Mehalhal* and M. Ainad Tabet
Laboratory of Ecology and Management of Natural Ecosystems, Faculty of Natural and Life Sciences and Earth and Universe Sciences, University of Tlemcen, Tlemcen, Algeria.
*Email address of the corresponding author: [email protected]
Crop protection is a cornerstone for food security, particularly in the Arab world, which faces acute agro-ecological challenges. Despite a recent surge in regional research, a comprehensive map of this scientific landscape has been lacking. This study represents the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis of crop protection research in the 22 member states of the Arab League to chart its conceptual, intellectual, and social structures. The analysis was based on a dataset of 1,208 documents retrieved from the Scopus database, covering a 54-year period from 1972 to 2025. Our findings revealed a field undergoing a renaissance, with an unprecedented acceleration in scientific output since 2018, driven by research powerhouses in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The intellectual core has strategically shifted towards the global paradigms of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and biological control. The social structure revealed a mature ecosystem, characterized by a strong regional publication landscape, with a core triad of Arab journals forming the backbone of the “purely Arab effort” during the recent research acceleration, and a multi-polar international partnership strategy with diversified ties to the East, West, and South. This study contributes to outlining the research landscape for researchers and provides valuable information for policymakers by revealing the trends and dynamics of a field critical to regional food security.
Bibliometrics, science mapping, crop protection, Arab world, integrated pest management, IPM, food security.
https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-001502