9789180807609

H. JonasÅkerman

BiologicalSoil& Water Conservation

TheVetiver-grass as an example

H. Jonas Åkerman

KullabackenESECHB

BIOLOGICAL SOIL &WATER CONSERVATION

THE VETIVER-GRASSASANEXAMPLE

1ST EDITION

KULLABACKEN BooksinPhysicalGeography andEcosystem Sciences

Publisher: BoD· BooksonDemand, Östermalmstorg 1, 114 42 Stockholm, Sverige,bod@bod.se

Print: LibriPlureos GmbH,Friedensallee273, 22763 Hamburg, Tyskland

©2025 Kullabacken ESEC HB

BooksinPhysicalGeography andEcosystem Sciences kullabacken.@telia.com

Adress.

KULLABACKEN c/o

Prof.H.Jonas Åkerman Smålandsvägen20 22270 LUND SWEDEN

ISBN: 978-91-8080-760-9

Coverphoto: Vetiverina fieldnear Chomainthe Southern Province of Zambia

FOREWORD

This book summarises fundamental methodologiesinbiological soil andwater conservation measures,using theversatileVetivergrassasa primeexample.The material is derivedfrom various student compendiumsand extensioninformationletters on soil scienceand soil and waterconservationwrittenbyAssociate ProfessorEmeritusH.JonasÅkerman between 1980 and2000.Overa decade of long-termassignments in TamilNadu, India, SriLanka,the SADCCregion, Lesotho, Zambia,and Kenya, focusing on environmentalmanagementand developmentissuessuchasagriculture,agroforestry, soil erosionand conservation, as well as generalrural development, hasequippedthe author with extensiveinternational experience in this field. Thefoundation forthisexperience includesroles as atechnicaladviserwithinthe ministries of Agriculture in India, Lesotho, andZambia, as well as theMinistryof EnvironmentinKenya andZambia. In thesecapacities, theauthorhas managedprojects funded by theUN, Sida/SAREC,and SADCC, gaininga comprehensivebackgroundin practical andapplied developmentissuesrelated to Soil andWater Conservationand the management of sustainabledevelopment challengesinrural areas.The author's specific interestslie in theroleof smallholderand subsistencefarmers as keyplayers in sustainable ruraldevelopmentprocesses, environmentallysound land use, environmentalimpact assessment,and training andextension matters, among others.The primaryaim of this book andthe update of thepreviousstudent compendiumshas been to provideeasily comprehensible material forthe non-specialised student andreader. Consequently,the older material hasbeenthoroughlyrevised,with asummarising methodologyand examples of using the“MiracleGrass” Vetiver. This summaryincludesbasic sections on soil scienceand fluvial geomorphologythatare not fully developedherebut areintendedtoassistthe reader with terminologyand fundamentalconcepts. Thereisnodetailedexplorationofsoilchemistry and biology;these topics within soil physicsand chemistrynecessitate supplementary material for readerswishing to delvedeeperintothisarea througha course or book. Thereference list includes severalexamplesatvarious scientific levels

Thebookisprimarily aimedatnon-specialised university students in disciplinesrelated to agronomy,suchasgeoscience(physical andhuman geography, geology),environmental science, landscapearchitecture, forest science, biology, andsustainability studies. It also serves as asuitableintroductoryreadfor managers andadministratorsofdevelopment projects addressing environmentalmanagement anddevelopmentissueswithinagriculture, agroforestry,soilerosion andconservation, andgeneral ruraldevelopment.

Biological Soil &Water Conservation. TheVetiver-grass as

an example

By H. Jonas Åkerman

1. THEVETIVERGRASS

1.1 Introduction

Environmentalissuesand simple actions have dominatedthe agriculturaland naturalresourcesectors discussion for many decades(Hudson 1987, 2018). Alreadyinfocus arethe problems of deforestation, increasedfloodingby rivers of various scales,and reduced dryseason waterflows forirrigationand urbanand industrial supplies.Not enough attention, however,has been giventothe massiveproblem of soil erosionand, more specifically,the need to reduce soil andwater losses caused by excessive rainfall runoff. Still, how farthe situation hasimprovedinplaces, better soil and waterconservationisneededworldwide!

Of themillionsofhectaresofforestcut downeachyear, half areestimated to be needed to replacecroplandthathas gone out of production owingtoerosion and theconsequentlossoffertile soil. At the same time,manymillions of hectares of land, once functioning as cropland with high operative or potential, are

downgraded annuallytolandwithlow potential andhighrisk.

This occurs even in areasreceiving substantialrainfallfor good crop production. Thereasonisexcessive runoff that prevents thelandfrommaking “effectiveuse”ofthe rain.The prime cause of soil erosionand excessive rainfall runoff is the' removalof vegetative groundcover,surface,and soil organicmatterbyhuman andlivestock populations.Thisphenomenon is not new, but manhas stillnot learnedthe lesson.

Past topsoillosseshavebroughtdown wholecivilizations.One exampleisthe

MayasofCentral America, andNorth Africa used to be the"granaryofthe RomanEmpire."Soilerosion is aglobal problem,and conservation hasbecome critical in many countries. Forexample, more than half of India'sand Pakistan’s cropland is losing productivity because topsoilisbeing washed or blownaway faster than naturalforcescan replace it. Reducingthe topsoillayer reducesplants' access to essentialsoilnutrients and water.

Figure 2. Growinga maizecropwithout conservation measures on slopes that are toosteep in Lesotho. Rills andgullieshave appeared earlyinthe season. (PhotoJ Åkerman)

Changesinfarming practices have made theproblem worseinrecentyears.In response to thegrowing need forgrain for ever-growing humanand livestock populations,farmers switched from traditionalrotations andmultiple croppingtocontinuous-rowcropping.

This practice encourages rainwatertorun offthe land faster andmoredestructively. As aresult, crops aredeniedthe moisture they need foroptimum growth.(Fig. 2)

Recognizing theproblem,top-level policymakersinmanycountries have devoted asubstantialportion of their budgets to finding solutions. However, thesumsallocated areoften insufficient, costsare toohigh, andmanyofthe conservationtechniquesattempted have been ineffectiveand inappropriate for small-scalefarmers.Soilerosion continuesatanacceleratingand alarming rate.Manythink that farmersshouldbear thecostofsoilconservation.Still, most cannotaffordtounlesscheaper methods -preferablylinkedtodirectincome benefits -can be identified andapplied. If not,theyare notacceptabletofarmers.

3. Framers arestudyingVetiver as erosionprotectionina Zambianfield. (PhotoJ.Åkerman)

This book hasbeenpreparedto demonstrateone exampleofhow simple soil andmoistureconservationsystems might meet therequirementsofsmall farmersindeveloping countries, most of whom reside in thetropics and subtropics.

Themethods presentedhereare not new—Indian farmershavebeen using

H. JonasÅkerman is an AssociateProfessor Emeritus at theDept. of Physical Geographyand EcosystemScienceat LundUniversity,Sweden. Parallel with hismainresearchfocus on permafrost andclimaticchangeinArctic environments,hehas been active with appliedPhysicalGeography in developmentprojectswithin theagriculturaland ruraldevelopmentsector.

Theauthoristhe Secretaryand board member of theSwedish Societyfor Anthropology and Geography (SSAG) anda Boardmemberofthe SwedishNationalCommittee forGeography within theRoyal SwedishAcademyofSciences.

Through tenyears of long-termassignments in Tamil Nadu, India, andAfrica within projects concerning environmentalmanagementand developmentissues, like agriculture, agroforestry,soil erosionand conservation, andgeneral ruraldevelopment, he hasa wide andlonginternational experience.

Assignments as atechnicaladviserwithin theministriesofAgriculture in India, Lesotho, and Zambia,and theMinistryofenvironmentinKenya andZambia, andproject managerwithin UN, Sida/SAREC &SADCC financed projects have provided himwitha broadbackground on practicalapplied developmentissuesfromthe FieldofSoiland WaterConservation andfromthe management side of sustainabledevelopment issues in ruralareas. His specific interestsinclude theroleofsmallholders andsubsistencefarmers as keyplayers in sustainablerural developmentprocesses,environmentallysound land use, environmentalimpact assessments, andtrainingand extensionissues, amongothers.

Thebookisa straightforwardintroductiontousing vetiver grassasaneffectivebiologicalsoiland waterconservation method in smallholderfarmingenvironments.While theprimary focusison Africancontexts,healsoprovidesexamplesfromIraqi Kurdistan, Iran,India, SriLanka,and Sweden

Thematerialand levelare designed to serveasanintroductionfor non-specialiststudentsinareas such as Physical andHuman Geography,Geology,and Sustainability Studies andasa general resource forvarious projectadministratorsseeking afoundationalunderstanding of biologicalsoil andwater conservationmethods.