Herbicidal activity of Citrus limon essential oil extracted from Sicilian lemon industry

Weeds could reduce yield of annual crops by up to 70%. The main features of these species include high seed production, easily seed dispersal, variable degrees of seed dormancy and high competitivity by rapid seedling growth and higher growth rate than crops. Weed management is a significant challenge faced for crop yield and quality since they compete for water, light, soil nutrients and space. Environmental constraints of crop production systems have stimulated interest in alternative weed management strategies. In fact, the continued use of synthetic herbicides may threaten sustainable agricultural production and has resulted in serious ecological and environmental problems, such as the …