Vetiver Grass and Soil Organic Carbon – Bezaye Tessema

Title: Vetiver Grass in Australia and Ethiopia: Soil Organic Carbon Storage Potential and Mechanisms for Carbon Sequestration

Project Description

Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides) is a tropical grass that is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is a multipurpose grass mainly used for soil and water conservation and land rehabilitation purposes. Due to its massive above and below ground biomass it’s recommended as a potential candidate for soil carbon storage in deep soil profiles. However, there are only few field level studies undertaken thus far.

The major aim of this project therefore, is to examine the carbon quantity, nature and distribution in soils under Vetiver grass in comparison with native and Subtropical pastures in Australia and with Coffee in Ethiopia. Carbon is not only a key indicator of soil health, condition and productivity but can also offer a potential mechanism to store carbon for emerging markets as part of the international response to climate change.

Approach

Soil samples will be taken from under vetiver, native and subtropical adjacent pastures in SE Australia and vetiver and coffee fields in SW Ethiopia. Isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) will be used to analyse SOC concentration and δ¹³C to determine contribution, distribution and process and mechanism of carbon sequestration in 1m soil depth.

Outcome

The information generated will therefore contribute significantly to land management decisions in tropical regions and initiate further investigations on the contributions of tropical grasses as climate change mitigation options.

Users

Policy makers, Researchers, Land managers, Farming communities.