Vetiver System for Urban Applications

[kenv...@gmail.com]

On my recent visit to Ethiopia's western province of Illubabor I saw
many excellent example of VS applications to agriculture, as described
in another blog and on our website. I failed to mention that in some
towns a significant number of householders are using VS around their
small homes and gardens.

VS has important applications for rural/urban use where the
authorities spend next to nothing on urban maintenance. Vetiver hedges
are being used to reinforce existing "stick" fences and to provide
privacy. Between the property and the road, often a major highway,
Vetiver hedgerows are used to stabilize and stop slope erosion. Within
the property vetiver is used to demarcate paths, dry up waste water,
protect building foundations from erosion and termites, drive away
rats and snakes, provide mattrass stuffing material (protects against
bedbugs and other insects), and as a fresh green material is cut for
special religious ceremonies.

Outside the home the town authorities could use Vetiver to stabilize
and protect drains and stream banks, stabilize road batters, float on
ponds to remove N & P, and for ornamental purposes in parks, road
roundabout and dividing barriers. Where most other plants cannot
survive rough treatment and often very dry conditions, Vetiver can.
Of course it is also very useful for improving the efficiency of waste
water treatment plants, cleaning industrial effluent, and stabilizing
landfills.

So for those of you who work with urban people in developing countries
VS should be another tool in your technology tool box.

[Dale Rachmeler]

Elise did you take any pictures? I am very much in favor of what you say.
Village use is crying out for vetiver. Every time I travel, I am constantly
pointing out uses such as home protection, latrine and effluent absorption,
embankment protection especially along roads in the village itself where
erosion has worn away the interface between the road and the buildings,
drains or courtyards. I am using vetiver on the outside of my house in Accra
as an ornamental and indeed that is how people know that they have arrived
chez moi. I had not known about repelling bedbugs if roots are incorporated
into the straw for mattresses, but it makes perfect sense. I tried to
persuade the villagers who live next to the nursery to use vetiver around
the foundations of their homes but they did not want to do it as they prefer
the absence of all vegetation and sweep everything clear. Urban use and
village use is indeed very important and this is a good email. I would also
add its use for home vegetable garden mulches and composting material.
Regards Dale