The vetiver rows designated for our research project are well established at the Huasteca Regenerative Research Center (HRRC), and data collection is slated to begin in March of this year. Our research will tell us how well vetiver serves as a barrier to erosion and the flow of agrochemicals into the nearby river.
Most of the materials and equipment needed to conduct our research are now in place at the HRRC, and practice data collection begins in February. Vetiver is very hardy, and it is growing well, even though we are now well into the dry season here. The sugar cane harvest is underway, and the cane fields adjacent to our vetiver rows will be burned prior to harvesting. Vetiver can be used as a fire break because it doesn’t burn easily, and will recover if it burns back.
Numerous cane farmers have visited the HRRC to see our vetiver plantings, and there is growing optimism that vetiver can contribute to the process of regenerating soil that is badly depleted after years of conventional monoculture cultivation. Several young people from the local community are participating in the preparation phase and our goal is to instill soil regeneration skills in students and young farmers. Those skills should serve them well as they struggle to revitalize their soil and adjust to a climate that has grown considerably hotter and dryer in recent decades.
The links below are from The Vetiver Network International's Short Video Competition, and they do an excellent job of highlighting some of the many uses for vetiver, a climate smart technology
Visit vetiver.org to learn more.
Alois Kennerknecht/ ALKE, Peru. Vetiver Grass: Community Use in Urban Areas
Estampa Verde, Mexico. The Vetiver System and Keyline – A climate risk management tool for agriculture
Jonathan Barcant, Trinidad and Tobago. Grassroots 4LaVie Tobago
Piet Gustaaf Sabbe, Ecuador. Vetiver on Contour Lines in Your Farm and in the Landscape
Marietta Isabel Landis, Panama. Sustainable Regeneration
Comments