Abstract: With the recent advances in the field of botanical pesticides, more effort has been devoted to the study of Vetiveria zizanioides (L.) Nash which exhibited excellent agricultural activity. The extraction and separation methods and the structures of odor substances in V. zizanioides have been reviewed. Then, it summarized the trapping effect of the volatile compounds against pyralidae, such as Chilo suppressalis(Walker), the avoidant and antifeedant effect against termite, such as Coptotermes formosanus Shiraki, and the toxic effect against ticks, such as Macrotermes barneyi Light; the rebacteriostatic activity against various bacteria, such as Rhizoctorzia solani, Calletotrichum musae and Staphylococcus aureus Rosenbach and the herbicidal activity against common weeds, such as Chenopodium album L. and Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.. The chemical and biological synthesis routes of nootkatone, the active ingredient of V. zizanioides, have also been reviewed. This review will contribute to the further application of V. zizanioides in the field of botanical pesticide development.