A Scientometric Analysis of Research on Pulses in India During 2000–2017

Food legumes, especially pulses, have a significant role in ensuring food and nutritional security of human and animal population. India is the largest producer of pulses in the world, accounting for 28% of the global pulses production. The current study evaluates the trends in research on pulses in India. The research productivity data for the period from 2000 to 2017 were extracted from Web of Science. A total of 7408 research items were published on pulses from across the world, and India ranked fourth (n = 701 publications), following Brazil, USA and Canada. The number of papers published in a year from India ranged from 17 (2003) to 72 (2016). Legume Research (n = 206) and Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences (n = 128) carried almost 48% of the research publications on pulses from India during the period of analysis. The State Agriculture Universities and central research institutes in India play a vital role in addressing the knowledge gaps in various aspects of pulses research apart from the international institute based in India. Indian researchers published 58 research papers in collaboration with 24 foreign countries, and USA was the top collaborator. The research papers from USA were found to have the maximum citations (19,943). The impact of research on the production of pulses would have a differential lag period ranging from a few months to few decades based on the type of research. While research contributes in enhancing productivity of pulses, the state policies and schemes influence their area coverage and production. The study calls for constant policy support and increased investment on pulses research to bridge the yield gap.