Research Trends in Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) Breeding: A Bibliometric Study

Samsul Ma’arif; Asifa Asifa; Iskandar Iskandar

doi:10.36312/biocaster.v6i3.1398

Authors

Samsul Ma’arif Agribusiness Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Satya Terra Bhinneka University, Sunggal Street Gg. Bakul, Medan, North Sumatra 20128, Indonesia
Asifa Asifa Agribusiness Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Satya Terra Bhinneka University, Sunggal Street Gg. Bakul, Medan, North Sumatra 20128, Indonesia
Iskandar Iskandar Forestry Management Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Satya Terra Bhinneka University, Sunggal Street Gg. Bakul, Medan, North Sumatra 20128, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36312/biocaster.v6i3.1398

Keywords:

Bibliometric Analysis, Collaboration Network, Eggplant Breeding, Molecular Breeding

Abstract

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is an important horticultural crop with high economic and nutritional value. Climate change, environmental stress, and food security concerns have accelerated research on eggplant breeding worldwide.. However, comprehensive evaluations of research trends in eggplant breeding remain limited. Therefore, this study aimed to perform a bibliometric analysis of global eggplant breeding research published between 2016 and 2026. Data were collected from the Scopus database using the query Title-Abs-Key ((“eggplant” or “aubergine”) and (“plant breeding” or hybridization or cultivar or “hybrid variety”)). The analysis included English-language articles and was conducted using Bibliometrix/Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. A total of 562 documents were analyzed. The results showed that scientific publications increased substantially after 2019, indicating growing global interest in eggplant genetic improvement. China was the most productive country, with 117 publications and 2,124 citations, followed by the United States (35 publications), Spain (35 publications), and India (15 publications). Collaboration analysis demonstrated extensive international partnerships, whereas keyword and thematic analyses revealed dominant topics related to hybridization, disease resistance, stress tolerance, antioxidants, and molecular breeding. Recent studies have increasingly focused on abiotic stress, heterosis, and nutritional quality improvement. This study provides insights into research development and emerging trends in eggplant breeding research.

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