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All materials in this document remain the property of Veticon Consulting P/L.
Permission must be obtained for their use. Copyright © 2008
INTRODUCTION
• TheVetiver System (VS) is was first developed by the
World Bank for soil and water conservation and now being
used in over 100 countries for various applications.
• Biomass up to 132t/ha
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
0
er
Dr
yl
an
d
Rh
od
1,140
es
G
ra
ss
Ki
600
ku
yu
G
ra
ss
Fo
ra
ge
500
So
rg
hu
m
Plant Species
360
NITROGEN UPTAKE
Ry
e
gr
as
s
250
Eu
ca
ly
pt
us
90
P kg/ha/year
Ve
tiv
100
120
140
er 160
0
20
40
60
80
D
ry
la
nd
R
ho
149
de
s
G
ra
ss
K
ik
90
uy
u
G
ra
Fo ss
ra
ge
90
So
rg
hu
m
Plant Species
70
R
PHOSPHORUS UPTAKE
ye
gr
as
s
70
Eu
ca
ly
pt
us
15
High N and P removal: With high capacity of removing N and P in
polluted water, vetiver cleaned up blue green algae in 4 days
Sewage effluent infested with Same effluent after 4 days after
Blue-Green algae due to high treating with vetiver, reducing N
Nitrate (100mg/L) and high level to 6mg/L (94%) and P to
Phosphate (10mg/L) 1mg/L (90%)
08/12/00
100
80
40
20
0
0 200 400 600 800 1000
P Application (kg/ha/yr)
100
80
Shoot Dry Weight (g/pot)
60
40
20
0
0 2000 4000 6000 8000 10000
N Application (kg/ha/yr)
SOME EXAMPLES OF VS FOR
WASTEWATER DISPOSAL AND
TREATMENT
Banana
Sugarcane
Vetiver
Septic
Toilet
Effluent
Six months after planting this stand of 100 plants absorbs
all the discharge from the toilet block
Effectiveness of vetiver in reducing N level in domestic blackwater
2 5
r r
o o
w w
Monitoring
s wells s
Exit: Total N level at 16mg/L
or a reduction of 83%
Monitoring
wells
2 5
r r
o o
w w
Monitoring
s s
wells
First step:
Hydroponics treatment of
effluent in ponds
Second step: Ephemeral Wetland treatment of municipal sewage
effluent in Australia
Ten months after planting
TEST RESULTS OF SEWERAGE EFFLUENT
(License Requirements in Brackets)
China
Vietnam
Landfill leachate disposal in Australia
Vetiver growth was over 3m in
the second summer
Vetiver Hedges
PHYTOREMEDIATION
AND REHABILITATION
OF CONTAMINATED LANDS
Vetiver grass is particularly suited for mine rehabilitation and
phytoremediation due to its:
- 8 rows of vetiver
- 10m long each
- Inter-row spacing 1m
- Plant spacing 5/m
Flow - Total plants 400
- Gravel trench 60cm deep
- Land area 100 sqm
- Bund wall W54 X H30cm
First year: The first few rows have excellent growth, but the last 2
rows are very poor due to lack of effluent
The first few rows have excellent growth
Flow
Flow
Third year: Excellent growth, exceeding 2m.
Cutting down to 50cm every 3 months
Effluent
inlet
Properly maintained, note no weed in or between hedges
Monitoring wells and nutrient levels
Monitoring
wells
Bund
N=0.13mg/L
N=0.01mg/L
P=0.21mg/L
P=0.06mg/L
Hay for mulch or fodder
INPUT
Average daily flow: 1 670L
Better growth Average total N: 68mg/L
Average total P: 10.6mg/L
Average Faecal Coliform:>8 000
Flow
SUMMARY
OUTPUT
Average daily flow: Almost Nil
Poorer growth
Average total N: 3.5mg/L
Average total P: 0.21mg/L
Average Faecal Coliform:<10
PROPOSED VETIVER TREATMENT
AT LUDHIANA, PUNJAB