The study highlights the biostimulant potential of clove essential oil (CEO) in soybean seed treatment, showcasing significant benefits in laboratory germination tests and fungal contamination reduction. However, the inconsistent productivity results between the 2019/2020 and 2021/2022 field experiments raise concerns about the reliability of CEO under varying environmental conditions. Could the authors clarify whether soil composition, climatic factors, or differences in farming practices were analyzed to explain these discrepancies? Furthermore, the long-term ecological effects of CEO on soil health and microbial communities remain unexplored.
