The Vetiver Network International

Regenerative Agriculture with Vetiver (RAV)

My name is Caleb Omolo from Kenya. I am an environmentalist and farmer, and have been using Vetiver grass since 2009. l have learned that the heat waves, droughts, floods, wild fires and dust storms are man-made and it is possible to turn the these extreme weather patterns around if we study the way nature works by embracing regenerative farming systems. I work with Vetiver grass as pioneer grass to help me create sustainable nature related farms.… Read the rest “Regenerative Agriculture with Vetiver (RAV)”

Vetiver Hedge Spacing, Commercial Applications and News from Latin America (TVNI-NL-2023-11)

Vetiver Hedge Spacing. Effects of initial spacing on Vetiver hedgerow closure at 24 months, demonstrating that establishing a functional Vetiver hedgerow requires that the Vetiver be planted close together. Photo courtesy of Dr. P.K.Yoon (1993) In writing the first article for this newsletter I was reminded again about Dr. P.K. Yoon’s work, carried out more than 30 years ago, at the Rubber Research Institute in Malaysia, where he was then the Director.  His two-volume set of “A Look See at Vetiver Grass in Malaysia” remains one of the most comprehensive and indispensable references for Vetiver practitioners today.… Read the rest “Vetiver Hedge Spacing, Commercial Applications and News from Latin America (TVNI-NL-2023-11)”

7th International Vetiver Conference & Soil Health (TVNI – NL-2023-06/07)

Table and links to all ICV7 related papers The Seventh International Vetiver Conference was successfully held in Chiang Mai, Thailand between the dates of 29 May and 1 June 2023. The Conference commemorated His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great’s invaluable support for the development, promotion, and dissemination of the Vetiver System in Thailand and globally.  The theme of ICV-7 was “Vetiver for Soil and Water Conservation”. The success of ICV-7 reflected the strong interests, commitment, generosity, and efforts of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn – the Patron of The Vetiver Network International; the Chaipattana Foundation – for which we thank Dr.… Read the rest “7th International Vetiver Conference & Soil Health (TVNI – NL-2023-06/07)”

Managing Soil Health with Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) for Climate and Food Security

Dr. Rattan Lal, winner of the World Foodprize, and Director of Lal Center for Carbon Management and Sequestration, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA wrote an article for the special edition on Vetiver, published (May/June 2023) by India’s Agriculture World magazine to commemorate ICV7.  His full paper, with references,  concluded “Use of Vetiver is a SLM system, especially for degraded soils, drought prone and erosion-susceptible environments, marginal lands and polluted soils. In addition to being a high-value essential oil crop, Vetiver has multiple benefits of enhancing agronomic productivity on marginal, degraded and polluted lands while conserving soil, recharging ground water, purifying wastewater, sequestering carbon in biomass and soil for adaptation and mitigation of climate change, improving productivity and advancing Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations of the Agenda 2030.… Read the rest “Managing Soil Health with Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) for Climate and Food Security”

The Role of Vetiver Grass Technology for Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Health

The Vetiver Grass Technology has impacted tens of thousands of small, and often poor, farmers in many parts of the tropical and semi-arid regions of the world. Vetiver hedgerows can create change over a very short period. ….  Quote from Kenya (2023) … “I did not expect in my wildest imagination that it would turn out to be what it is today. A section that had a laterite surface and not fit for farming has become rich in topsoil.… Read the rest “The Role of Vetiver Grass Technology for Sustainable Agriculture and Soil Health”