Bibliometric analysis reveals a shift toward molecular tools and climate adaptation in walnut breeding literature, highlighting evolving global research priorities.
Key Points
Evaluate the scientific landscape, collaborative networks, and strategic evolution of walnut (Juglans regia L.) breeding research over the past quarter-century.
Analyzed 705 publications indexed under the keyword 'Walnut Breeding' retrieved from the Web of Science database.
Evaluated co-authorship networks, citation interactions, corporate affiliations, and keyword densities using VOSviewer for mapping and visualization.
More than 75% of analyzed publications were original research articles, with leading activities centered at UC Davis, the Chinese Academy of Forestry, and Purdue University.
The United States, Türkiye, Iran, and China formed central global collaboration hubs, with primary conceptual influence driven by K. Vahdati, G.H. McGranahan, and M. Sütyemez.
Keyword density mapping revealed a thematic shift from conventional germplasm evaluation toward molecular techniques, association mapping, and climate change adaptation.