While plants have long been used as raw materials for products like food and medicine, the authors explain that their high content of bioactive compounds makes them ideal for creating a new generation of bio-products for agriculture.
The researchers point out that various parts of the plant—including seeds, flowers, stems, and roots—can be used to manufacture biostimulants and biopesticides.
According to the study, these plant-based extracts possess a wide range of properties, such as antifungal, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects. The review examines how these plant-derived biostimulants (PDBs) impact crops under both controlled and real-world conditions, including their response to biotic and abiotic stresses.
The authors highlight several benefits of using these products, including low toxicity to humans and the environment, increased crop quality and yields, and a reduced reliance on mineral fertilizers and pesticides.
Ultimately, the researchers conclude that deeper cooperation between academic and industrial research is necessary to speed up the development of these environmentally safe solutions.
Learn more about this study here: https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2021.1851
Reference:
Godlewska, K., Ronga, D., & Michalak, I. (2021). Plant extracts—Importance in sustainable agriculture. Italian Journal of Agronomy, 16(2), 1851.