The Landscape of World Research on Fertilizers: A Bibliometric Profile

The environmental cost of increased fertilizer application is an emerging concern, worsened by farmers’ reluctance to adopt alternative fertilizer products. The right fertilizer must be applied at the correct rate and time at the right place for maximum benefit. However, empirical evidence from across the world suggests a deviation from these normative strategies. Considering the lack of a holistic overview of the knowledge structure of the growing literature on fertilizers, we conducted a bibliometric analysis using data extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection database. We identified the publication trend and the important authors, journals and countries contributing to research on fertilizers. In addition, the topics that have received research attention were also identified. We can locate that issues like nitrogen fertilizers and their effect on growth and yield will never lose relevance. Most importantly, researchers are now dealing more with topics related to the externalities of chemical fertilizer use. Our findings will help interested researchers to gain systematic insights into the knowledge structure of fertilizer research.