Phytoextracts and essential oils from Artemisia spp. with potential in ecological agricultures as biopesticides and herbicides
Description
The concept of bio-pesticide/herbicide is new in organic agriculture and is based on the use of essential oils and plant extracts in crop protection, as they have the advantage of being easily degradable and environmentally friendly. In this context, the aim of this project is to obtain and chemically characterise new bioproducts (essential oils, methanolic and hydro-alcoholic extracts) from different taxa of the genus Artemisia, from the wild flora of Romania, with potential to be used as biopesticides (in pre- and post-harvest management of fungal diseases in tomato crops), as well as bioherbicides (allelopathic effect). In addition, in vitro cyto- and genotoxicity tests against normal human cells were carried out to establish that the new bioproducts manifest the highest standard in maintaining human and environmental health.