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Keywords: Plant virus, Vector, Bibliometric analysis, Research collaboration
Vector-borne plant virus diseases present an escalating threat to global food security, with transmission facilitated primarily by insect vectors such as aphids, whiteflies, thrips, and leafhoppers. These viruses are responsible for significant yield losses and economic disruption across major cropping systems. Despite decades of research, a comprehensive quantitative synthesis of global scientific efforts remains lacking. In this study, we conducted a longitudinal bibliometric analysis to examine research outputs, collaborations, and thematic shifts in the field of vector-borne plant virology from 1966 to 2023. A total of 1,500 publications were retrieved from the Dimensions database and analyzed using VOSviewer and Bibliometrix R-package to construct co-authorship networks, institutional linkages, citation dynamics, and keyword co-occurrence maps. The results highlight a sharp rise in publication volume post-2000, with China and the USA emerging as leading contributors. Molecular Plant Pathology and Annual Review of Phytopathology were among the most influential sources. Keyword clustering revealed dominant research themes including Begomovirus, vector-host-virus interactions, molecular diagnostics, and emerging citrus-associated viruses. Our findings underscore a growing convergence between molecular virology and entomology, yet reveal critical research gaps in vector surveillance, real-time disease modeling, and underrepresented geographies such as Sub-Saharan Africa. This study provides a panoramic overview of the intellectual structure and evolving priorities in vector-mediated plant virus research, offering actionable insights for future interdisciplinary collaborations, policy interventions, and strategic funding.
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Lovely Professional University, Phawara, India