Phytoextracts as Crop Biostimulants and Natural Protective Agents—A Critical Review

Nudrat Aisha Akram (), Muhammad Hamzah Saleem, Sidra Shafiq, Hira Naz, Muhammad Farid-ul-Haq, Baber Ali, Fahad Shafiq, Muhammad Iqbal, Mariusz Jaremko and Kamal Ahmad Qureshi ()
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Nudrat Aisha Akram: Department of Botany, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Muhammad Hamzah Saleem: Office of Academic Research, Office of VP for Research & Graduate Studies, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
Sidra Shafiq: Department of Botany, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Hira Naz: Department of Botany, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Muhammad Farid-ul-Haq: Institute of Chemistry, University of Sargodha, Sargodha 40100, Pakistan
Baber Ali: Department of Plant Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan
Fahad Shafiq: Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore 54590, Pakistan
Muhammad Iqbal: Department of Botany, Government College University, Faisalabad 38000, Pakistan
Mariusz Jaremko: Smart-Health Initiative (SHI) and Red Sea Research Center (RSRC), Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
Kamal Ahmad Qureshi: Department of Pharmaceutics, Unaizah College of Pharmacy, Qassim University, Unaizah 51911, Saudi Arabia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-17

Abstract: Excessive application of synthetic chemicals to crops is a serious environmental concern. This review suggests that some potential natural compounds can be used as alternatives and could be applied directly to plants to improve crop growth and productivity. These phytoextracts can serve as biostimulants to induce abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in different crops growing under diverse environmental conditions. The biosynthesis and accumulation of a variety of chemical compounds such as glycinebetaine, vitamins, nutrients, and secondary metabolites in some plants are of great value and an environmentally friendly cheaper source than several synthetic substances of a similar nature. The review summarizes the information regarding the potential role of different plant phytoextracts and suggests subsequent applications to modulate crop stress tolerance. Future studies should focus on the relative effectiveness of these plant-based extracts compared with their synthetic counterparts and focus on practical applications to signify sustainable practices linked with the use of natural products.

Keywords: abiotic stress; biotic stress; biostimulants; phytoextracts; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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