-
Table 1 presents the top 10 countries/regions, institutions, authors, and journals that published the most studies on Trichoderma formulations. As indicated in Table 1, China emerged as the country making the most significant contribution, with 1,231 publications, accounting for 20.33% of the total. India and Pakistan followed closely, ranking second and third, with 1,096 (18.10%) and 618 (10.20%) publications, respectively. Among the institutions, the Chinese Academy of Sciences held the top spot, boasting 160 (2.64%) publications. Following closely was the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (144, 2.37%), and Nanjing Agricultural University (137, 2.26%). In the realm of scholarly contributions, prolific authors often set the tone for research trends. Identifying these influential scholars can shed light on the direction of the research field[29]. The leading author in the study of rhizosphere microorganisms was Wang Y, with 102 publications. Li Y, Zhang Y, and Hkan M were also highly prolific, each publishing nearly 90 studies. These works were predominantly featured in prominent journals in Ecology and Botany, such as Frontiers in Microbiology (3.73%), Frontiers in Plant Science (2.36%), and Plant and Soil (2.03%).
Table 1. Leading journals contributing to the existing body of knowledge in the field of formulation of Trichoderma.
Sl. no. Name of journal No. of publication Citations 1 Journal of Applied Microbiology 2 40 2 Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 2 16 3 Indian Phytopathology 3 2 4 Biological Control 2 59 5 Crop Protection 2 30 6 Frontiers in Microbiology 2 23 7 Journal of Biological Control 2 1 8 Medicinal Plants 2 5 Scientific production
-
The analysis of scientific production on Trichoderma formulations demonstrated the trend of publications per year on Trichoderma formulation studies. It was observed that published research showed a significant increase of 71.24% over the last decade (2016–2023) (Fig. 1). The increasing trend is possibly related to economic support from government programs, since funding for innovative, sustainable, and ecological research is being considered to meet the demand for food and mitigate environmental pollution[30]. Figure 2 illustrates a co-citation map of authors collaborating in the field of Trichoderma formulation. The purpose of conducting this co-citation analysis is to visually portray the knowledge base of the specific area of review. The analysis identifies three distinct clusters, each represented by different colored nodes: blue, red, and green. The green cluster stands out as it is associated with Harman, who has the highest collaboration, working with nine researchers on Trichoderma formulation research. The red cluster, on the other hand, signifies the second-highest collaboration, led by Mukherjee et al.[31] with six researchers. Lastly, the pink cluster represents the lowest level of collaboration among researchers, with only two researchers working together in this area.
-
Table 2 showcases the country–wise citation analysis, and the series presented here seems to have large variability in distribution. In terms of total citations of studies dedicated to Trichoderma formulations. Citations count of articles by country as a unit of analysis represents the popularity of a field of research in a particular region. India with 20 publications having 115 citations topped the list and, therefore, is the most impactful country contributing to the existing body of knowledge in the said domain followed by Italy with four publications having 69 citations and Brazil with three publications having 51 citations. From the viewpoint of the total number of publications, India holds first position, having 20 publications, followed by Italy having four publications.
Table 2. Leading countries contributing to the existing body of knowledge in the field of formulation of Trichoderma.
Sl. no. Country No. of publication Citations 1 Argentina 1 20 2 Belgium 2 30 3 Brazil 3 51 4 China 2 82 5 Croatia 1 30 6 Finland 1 37 7 India 20 115 8 Italy 4 69 9 New Zealand 2 21 10 Portugal 1 67 11 South korea 1 54 The top researchers working in the field of Trichoderma formulation are presented in Table 2. The authors' citation count represents the recognition of their research work in a particular field of research. It is quite clear from the list of 13 author's citations that all the authors have at least 10 citations to their name based on the total citation count. Among the 13 authors Park et al.[32] has the highest number of citations of 57 followed by Herrera-Téllez et al.[33] having 47 and Hewedy et al.[34] having 44 citations. The analysis of bibliographic coupling in the Trichoderma formulation domain is represented in Fig. 3. This technique utilizes references from existing publications to elucidate the relevant literature[35]. For this study, five thematic clusters have been identified, labeled green, red, blue, yellow, and purple. Among these interconnected groups, India stands out as the country with the most extensive collaboration network, linked with 15 other countries. Given that India also holds the highest number of published documents (115), it was anticipated to be the central node in this cooperation network. The findings demonstrate the strong relationships between researchers and their respective institutional affiliations, emphasizing the scientific cooperation aimed at developing sustainable and ecologically sound strategies for crop protection in a competitive manner[36].
In Fig. 4, a co-occurrence analysis of keywords with a minimum threshold of five occurrences is displayed. The network illustrates the most frequently utilized terms within the 'Trichoderma formulation' research domain, capturing the essence of the article's core content. The prevalence of these keywords can be indicative of the research direction and content within this specific field[37]. This analysis allows for the identification of developmental trends within a field and a comprehensive understanding of its current research status[38]. The co-occurrence graph of keywords reveals a total of four co-occurrence clusters (Fig. 4), encompassing themes like biocontrol, formulation, Trichoderma, and shelf life. Each cluster is further examined below, providing an in-depth portrayal of the prominent topics within the Trichoderma formulations landscape during the research period. Annual publication number leading years contributing to the existing body of knowledge in the field of formulation of Trichoderma is presented in Table 3.
Figure 4.
Co-occurrence analysis based upon keywords from articles in the field of Trichoderma formulation.
Table 3. Annual publication number leading years contributing to the existing body of knowledge in the field of formulation of Trichoderma.
Sl. no. Year No. of publication 1 2016 8 2 2017 13 3 2018 21 4 2019 16 5 2020 20 6 2021 17 7 2022 15 8 2023 8 The shift in annual publication counts serves as a vital benchmark for gauging the progress of a research field, lending insights into potential development trends[28]. Figure 4 provides a clear portrayal of the publication distribution in Trichoderma formulation from 2016 to 2023, illustrating a noticeable increase in annual article output. This surge suggests a heightened interest in the field over the past few years. Scientific research fields typically undergo a four-stage evolution[39] ; (1) the inception phase, characterized by the introduction of novel research areas or directions by notable scientists; (2) the expansion phase, where scientists gravitate toward the emerging research direction, leading to a proliferation of discussion topics; (3) the stabilization phase, marked by the amalgamation of new knowledge to form a distinct research context; and (4) the contraction phase, in which the number of new publications diminishes. Notably, the research on Trichoderma formulation seems to be currently in the expansion phase[40].
-
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding authors.
-
About this article
Cite this article
Mishra KK, Kumar V, Wagh AK, Panda SR. 2024. The promise of Trichoderma formulations: insight from bibliometric analysis. Studies in Fungi 9: e014 doi: 10.48130/sif-0024-0014
The promise of Trichoderma formulations: insight from bibliometric analysis
- Received: 05 August 2024
- Revised: 04 September 2024
- Accepted: 06 September 2024
- Published online: 24 September 2024
Abstract: Trichoderma formulations have garnered significant attention in agricultural practices owing to their multifaceted roles in promoting plant growth, enhancing disease resistance, and improving soil health. However, despite extensive research in this field, a comprehensive bibliometric analysis elucidating the trends, patterns, and advancements remains scarce. This study aims to fill this gap by conducting a bibliometric analysis of publications about Trichoderma formulations. Leveraging data from prominent scholarly databases, the analysis examines publication trends, authorship patterns, citation networks, and thematic evolution over time. By identifying key research clusters and influential works, this study offers insights into the current state of Trichoderma research, as well as potential avenues for future exploration. Understanding the landscape of Trichoderma formulations through bibliometric analysis is crucial for unlocking their full potential in sustainable agriculture and fostering innovation in biocontrol strategies.
-
Key words:
- Bibliometric /
- Trichoderma /
- Formulation /
- Agriculture /
- Biological control