Abstract:

To elucidate the developmental trajectory, research hotspots, and frontier trends in the fields of plant radiation breeding and space breeding, as well as to analyze the advantages, disadvantages, and applications of key technical methods, this study retrieved relevant literature from 2004 to 2024 based on the CNKI and Web of Science core collection databases. Using tools such as CiteSpace and VOSviewer, a bibliometric and visual analysis was conducted on publication volume, countries, keywords, and other aspects. The results showed that a total of 2421 valid publications were included (1335 in Chinese and 1086 in English). Research in this field exhibited a steady upward trend, with China being the global leader in publication volume (314 papers), while the United States achieved the highest average number of citations per paper (24.66). Research hotspots focused on mutation methods such as γ-rays and heavy-ion beams for creating mutants and improving traits in crops like rice and wheat. Compared to conventional crops, research on medicinal plants lagged significantly, accounting for only 11.2% of the total, most studies in this area concentrated on phenotypic screening and component analysis, revealing notable gaps in genetic mechanism elucidation, specialized breeding system establishment, and systematic safety evaluation. In short, the application of radiation and space mutagenesis breeding technologies in major crops has become mature. Future research should prioritize medicinal plants from following aspects: (1) leveraging multi-omics technologies to deeply explore mutagenesis genetic mechanisms; (2) establishing efficient breeding and screening systems tailored to medicinal plants; (3) systematically conducting pharmacodynamics and safety evaluation studies on mutants. These efforts will provide theoretical foundations and technical support for breeding new varieties of medicinal plants that are high-yielding, high-quality, and safe.

Key words: bibliometrics, radiation breeding, space breeding, medicinal plants, research hotspots