Global research trends and performance measurement on biofloc technology (BFT): a systematic review based on computational techniques

• Published in: Aquaculture international 2024-02, Vol.32 (1), p.215-240
• Main Authors: Basumatary, Bwsrang, Verma, A. K., Kushwaha, Saket, Verma, Manoj Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aquaculture; Aquatic crustaceans; Aquatic environment; Biofloc technology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Crustaceans; Fish; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Life Sciences; Marine crustaceans; Marine fishes; Microbial activity; Oreochromis niloticus; Polyculture (aquaculture); Shellfish; Social media; Technology; Trends; Water quality; Zoology
• ISSN: 0967-6120; 1573-143X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10499-023-01162-z

Biofloc technology (BFT) is an aquaculture technology that uses microbial communities to produce a balanced aquatic environment for fish and crustaceans. This study evaluated the global research trends and measured the performance of researchers, organizations or research centers, countries, and funding agencies participating in BFT research in the last decade. Scientific knowledge mapping was also performed to understand the social and conceptual structure of the research publications. The study was conducted based on journal article publications indexed in the Scopus database between 2013 and 2022. The analysis showed that BFT research was increasing steadily, with a total of 911 documents published in the past 10 years. Brazil, China, and India were the three most productive countries in the field. The most productive journals were Aquaculture, Aquaculture Research, and Aquaculture International. Regarding research topics, the largest share of documents was related to bioflocs and their technologies, followed by Litopenaeus vannamei , water quality, growth performance, shrimp, Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus , etc. Co-authorship network analysis revealed that the largest cluster comprised researchers from Brazil, China, and India. Moreover, the study of societal attention revealed that the BFT research needs more public attention as the research was discussed and mentioned only a few social media platforms. However, the BFT research had significant readers on Mendeley. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of BFT research and the research performance of scientific actors. It can serve as a valuable reference for researchers and policymakers.