This is because the plant’s thick grass structure is able to accumulate soil and nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon that would otherwise have been lost due to runoff. In fact, studies have shown that planting "Vetiveria nigritana" hedgerows reduces soil loss by around 70%, which allows farmers to retain the nutrients within their soil. Secondly, the use of "Vetiveria nigritana" also reduces water runoff, in some cases by 130%, which is beneficial because in areas where irrigation is not present, conserving natural rainfall is essential for the survival of a farmer’s crop. In addition, the use of the type of vetiver grass is ideal in places like the African subtropics to prevent soil erosion and runoff because "Vetiveria nigritana" has been shown to be highly effective on a variety of different slopes in preventing the degradation of soil. Therefore, "Vetiveria nigritana" would benefit subsistence farmers because the increased nutrients, retention of soil and the accumulation of water that it causes would help to improve crop yields. Another benefit of "Vetiveria nigritana" is its ability to deter pests from damaging crops while in the field during the growing season and from ruining the quality of plants while in storage. In Africa it was discovered that by planting "Vetiveria nigritana" in hedgerows around maize, that maize stem borers would attach to the plant more frequently than to maize and when the larvae hatched the potential borers died. In addition, "Vetiveria nigritana" is also beneficial in protecting certain crops after harvest, such as rice crops, because when the leaves of the plant are boiled in sea salt and then placed below and above the crop in a storage environment they act as a repellent for insects, while also preventing mold. Therefore, the use of "Vetiveria nigritana" would be beneficial to subsistence farmers because it would protect their crops and help ensure their survival. Additionally, "Vetiveria nigritana", like other forms of vetiver grasses, is beneficial in protecting the livestock of subsistence farmers. Even though vetiver grasses usually have a low protein ratio of about 8% they can be continuously harvested and fed to livestock if there is a shortage of other feeds for the animals due to poor harvests, diseased crops or contaminated storages. This is valuable to subsistence farmers because a lack of feed usually leads to animals being slaughtered.