Biological control of citrus pests: A systematic bibliometric analysis 2000–2023

Abstract

In the last twenty years, the discussion around biological control has sparked more attention towards investments in the correlation between the economy and agriculture. Consequently, the notion of pest management in agriculture has acquired impetus. The objective of this study is to provide a detailed and extensive overview of the existing information in the literature about the biological management of pests that affect citrus crops. To do this, a methodical bibliometric study is conducted on a set of 793 peer-reviewed publications in SCOPUS, using keywords, co-citations, and bibliographic coupling analyses. Consequently, the biological management of citrus pests was founded by establishing four basic research topics: (1) Addressing the difficulties and approaches to combat Asian Citrus Psyllid, (2) Implementing biological pest management to control mites in citrus, (3) Gaining insights into Huanglongbing by studying the dynamics of Asian Citrus Psyllid, and (4) Managing nematodes and fungus for effective citrus pest control. In addition, the findings indicated that the most recent study topics in the specific literature are categorized into six distinct areas, namely: (1) Integrated Pest Management in Citrus Orchards: Entomopathogenic Nematodes, Fungi, and Essential Oils. (2) Citrus Pest Management: Lessons from Predators and Parasitoids, (3) Integrated Approaches for Managing Diaphorina citri and Citrus Greening Disease, (4) Novel Microbial Biocontrol for Controlling Citrus Fruit Decay and Postharvest Pathogens, (5) Citrus Orchard Mite Management: Integrated Strategies, and (6) Global Strategies for Controlling Citrus Leafminer and Arthropod Pests. The provided map of research on biological control of citrus pests serves the dual purpose of assisting scientists in advancing their research and aiding practitioners, as well as local and national authorities, in effectively applying biological pest management in agriculture. • Integrated Pest Management in Citrus Orchards: Entomopathogenic Nematodes, Fungi, and Essential Oils. • Managing Citrus Pests: Insights from Predators and Parasitoids. • Integrated Strategies for Diaphorina citri and Citrus Greening Disease Management. • Innovative Microbial Biocontrol for Citrus Fruit Decay and Postharvest Pathogens. • Mite Management in Citrus Orchards, Integrated Approaches.