CiteSpace visualization analysis of Sesbania cannabina in improving saline-alkaline land

The effect of Sesbania cannabina in the improvement and comprehensive utilization of saline-alkaline land is significant, which has received great attention, while the research in this field lacks integration and summarization. In this paper, the number and characteristics of Sesbania cannabina's publications in the field of saline-alkaline land application from January 1, 1964 to March 13, 2025 by CiteSpace bibliometrics method with the data sources of China Knowledge Network (CNKI) and Web of Science are analyzed. The characteristics of co-occurring network of collaborative research, co-citation mapping of literature, core keywords, clustering mapping and keyword emergence mapping are also analyzed simultaneously. The research hotspots and development trends of Sesbania cannabina in saline-alkaline land improvement are explored, and several issues that need to be emphasized in the future are proposed. Over 61-year history of Sesbania cannabina research, the number of papers published by Chinese scientists far exceeds that of other countries' scientists, which exhibits international influence in the field. Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences are the main research institutions. The number of papers from Chinese scholars Xie Zhihong, Wang Liyan and their teams is the most focusing on the research of Azorhizobium caulinodans and Sesbania cannabina in improvement of coastal saline-alkaline land, and the use of biomolecules and gene technology. The future research needs to pay more attention to the use of scientific breeding technology to select Sesbania cannabina saline-alkaline tolerant varieties in improving the ability of survival of Sesbania cannabina, as well as highlight the biology and resistance to salinity and alkalinity molecular mechanisms of Sesbania cannabina. The ecological and economic values, innovative construction of Sesbania cannabina - salinity-tolerant plant ecological management and cash crop farming modes as well as synergistic enhancement of ecological environment and soil fertility - forage - food output should also be addressed.