Bibliometric analysis of fruit tree pests based on Web of Science database

Abstract:【Objective】We analyzed the relevant scientific and technological literature of fruit tree pests at home and abroad, and further understood the research hotspots and trends of fruit tree pests world- wide.【Methods】Through statistically inducing, summarizing and analyzing the related literature of fruit tree pests at home and abroad, the experience and technology of prevention and control were ob- tained, which was of great significance to realize the green and sustainable control of fruit tree pests in China. With the rigorously quantitative analysis method and convinced analysis, the bibliometric was recognized as one of the important methods to quantitatively measure the basic scientific activities, dis- cipline layout and discipline development trends. It was a discipline that studied the characteristics of literature and bibliometrics by using the method of mathematical and statistical analysis, and discussed the current situation and development trend of science and technology. Through the dynamic analysis of the number and changes of the literature in a specific discipline, the emergence and future development trend of the discipline or field can be reflected. Through the bibliometric map and visualization of  knowledge domain and scientific literature, we can understand the evolution of a specific scientific field. Although there is certain subjectivity in data collection, parameter set and adjustment, we can still identify a large number of potential information from visualization, and capture the latest development in this field scientifically and objectively. Web of Science is a product developed by Thomson Reuters based on the web platform. It was the world’s largest comprehensive academic information resource covered the largest number of disciplines. It includes three citation databases (SCI, SSCI and A&HCI) and two chemical information factual databases (current chemical reactions and index chemicus) as well as three citation databases: SCIE, CPCI-S and CPCI-SSH, which were the most comprehensive academ- ic information resources in the world. It includes more than 12 000 core academic journals in various re- search fields, such as natural science, engineering technology and biomedicine. ISI Web of knowledge as a retrieval platform can provide great user dependence and operation convenience. Using the rich and powerful retrieval function of Web of Science for bibliometric statistical analysis, we can easily and quickly find valuable scientific research information, comprehensively grasp the latest research informa- tion of a discipline and a subject, track the international academic frontier and scientific research proj- ects, and timely understand the international trends in the process of subject research. By using the analy- sis and retrieval function of Web of Science and Excel, the literature data were analyzed in terms of annu- al and literature subject categories. Based on the bibliometric analysis software CiteSpace, the key words, the number of published papers and the scientific research cooperation of research years and countries where fruit tree pests’related literature was carried out were statistically analyzed based on Web of Science database, so as to obtain the statistical data and the visualized network of fruit tree pests’research. Accordingly, research hotspots, intellectual structure and frontier topics were analyzed. The related literatures on fruit pests were downloaded from the Web of Science core collection database and analyzed quantitatively. According to the known methods, the subject“fruit tree”,“fruit pest”or“pest control”was used in the Web of Science journal paper database. The retrieval period was from Jan- uary 1, 1995 to October 7, 2020. All published literatures were exported to endnote software (version x8) for duplication. Finally, CiteSpace 5.6.R3 software was used to analyze the number of published papers, cooperation network and keyword co-occurrence visually. The data text was analyzed online by sati to obtain basic statistical data such as high-frequency keywords, cooperation countries and publishing year.【Results】A total of 8551 papers on fruit tree pests published in 20 countries including the United States, China, Brazil, Australia and Italy from 1995 to 2020 were retrieved from the core collection data- base of Web of Science. The number of academic papers published on fruit tree pests and the number of papers published in cooperation with scientific research in various countries ranked second in China, and the number of papers published on fruit tree pests in 2014, 2019 and 2020 exceeded that in the Unit- ed States. Mango, fruit fly and biological control had the highest frequency in three aspects of fruit tree type, pest and pest management. The research hotspots of fruit tree pests were related to green and sus- tainable prevention and control, especially focusing on IPM and biological control.【Conclusion】In recent 25 years, the number of published literatures on fruit tree pests showed an upward trend. The research contents covered host plants, insect species, and control techniques of fruit tree pests. Fruit tree is a kind of tree with edible fruit. As an important fruit eating economic crop, it has special requirements for the external and internal quality of fruit. Pesticide residues, pathogen resistance and the impact on fruit production greatly limit the large-scale use of pesticides. Pest biological control is the most successful, economical and environmentally safe method in pest management. It refers to the technology of using or- ganisms or biological metabolites to control pests and weeds. It is an indispensable part of sustainable  pest control. The results of bibliometric visualization analysis can provide new ideas and methods for the research on fruit tree pests and environmentally friendly and efficient control technology in China.