John C. Greenfield - Vetiver grass: the hedge against erosion, Volume 64
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Vetiver grass: the hedge against erosion, Volume 64
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Vetiver, Soil erosion--India, Soil conservation--India, Water conservation--India.
publication date
:
1993
lcc
:
SB303.V4G73 1993eb
ddc
:
631.4
subject
:
Vetiver, Soil erosion--India, Soil conservation--India, Water conservation--India.
Page i
Vetiver Grass
The Hedge against Erosion
Page ii
The views and interpretations expressed in this handbook are not necessarily those of the Executive Directors of the World Bank or the countries they represent. The map accompanying the text was prepared solely for the convenience of readers; the designations and presentation of material therein do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the World Bank, its affiliates, or its Board or member countries concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area, or of the authorities thereof, or concerning the delimitation of its boundaries or national affiliation.
First edition 1987
Fourth edition April 1993
Cover design by Bill Fraser
ISBN 0-8213-1405-X
Page iii
Preface
For at least the next decade environmental issues will dominate the agricultural and natural resource sectors. Already the focus of much attention are the problems of deforestation, increased flooding by major rivers, and reduced dry-season water flows for irrigation and urban and industrial supplies. Not enough attention, however, has been given to the massive problem of soil erosion and, more specifically, to the need to reduce soil and water losses caused by excessive rainfall runoff. Of the 11 million hectares of forest cut down each year, one-half is estimated to be needed to replace cropland that has gone out of production owing to erosion and the consequent loss of fertile soil. At the same time, many millions of hectares of land once deemed cropland with high potential are annually being down graded to land with low potential and high risk, even in areas receiving substantial rainfall. This is because excessive runoff prevents the land from making effective use of the rain that falls. The prime cause of soil erosion and excessive rainfall runoff is the removal of vegetative ground cover by human and livestock populationsone of the dire consequences of our continuing and accelerating overuse of the world's land resources.
Topsoil losses in the past have brought down whole civilizations. The Mayas of Central America are one example, and North Africa used to be the "granary of the Roman Empire." Soil erosion is truly a global problem, and the need for conservation has become critical in many countries. For
Page iv
example, more than half of India's cropland losing productivity because topsoil is being washed or blown away faster than natural forces can replace it. Reducing the topsoil layer means reducing plants' access to essential soil nutrients and water.
Changes in farming practices have made the problem worse in recent years. In response to the growing need for grain for exploding human and livestock populations, farmers switched from traditional rotations and multiple cropping to continuous-row cropping, a practice that encourages rainwater to run off the land at a faster and more destructive pace. As a result crops are denied the moisture they need for optimum growth
Recognizing the problem, top-level policymakers in many countries have devoted substantia portions of their budgets to finding a solution. But the sums allocated are often insufficient, costs are too high, and many of the conservation techniques attempted have been ineffective and are inappropriate for small farmers. Soil erosion continues at an accelerating and alarming rate. Governments have only limited access to public funds. Many think that farmers should bear the cost of soil conservation, but most cannot afford to unless cheaper methodspreferably linked to direct income benefitscan be identified that are acceptable to farmers.
This handbook has been prepared to support fieldworkers and farmers in developing vegetative systems of soil and moisture conservation that will meet the requirements of small farmers in developing countries, most of whom reside in the tropics and semitropics. Experience has
Page v
shown that conventional systems of earth bunds or terraces on small farms are expensive and in many cases, especially in modern times, ineffective. When applied correctly, vegetative systems of soil and moisture conservationparticularly the system of hedges of vetiver grass described in this handbookhave proved cheaper and more effective.
Since the publication of the first edition of this handbook in 1987, we have learned that Indian farmers near Mysore have been using vetiver grass as hedges for perhaps as long as two hundred years. This fact has given the new users of vetiver grass more confidence in the technology. Since 1987 the technology has been tested in the field in many countriesIndia, China, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Madagascar, Brazil, and Australia, to name a few. Soils and climate vary tremendously within this group. For example, in China vetiver is being grown as hedges on 60 percent slopes to protect tea and citrus crops on low pH (4.1) red soils. In India it is being used successfully on black cotton soils (severely cracking vertisols) on slopes of 2 percent or less. In other countries such as Trinidad, it has been used for years to stabilize rock-based roadsides. In every case this unique grass has displayed the same extraordinary characteristics that make it an ideal low-cost, non-site-specific system for controlling soil loss and improving soil moisture.
We have learned during the past few years that the introduction of a new technology requires persistence and patience. We believe that the effort and persistence of the many new promoters of vetiver technology are paying off; both the
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