The projected global population growth to 9.7 billion by the year 2050 poses a critical challenge to global food security, requiring approximately a 70% increase in agricultural output. This demand is further intensified by the shrinking availability of cultivable land, escalating impacts of climate change, increasing incidence of plant pathogens and pests and the global shift towards eco-friendly and sustainable farming practices. In this context, there is an urgent need to explore innovative and natural strategies to enhance crop productivity without compromising environmental and consumer safety. One promising approach involves the application of bio-based agricultural inputs such as bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, and bio-stimulants derived from plant sources. Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) have gained considerable attention due to their rich phytochemical profiles, including alkaloids, essential oils, glycosides, polyphenols, quinones, steroids, and terpenoids. These naturally occurring compounds are being explored for their potential to improve plant growth, enhance stress tolerance, and reduce dependence on synthetic agrochemicals. This review focuses on the role of MAP-derived plant extracts in promoting sustainable agriculture and summarizes current advancements, highlighting their prospective applications as green alternatives in crop management practices.
Snigdharani Dash (Sun,) studied this question.