Bibliometric Analysis of Contemporary Research on the Amelioration of Saline Soils

Abstract

The decreasing availability of agricultural land, coupled with the growing global population, presents significant challenges worldwide. Reclaiming saline–alkali soil offers a promising solution to alleviate these challenges. Improving and utilizing saline soils present ecological challenges that are influenced by both technological advancements and socio-economic factors. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of the published research on saline soil remediation and reclamation from 1985 to the present, using data indexed by the Web of Science Core Collection: Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Science Citation Index. This analysis includes 16,729 publications, which indicate that, over the years, many scientists have conducted extensive research on enhancing and using sodic lands. Countries like the United States, China, Australia, Pakistan, Poland, India, Egypt, and Israel have been pioneers in this field. Furthermore, we summarize trends in this research area, highlighting how strategies for saline soil reclamation have evolved from physical and chemical remediation to salt-tolerant crop breeding and bioremediation applications. With the advancements in science and technology, more methods and strategies have become available to facilitate saline soil remediation. Consequently, management strategies combining multiple technologies will become more effective and provide powerful approaches for reclaiming arable soil from high-salinity marginal lands.