Plant extracts in agriculture and their applications in the treatment of seeds

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The harmful effects caused by the use of toxic substances in agriculture have led to the development of alternative solutions, and researchers have focused on understanding the effectiveness and potential of plant extracts in agriculture. The aim of this systematic review was to understand the situation of research and scientific dissemination, as well as how current science has approached the use of plant extracts in agriculture, especially in seed applications. There is potential on the use of plant extracts in agriculture, demonstrated by a high number of publications over the last ten years, especially in the years 2018, 2019 and 2020, and Brazil stands out as the main country on this research area. Control of phytopathogenic microorganisms, insect control, biostimulant effect, resistance induction and herbicide effect have been the main themes explored for use in agriculture. The direct application of plant extracts is centered on plants and seeds, being this latter mainly focused on the control of phytopathogenic organisms and biostimulating effect.