Vetiver helps rainfed farmers conserve moisture

Vetiver roots have long been used in South India for adding fragrance to drinking water as well as for making cool window shades for summer. Now, vetiver is being acknowledged by the World Bank and other international organizations as a farmer's friend.

Vetiver can provide many important benefits, especially for rainfed farmers:

• More than half the sown area in the country is rainfed.
• Moisture conservation is fundamental to rainfed agriculture. Farmers can control runoff and conserve moisture with the help of vetiver hedges on the periphery.
• Controlling runoff also controls loss of valuable top soil.
• The roots of the vetiver plants are very effective in preventing soil erosion.
• Vetiver can also be planted along the sides of checkdams and ponds.
• Rainfed regions are highly drought-prone. Moisture conservation using vetiver reduces chances of drought.

Caution:

• However, be careful not to plant vetiver in fields where you plan to grow crops. It cannot be easily removed and it will keep sprouting up.