on June 22, 1991, His Majesty the King gave for the first time his initiative concerning the vetiver grass to Mr. Sumet Tantivejkul, Secretary-General of the Royal Development Projects Board at that time. His Majesty suggested that the cultivation of the vetiver grass should be experimented for control of soil erosion and maintenance of moisture in the soil since this method is simple, inexpensive and importantly, applicable for the farmers with easy maintenance.