Abstract:

Tillage and land preparation machinery are fundamental to agricultural production. They play a crucial role in improving farming efficiency, enhancing soil quality, and promoting sustainable agricultural development. This study aims to reveal the research trends, collaboration landscape, key research topics, and future directions in the field of international tillage and land preparation machinery to provide a valuable reference for scholars and industry practitioners. This study used relevant literature from 2005 to 2024 in the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database as the data source, and a total of 709 valid sample papers were obtained after sorting and screening. Using bibliometric methods combined with various scientific knowledge mapping tools, we systematically analyzed the annual publication trends, research entities, collaboration networks, and the evolution of research topics and themes. The number of publications in international tillage and land preparation machinery research showed an overall upward trend over the last two decades. It entered a rapid development phase after 2011, peaking in 2021. China dominated in both research output and academic influence, forming research clusters centered on institutions like Northwest A&F University and Jilin University. However, collaboration networks among authors, institutions, and countries generally showed ‘cohesion’ characteristic, and international cooperation still needed to be strengthened. Initial research hotspots mainly focused on the performance optimization of basic tillage operations and key components. The focus then shifted to the collaborative optimization of ‘implement-soil-tillage performance’. More recently, numerical simulation techniques, such as the discrete element method (DEM), were introduced to deeply analyze the soil-implement interaction mechanism and optimize key components. Current research also focuses on the integration and application of digital technologies like machine vision, intelligent simulation, and the optimization of tillage energy efficiency, soil disturbance, and soil health. International research on tillage and land preparation machinery has entered a rapid development stage centered on ‘performance optimization, soil health, and intelligent technologies’. Future explorations should focus on in-depth research into areas such as digital twin-based virtual-real integration design, intelligent and autonomous equipment with cognitive and decision-making capabilities, and green tillage equipment systems deeply integrated with sustainable and precision agriculture.

Key words: tillage and land preparation machinery, CiteSpace, bibliometrics, knowledge graph