• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.313-329
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• 2013

Vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) is being effectively used in many countries to protect embankment and slopes for their characteristics of having long and strong roots. In this paper, in-situ shear tests of the ground with the vetiver roots have been conducted to investigate the stabilization properties corresponding to the embankment slopes. Numerical analyses have also been performed with the finite element method using elastoplastic subloading $t_{ij}$ model, which can simulate typical soil behavior. It is revealed from field tests that the shear strength of vetiver rooted soil matrix is higher than that of the unreinforced soil. The reinforced soil with vetiver root also shows ductile behavior. The numerical analyses capture well the results of the in-situ shear tests. Effectiveness of vetiver root in geotechnical structures-strip foundation and embankment slope has been evaluated by finite element analyses. It is found that the reinforcement with vetiver root enhances the bearing capacities of the grounds and stabilizes the embankment slopes.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.55-64
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• 2008

A detailed understanding and appreciation of the important mechanisms operating at the soil:root interface, commonly identified as the rhizosphere, is critical for evaluating the potential for particular plant species to be successfully used as part of a phytoremediation technique. For specific plants, mechanisms may exist to overcome the inherit limitation of the phytoremediation technique when poorly mobile soil metals are of interest. In the present study, the influence of root exudates on the rhizosphere chemistry of soil and consequential metal uptake were investigated following culture of vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides), recognized as a promising plant for land stabilization, in three different long-term contaminated soils and one non-contaminated control soil. The soil solution pH increased (0.3-1.1 units) following vetiver grass culture and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) also significantly increased in all soils with the highest increase in PP02 (23 to $173mg\;L^{-1}$). Chemical changes are contributed to root exudation by vetiver grass when exposed to high concentration of heavy metals. Chemical changes, consequently, influenced metal (Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) solubility and speciation in the rhizosphere. The highest solubility was observed for soil Ko01 (eg. 2091 and $318{\mu}g\;L^{-1}$ for Cd and Pb, respectively). Initial heavy metal solubility in soils varied with soil and either increased or decreased following vetiver grass culture depending on the soil type. An increase in pH following plant culture generally resulted in a decrease in metal solubility, while elevated DOC due to root exudation resulted in an increase in metal solubility via the formation of metal-DOC complexes. Donnan speciation demonstrated a significant decrease in free Cd and Zn in the rhizosphere and the concentration of Cd, Pb, and Zn in vetiver grass shoot was highly correlated with soluble concentration rather than total soil metal concentration.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.146-157
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• 2009

The influence of Pb-citrate complex formation on Pb uptake and the effect of Pb on organic acid exudation were investigated using four plant species, viz., sunflower (Helianthus annuus L), Indian mustard (Brassica juncea), canola (Brassica napus) and vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) under hydroponic conditions. Seedlings were exposed to different levels of Pb and Pb-citrate for 24 hrs and subsequently Pb distributions in plant shoot, root and hydroponic solution were measured. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration generally decreased as the concentration of Pb in the hydroponic solution increased. In contrast to DOC, the total organic acid concentrations exuded from Indian mustard roots significantly increased (424 to 6656 mg $kg^{-1}$) with increased Pb treatment, implying that exuding organic acids were involved in Pb accumulation in Indian mustard. The complexation of Pb with citrate enhanced Pb accumulation in the above ground portions. Lead concentration in Indian mustard increased from 2.05 mg $kg^{-1}$ to 6.42 mg $kg^{-1}$ when the concentration of citrate in solution increased from 0 to 50 mg $L^{-1}$. This result showed enhanced translocation of Pb from root to shoot with observation of transfer coefficient ($K_t$) increase from 2.03E-3 to 5.72E-3.