The Wonderful Grass

The Erosion is a quiet enemy that affects more than 12 million hectares in Ecuador.

Is there any way to stop it and to recover the affected area? Is there a wonderful plant that can help to stop the erosion while being useful in other ways? Can this plant avoid most of the terrible consequences of the erosion?

We invite you to learn about Vetiver so you can discover its potential uses.

TECHNICAL DATA

Scientific Name: There are approximately 12 species of Vetiver. The species used to control erosion, are: Viteveria Zizanioides, Vetiveria Nigritana, Vetiveria Nemoralis.

Common Names: Vetiver, Tiva, Pachuli, Mura or Capim

Description: Vetiver is a graminaceae plant, cultivated as grass. It grows up to two meters high; it has a hard root system that grows vertically, reaching 5 meters under ground.

Distribution: This plant has its origin in India, but it is distributed in Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and the Mediterranean area. It grows better in the tropic and sub tropic zones, below 200 meters of altitude.

In Ecuador and the rest of the world the soil erosion constitutes a serious problem. The erosion doesn’t affect only the productivity of the soil but produces also floods, avalanches and landslides. The current of “El Niño” has produced, in past years, economic and human looses because of the soil erosion.

These facts show us that it is important to find a way to protect our lands from erosion. There are simple and effective ways to prevent these disasters and to protect nature. One of this ways is the use of Vetiver as a protective crop.

USES AND BENEFITS

Vetiver is widely used in the construction of barriers that stops the erosion. Its dense foliage and deep roots system prevent the fertile soil to be washed by the rain and it also filtrates slowly the water under ground increasing the humidity and therefore productivity of the fields. Vetiver is very useful in agriculture fields, riverbanks, precipices, slopes, bridges and others.

The data shows that the cultivation of Vetiver can reduce the level of erosion to an acceptable level of less than 10 ton/ha per year. This characteristic is complemented with its capacity to control water pollution since it is very efficient absorbing N, P, Hg, Cd and Pb. Besides its benefit for water and soil, Vetiver can be used as forage for the cattle and as building material. Its leaves are used as a craft material and for paper manufacture.

Unlike other grasses, Vetiver cannot become a plague since it doesn’t produce rhizomes and setlocks. Its roots do not affect the development of other crops since they don’t take away nutrients from the soil.

The oil extracted from its roots is a useful international recognized by-product. It is used as antiseptic, aphrodisiac, and sedative. This oil has also very good relaxing properties. It helps people with physical, mental, and emotional fatigue. Vetiver oil can be used to treat cases of irritability and hysteria. The oil is also used as a cosmetic to treat dry skin and acne. Its qualities help to prevent and reduce wrinkles in the face and to stretch marks produced by pregnancy. It also helps the blood circulation reducing muscular pain.

BIOLCOM AND VETIVER

In our desire to contribute to the sustainable management of the natural resources, we have developed a Vetiver nursery. We invite you to contact us if you wish to preserve the soil for future generations by cultivating this wonderful grass.

We are moreover developing the extraction of Vetiver oil so we can share with you its multiple benefits.