BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION ON GRAFTING TECHNIQUES IN PLANT SPECIES WITH COMMERCIAL VALUE

Abstract

Despite all the knowledge generated about grafting techniques in plant species, there is little research that evaluates the results found. The objective of this work was to analyze, through bibliometric techniques, the information published in scientific articles in which a grafting technique was evaluated, to identify analysis methodologies, types of grafts, plant species, and the application of the results found. The keyword used for the search of scientific articles was ‘grafting’, and publications up to December 2022 were considered. From 1994 to 2022, 293 scientific articles were identified, the frequency of their publication showed an exponential trend (R² = 0,54). It was found that variables associated with rootstock, graft and survival of the newly formed plant are evaluated, with an increasing use of multivariate techniques in order to detect the most significant variables. Eleven grafting techniques were documented: bark grafting, cleft grafting, splice grafting, whip and tongue grafting, budding, in vitro grafting, micrografting, T-budding, side-veneer grafting, chip budding, and tube grafting. Fruit (citrus), horticultural (tomato), forest (walnut), and ornamental (rose) crops were the most widely analyzed. However, 63,47% of the scientific articles were limited to descriptive analyses on success rate, compatibility and survival rate of vegetative materials. This provides the opportunity to conduct research on genetic improvement processes in the search for agronomic traits of interest (fruit and growth), or on genetic diversity aimed to improve productivity and/or conservation.