A research team at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad has demonstrated how nanotechnology can transform medicinal plant essential oils into potent bioherbicides for sustainable saffron production. Using oils extracted from ajwain, clove, cinnamon, and perovskia, scientists formulated stable nanoemulsions that effectively inhibited the growth of major saffron field weeds—Agropyron repens, Bromus japonicus, Chenopodium album, and Festuca spp.
Nanoemulsion sprays containing just 1% essential oils triggered biochemical disruptions in weeds, including ion leakage, enzyme inhibition (SOD and catalase), and chlorophyll degradation. Visual symptoms like leaf burn, chlorosis, and desiccation appeared within days, with cinnamon and ajwain oils achieving more than 90% weed mortality after seven days.
This study highlights the potential of plant-based nanoformulations as eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic herbicides, aligning with the global push toward sustainable and chemical-free agriculture—particularly valuable for high-value crops like saffron.
Reference
Azizi, M., Sajedimehr, H., Nazari, M., Kaveh, H., & Taghizadeh, S. F. (2025). Herbicidal activity of medicinal plants essential oil using nanotechnology for saffron weed control saffron weed control using medicinal plants’ essential oil. BMC Plant Biology, 25(1), 1390. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-07106-4
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