Unraveling two decades of phyllosphere endophytes: tracing research trends and insights through visualized knowledge maps, with emphasis on microbial interactions as emerging frontiers

Phyllosphere endophytes play a critical role in a myriad of biological functions, such as maintaining plant health and overall fitness. They play a determinative role in crop yield and quality by regulating vital processes, such as leaf functionality and longevity, seed mass, apical growth, flowering, and fruit development. This study conducted a comprehensive bibliometric analysis aiming to review the prevailing research trajectories in phyllosphere endophytes and harness both primary areas of interest and emerging challenges. A total of 156 research articles on phyllosphere endophytes, published between 2002 and 2022, were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). A systematic analysis was conducted using CiteSpace to visualize the evolution of publication frequency, the collaboration network, the co-citation network, and keywords co-occurrence. The findings indicated that initially, there were few publications on the topic of phyllosphere endophytes. However, from 2011 onwards, there was a notable increase in the number of publications on phyllosphere endophytes, gaining worldwide attention. Among authors, Arnold, A Elizabeth is widely recognized as a leading author in this research area. In terms of countries, the USA and China hold the highest rankings. As for institutional ranking, the University of Arizona is the most prevalent and leading institute in this particular subject. Collaborative efforts among the authors and institutions tend to be confined to small groups, and a large-scale collaborative network needs to be established. This study identified the influential journals, literature, and hot research topics. These findings also highlight the interconnected nature of key themes, e.g., phyllosphere endophyte research revolves around the four pillars: diversity, fungal endophytes, growth, and endophytic fungi. This study provides an in-depth perspective on phyllosphere endophytes studies, revealing the identification of biodiversity and microbial interaction of phyllosphere endophytes as the principal research frontiers. These analytical findings not only elucidate the recent trajectory of phyllosphere endophyte research but also provide invaluable insights for similar studies and their potential applications on a global scale.