Novel foliar approaches enhancing active constituents, flower yield and essential oil content in Damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.): a review

Damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) is an aromatic medicinal plant also known as 'Gole Mohammadi'. Its cultivation is usually done on a large scale for decorative purposes and industrial uses such as perfumes, pharmaceuticals, culinary, tobacco, etc. Traditionally, the essential oil of Damask rose possesses many therapeutic activities, such as memory enhancement, relief of chest and stomach pain, control of menstrual bleeding, heart-strengthening, cure of constipation and digestive issues. It is important to augment the quantity and quality of essential oil. Treatments of various organic and inorganic fertilizers, plant growth regulators, and newly discovered elicitors on different high-yielding varieties of Damask rose, viz: - Miller cv. Kasan Pink, Yanina, Elenia, Svezheh, Trigintipetala Dieck, Ranisahiba, Noorjahan, Jawala, Super Jwala, Himroj, and Hot Himroj. The demand for Rose essential oil has increased rapidly, and this review paper discusses foliar methods to increase the essential oil and its active or chemical constituents. Foliar application, which is faster than traditional soil fertilization methods and can mitigate various soil problems like acidity, salinity, soil degradation, secondary salinization, and nutrient imbalance. Additionally, foliar application can also be an efficient method to deal with the increasing climatic changes, which have adversely affected Damask rose cultivation and caused deprivation among agriculturalists. In the future, sustainable agricultural fertilizers will be required to reduce the risks associated with Damask rose farming practices. Therefore, foliar application is a promising approach that could be further researched to improve sustainable agricultural practices.