ANÁLISE CIENCIOMÉTRICA DA LITERATURA CIENTÍFICA SOBRE CONTROLE BIOLÓGICO DE INSETOS-PRAGA EM SISTEMAS AGRÍCOLAS

Abstract

The management of insect pests is one of the main challenges to the sustainability of agricultural production, especially given the need to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the intensive use of synthetic pesticides. In this context, biological control has established itself as a relevant alternative within integrated pest management strategies, based on the use of natural enemies and entomopathogenic microorganisms to regulate pest populations in agroecosystems. The development of biopesticides and advances in research in this area have increased scientific interest in the topic, resulting in a significant increase in academic output on biological control in different agricultural systems. However, much of this knowledge is scattered throughout the scientific literature, making it difficult to identify research patterns and trends. In this context, the present study aimed to conduct a systematic review with a scientometric approach of the scientific literature on biological control of insect pests in agricultural systems. The analyses were conducted using scientific articles indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, employing bibliometric analysis tools in the R environment. The results showed consistent growth in scientific output during the analyzed period, with the United States, China, and Brazil standing out as the leading producer countries. A predominance of entomopathogenic microorganisms, such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae, and parasitoids of the genus Trichogramma was observed as the main biocontrol agents investigated. Furthermore, the literature is organized into thematic areas related to biopesticide biotechnology, applied ecology, and Integrated Pest Management. These results contribute to understanding the evolution of research in biological control, allowing for the identification of knowledge gaps and guiding future investigations aimed at developing more sustainable pest management strategies in agriculture.