts on how vetiver slows runoff, boosts infiltration/groundwater and forms fertile terraces; interest in applying Keyline with vetiver and contact-sharing to take it forward.
• Training & knowledge exchange: Course announcements (agronomy/bio-engineering), and routing people to learning materials.

Why the group matters (participants’ view): Participants describe the group as a source of timely, and valuable information, and that facilitates crucial connections.

Financial and economic benefits/costs of VGT in smallholder systems

It has been amply demonstrated that Vetiver Grass Technologies (VGT) offer clear economic and financial benefits for smallholder farmers, primarily through such pathways as increased yields, reduced soil erosion, and low implementation costs. Unfortunately, though, direct financial analyses are limited.

Why “unfortunately”? Decision-makers fund what they can measure and one area in which we have been weak is in having good cost and benefit data for convincing these same decision-makers to support the wider use of the Vetiver System (VS).  Being able to make a clear benefit–cost (B/C) case for VGTs will make it easier to convince financiers and budget makers, to embed VGT in public research and extension programs, and to justify scaling-up the Vetiver System in climate and natural resource-related policies. To that end, we would like to ask those in our network to help out if they can by providing us with data from you farm and/or farmer groups. Here is an excel spreadsheet that can be used to do simple B/C analysis.  Please try it and share your results with us.

The following gives you an overview of what is currently available in the literature on benefits and costs of VGT for smallholder systems.  As you will note, the available data on benefits far exceeds that on costs.

Economic and Financial Benefits

• Yield Increases: Vetiver grass hedgerows consistently improve yields of staple crops like maize, cassava, and rice by reducing soil erosion and enhancing soil Reported yield increases range from 13–50% for maize and 8–11% for cassava in intercropping systems, with similar benefits observed for rice and yam (Ewetola et al., 2021; Oshunsanya & Aliku, 2017; Hailu et al., 2020; Nwadukwe & Udealor, 2007).
• Soil and Water Conservation: Vetiver strips reduce runoff, soil loss, and nutrient depletion by up to 97–99%, leading to improved long-term land productivity and sustainability (Oshunsanya et al., 2019; Oshunsanya, 2013; Ewetola et , 2021; Hailu et al., 2020; Tesfaye et al., 2018).
• Low Cost and Accessibility: Farmers perceive vetiver technology as cheap, easy to maintain, and readily available, making it attractive for resource-limited smallholders (Ewetola et , 2021; Oshunsanya & Aliku, 2017). The technology is often cited as more affordable than alternative soil conservation methods (Oshunsanya & Aliku, 2017).
• Additional Value: Vetiver can be used for fodder, mulch, and even as a biological pest control, providing further indirect economic benefits (Oshunsanya & Aliku, 2017; Lu et , 2019).
• Household outcomes: a Nigeria study linked s VGT adoption to a 21% reduction in poverty incidence, consistent with higher net farm income. (John, et al., 2022)
• Climate risk mitigation: VGT has been shown to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus runoff by 88–99% and soil-loss by up to 97% under simulated, extreme rain on 10–40% slopes. Vetiver hedges also raises soil moisture +13.4% average over 18 weeks in vertisols (heavy clay soils that form deep, wide cracks when dry, and swell when wet) and 12–15 extra days of crop-available water in alfisols (generally fertile, productive soils that form in semi-arid to humid areas). (1990-2002 Vetiver Newsletters)

Costs and Limitations

• Initial Labor and Establishment: While vetiver is low-cost, there are upfront labor and time investments for planting and establishment, though these are generally outweighed by long-term benefits (Ewetola et , 2021; Oshunsanya & Aliku, 2017).
• Adoption Barriers: Limited awareness and knowledge among farmers can restrict adoption, suggesting a need for extension and education efforts (Ewetola et , 2021).Vetiver grass technology is a cost-effective, accessible, and agronomically beneficial option for smallholder subsistence farmers, with strong evidence for increased yields and reduced soil degradation. While direct financial analyses are limited, the consensus is that long-term economic benefits outweigh initial costs, especially when combined with education and extension support.

Multiple multi-year syntheses confirm low establishment/maintenance cost (mostly labor and slips) and high farmer-perceived affordability.

Aside from the Vetiver Newsletters, the papers used in this article were sourced and synthesized using Consensus, an AI search engine for research.

Some recent (and older) findings of interests

Vetiver and biodiversity conservation.

A 2010 publication, targeted at the biodiversity conservation audience, included a review article entitled “Vetiver Grass—poverty alleviation by habitat restoration”. As the article is behind a paywall, we could only access the abstract, but a review of the references utilized by the author showed that the article’s information on VS was drawn from the publications by John Greenfield, Paul Troung, and Richard Grimshaw, i.e., it would offer us no new information on VS itself, but rather the author’s view that Vetiver has a strong role to play in achieving biodiversity conservation…something that often gets overlooked in discussions of VS potential.

Abstract: There are millions of species on Earth, almost all restricted to particular habitats. By usurping or altering their natural habitats, we humans have eliminated or endangered an alarming number of them. Many believe that the key solution to the biodiversity crisis is to adopt “sustainable” systems of resource usage that will curtail the elimination of remaining habitats and their species. However, even if human population growth ceases, numerous people currently in poverty not unreasonably want to increase their use of world resources, which seems likely to greatly exacerbate the problem. This contribution features an extraordinary plant that addresses three interrelated problems: increasing sustainability, alleviating poverty, and conserving the planet’s habitats and biodiversity.

Source: Small, E. (2010). BLOSSOMING TREASURES OF BIODIVERSITY: 31. Vetiver Grass—poverty alleviation by habitat restoration. Biodiversity, 11(1–2), 99–106. https://doi.org/10.1080/14888386.2010.9712654

Comparative evaluation of the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and cytotoxic properties of essential oils from vetiver…with implications for topical application

This 2025 article looked at three essential oils derived from the leaves of vetiver and lemon grasses, and from clove buds.  The study’s vetiver findings show that leaf essential oil (not root) of Chrysopogon zizanioides is rich in sesquiterpenes that exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against Gram-positive skin bacteria. Its antioxidant capacity was measurable but modest. Importantly for dermal use, vetiver was the least cytotoxic to the human skin epidermis cells used for testing, yielding a comparatively wide therapeutic window. Overall, the data support vetiver oil as a gentle, lower-toxicity option for topical formulations targeting Gram-positive pathogens (e.g., Staphylococcus)  and oxidative stress.

Growth Of Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) Grass Under Different Soil Textural Classes And Chemical Composition

A new pot study (2025) from the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (Philippines) shows just how robust vetiver is across five soil textures—clay, clay loam, loam, sandy clay loam, and loamy sand—without any fertilizer added. Over 150 days, plants reached ~1.3 m in loam (132.8 cm) and clay (130.1 cm), with the most tillers on clay (62) and loamy sand (52); the lowest height (106.3 cm) occurred on saline-influenced sandy clay loam. Beyond growth, vetiver measurably improved soil quality: in clay it raised pH (from intensely to slightly acidic) and increased organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P); in loamy sand it boosted OM and N by ~90% and ~80% respectively, and lifted P as well; potassium (K) was sufficient in clay loam and sandy clay loam. These results reinforce vetiver’s dual value—rapid biomass production (useful for handicrafts) and steady soil rehabilitation—making it a practical, low-input choice for farmers managing diverse and degraded soils.

Assessment of Soil and Water Conservation Potential Using Vetiver Crops (Chrysopogon zizanioides) as a Nature-Based Solution for Watershed Restoration

A new Indonesian study (2025) maps where vetiver can have the most impact for restoration of degraded watersheds using a GIS-based, multi-criteria screen (rainfall, temperature, slope, land use, soil type, and soil organic matter) across the 136.65 km² Serayu River sub-basin (Central Java). The team finds vetiver is workable almost everywhere: 62% of the area is moderately suitable and 38% marginal, with only 0.01% highly suitable and 0.01% not suitable (limited mainly by hot surface temperatures). Favorable rainfall (>1,500 mm) and gentle slopes (0–15% dominate) are offset by latosol soils and modest organic matter (0.81–1.20%), which hold many sites in Land Suitability Classes S2 and S3. Given vetiver’s proven deep-rooted erosion control and slope stabilization, the authors urge priority zoning, on-farm trials, soil-fertility boosts, and market development for vetiver products so nature-based solutions can scale with farmers and communities.

Editor’s note: The assumptions made by the researchers as to “suitable” rainfall, temperature, slope, land use, soil type, and soil organic matter regimes arguably underestimated vetiver’s ability to provide the desired stabilization/restoration benefits. For example, the authors assume that: “vetiver performs poorly in heavy clay soils”, an assumption not borne out by vetiver’s performance in black cotton soils (vertisols), and as recently demonstrated by Sadik Khan’s work on road embankment stabilization in high shrink/swell soils; and “for optimal growth, an annual rainfall of around 1,000–2,000 mm is ideal” whereas with appropriate management vetiver can be established and perform well in both much drier and much more humid regimes. Where they do very correctly recognize limitations is in land use, ,i.e., land under vegetative cover, whose shade would prohibit adequate establishment and growth.