Dactylopius opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) control tactics: a bibliometric analysis

Abstract

The objective of this article is to identify the growth, control tactics, collaboration among authors, and emerging trends in scientific research related to the control strategies of Dactylopius opuntiae Cockerell (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) through bibliometric indicators. In order to recover the relevant academic articles on the topic, six referential databases were consulted. The keyword used to retrieve bibliographic information was «Dactylopius opuntiae» in the search fields: title, abstract and keywords. 1 212 bibliographic records were obtained, which were sent to the Zotero software, and subsequently reviewed to discard repeated records unrelated to the topic, obtaining only 99 from 1848 to 2022. These records resulted in four bibliometric indicators using Excel and VOSviewer. The dynamic of scientific production has been more evident during the last seven years. Biological control, through predators and entomopathogens, was the most studied emergent research theme. From 1848 to 2000, only 12 documents of scientific production about D. opuntiae control tactics were found; production has been increasing by a greater proportion from 2016 up to 2022. The most outstanding control tactics were focused on biological control and non-conventional chemical control using various products such as oils, plant extracts, soaps, and detergents. Finally, the most frequently mentioned research topic was «biological control». Among other conclusions, the most researched topics were biological control agents (predators and entomopathogens) and plant resistance, which stood out as the tactic that could be most sustainable.