Plant extracts are widely used in sustainable agriculture practices to enhance crop production and reduce chemical usage in agriculture. This study employed several extraction solutions of various plant extracts to synthesize planting and spraying strategies, assess the persistence efficacy of rice, and investigate the influence of selected water extracts on secondary chemicals at different rice planting stages. Among 17 water extracts that were evaluated on rice seeds, 7 were enhanced to align with the lengths of rice roots 50–70% and shoots 40–50%. The analysis of extraction, spraying, and planting experiments revealed that water extracts, soil application, and transplanting were the most efficient methods for stimulating rice growth, especially 0.1 and 0.5% concentrations. The efficacy of the extracts remained intact also after 14 days of treatment. This study showed that photosynthesis and antioxidant activities may play crucial roles in plant growth. Rice growth stimulation has been linked to photosynthesis, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant enzymes, providing a balanced supply of nutrients for plant growth. Among all tested water extracts, Psidium guajava, Aloe vera, Allium sativum, and Medicago sativa extracts can be used to promote plant growth in organic farming.

There is a growing need for sustainable, efficient methods to promote plant growth and protect crops, with plant extracts offering natural, multi-component solutions. Based on previous observations, Psidium guajava, Aloe vera, Allium sativum and Medicago sativa were selected from 17 water extracts to investigate how the application times of soil sprays affect the antioxidant enzymes and secondary metabolites in fruity and leafy vegetables at different growth stages. From 1 week after sowing (WAS) to 4 WAS, all applications increased the shoot fresh weight by 42–69% in cucumbers, 40–64% in tomatoes, 46–65% in kale and 42–63% in lettuce. These applications also increased the photosynthesis, flavonoids and antioxidative enzymes (ascorbate peroxide (APOD) and guaiacol peroxidase (GPOD)), which provided the plants with a balanced supply of nutrients essential for growth. In the real world, these results show that the use of natural extracts (P. guajava and A. sativum) can be a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, helping to improve crop yields and metabolism without harming the environment. This approach could reduce the reliance on chemical inputs and promote more sustainable agricultural practices, especially in controlled environments, like greenhouses, where crops like cucumbers and kale are grown.

In South Korea, spring potatoes account for over 60% of total potato production, but global warming and anomalous weather events may impact their growth and yield. This study examined potato cultivation practices across 12 locations with varying climates, analyzing meteorological factors, soil properties, and potato composition to identify stable cultivation areas. A survey of 45 farms revealed earlier planting dates in G3 regions compared to G2 and G1. Regions were classified into three groups (G1, G2, and G3) based on climatic conditions, with G1 representing the most temperate regions, G2 indicating regions with moderate climates, and G3 including areas with the warmest climates. The Superior variety was predominately cultivated in average areas of 1.4 ha. Yields ranged from 22,500 to 35,000 kg/ha, with G2 regions producing the highest yields. During tuber formation, plant height in G2 and G3 was greater than in G1, but no differences were noted at harvest. Planting times correlated with higher February and March temperatures, which were highest in G3. Soil properties were suitable across all regions, with minor variations. Ash and crude fat content were highest in G1 crops, while ascorbate and glutathione levels were highest in G3. No significant differences were found in total phenol and flavonoid content, though G2 and G3 showed higher antioxidant activity. Similar weather during the main growth period (April–June) minimized regional differences in growth, yield, and quality, but ongoing monitoring is recommended as climate change progresses. Overall, this study provides insights into how climatic conditions affect potato cultivation in South Korea and emphasizes the importance of adapting farming practices to ensure stable yields under changing climate conditions.

Currently, there is a distinct necessity to devise novel, efficient, and environmentally sustainable techniques for enhancing plant growth and safeguarding crops. Plant-derived extracts are novel, natural, and multi-component products that may be utilized for these objectives. According to previous observations, Psidium guajava, Aloe vera, Allium sativum, and Medicago sativa from 17 water extracts were chosen to study how application times through soil sprays affect antioxidant enzymes and secondary metabolites in vegetable and rice plants at different growth stages. From 1 week after sowing (WAS) to 4 WAS, all applications increased shoot fresh weight by 27-79% in cucumbers, 29-64% in tomatoes, 33-65% in kale, 37-63% in lettuce, and 28-67% in rice. These applications also increased photosynthesis, flavonoids, and antioxidative enzymes (ascorbate peroxide, APOD, and guaiacol peroxidase, GPOD), providing plants with a balanced supply of nutrients essential for growth. These results suggest that using such natural extracts could be an efficient and environmentally sustainable approach to improve crop growth and enhance metabolic synthesis, especially for cucumber, kale, and rice cultivated in greenhouse conditions.

Plant extracts are widely used in sustainable agriculture practices to enhance crop production and reduce chemical usage in agriculture. Using various extraction solutions of different plant extracts, this study synthesized planting and spraying techniques and extracted the persistence efficacy of rice. The influence of four water extracts on rice plant secondary compounds applied at various planting times. Psidium guajava, Aloe vera, Allium sativum, and Medicago sativa extracts with concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5% produced better growth promotion rates than urea 0.6%. Water extracts were more effective than foliar extracts in promoting rice growth when applied as soil. When direct seeding and transplanting methods were used, plants treated with these four selected extracts showed increases in shoot fresh weight of 48 and 68%, respectively. Thus, transplanted plants were more suitable for determining the influence of plant extracts on rice growth. The highest shoot fresh weight of two rice varieties was obtained seven days after treatment (DAT), followed by 14, 21, and 28 DAT. This study suggests that photosynthesis and antioxidant activities may play crucial roles in plant growth. These extracts can be used to promote plant growth in organic farming.

Drought stress severely limits crop productivity by impairing water balance, photosynthesis, and oxidative homeostasis. In this study, plant-derived extracts from Psidium guajava, Aloe vera, Allium sativum, and Medicago sativa were evaluated as biostimulants for improving drought tolerance in barley, rice, maize, and cucumber seedlings. Crop-level screening showed pronounced interspecific differences, with cucumber exhibiting the highest recovery of shoot fresh weight (79% of the non-stressed control at 0.1% extract concentration, compared to 39% under drought stress alone). Consequently, cucumber seedlings were selected for detailed physiological and biochemical analyses. Under drought stress, extract-treated plants maintained higher relative water content, preserved PSII efficiency (Fv/Fm), and retained chlorophyll and carotenoid contents compared with drought-stressed controls. Drought-induced oxidative damage, reflected by increased hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, was significantly reduced by extract application. These protective effects were associated with higher activities of key antioxidant enzymes and increased accumulation of ascorbate and glutathione. Integrated analyses using oxidative stress indices and z-score heatmaps revealed coordinated improvements across multiple physiological and biochemical parameters, particularly under prolonged stress. Collectively, the results suggest that selected plant extracts enhance drought tolerance by supporting water status, antioxidant capacity, and photosynthetic stability, supporting their potential use as sustainable biostimulants in drought-resilient crop production systems.