The generic technology identification of saline–alkali land management and improvement based on social network analysis

Abstract

Among technologies of saline–alkali land management and improvement, some can be applied to different regions and causes, and play the role of generic technology. In this paper, by using the patent Derwent Innovation Index, we firstly retrieve the relevant patents, then through cleaning the patent data, build a patent citation network. Finally, we use technology co-occurrence strength, out centrality, betweenness centrality, SPLC path analysis, the number of patent families as well the number of valid countries or territories designated by the patent for identification, from fundamentality, externality and benefit of generic technology characteristics. The conclusion is that fertilizer, organic fertilizer and green manure, microbial fermentation technology, soil tillage and working technology, irrigation and drainage systems and the saline, the saline–alkali substance cleaning technology, planting salt-tolerant plants are generic technologies for saline–alkali land management and improvement.