www.vetiver.org/wp-content/uplo...iver_article.pdf
Vetiver Grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) has characteristics that make it an ideal plant for mitigating land and water problems under a wide range of ecological conditions. From its first systematic promotion in 1986 as a soil conservation measure in a World Bank agricultural project in India, user-driven field development – backed by research – has developed numerous applications in more than 120 countries across all continents. Vetiver is attractive to local communities and users as it is simple, versatile, and cheap. In association with other technologies, it has proven effective for: raising crop yields and enhancing incomes; water conservation and groundwater recharge; flood, pollution, and pest control; phytoremediation; infrastructure preservation; land rehabilitation; and carbon sequestration. This paper describes a few important illustrations of its use and proposes a strategy for vetiver’s future expansion. It concludes that this ‘climate smart’ plant can make a significant contribution to mitigating global land and water related problems. In the context of the climate crisis, now is the opportune time for promoting its much wider application to help achieve global environmental security.
Jeremy Berkoff, Richard Grimshaw, and Paul Truong