BIBLIOMETRIC OVERVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC OUTPUT ON THE USE OF MICROORGANISMS IN THE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF AGRICULTURAL PESTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63330/aurumpub.059-008Keywords:
Agriculture, Bibliometrics, Microbial agentsAbstract
The intensification of agricultural production and dependence on synthetic pesticides have increased the demand for more sustainable pest management alternatives. In this context, microorganism-based biological control stands out as a promising strategy, particularly through the use of fungi, bacteria, and other agents capable of acting against pests and phytopathogens. This study aimed to analyze the landscape of scientific output on the use of microorganisms in the biological control of agricultural pests through a bibliometric analysis of the Scopus database. The study encompassed publications from 2015 to 2025, considering open-access articles in Portuguese and English in the fields of Agricultural and Biological Sciences and Environmental Science, resulting in 1,034 documents for analysis. The most frequently cited articles, temporal evolution of publications, geographical distribution, keywords, leading authors, journals, and scientific collaboration networks were evaluated. The results showed substantial growth in scientific output, from 26 articles in 2015 to 221 in 2025. China and the United States exhibited the highest density of scientific output, while Brazil and Spain stood out as important points of connection. The keywords demonstrated the centrality of biological control and biocontrol, with particular emphasis on Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and Bacillus thuringiensis. The analysis also revealed an interdisciplinary scientific structure that was relatively fragmented in terms of coauthorship. It is concluded that the use of microorganisms in biological control constitutes an expanding scientific field associated with the development of more sustainable agricultural strategies and integrated pest management.
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