Morphological studies of wild Solanum species and bibliometric trends in Solanum grafting
1Department of Vegetable Science, SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Baburayanpettai, Chengalpattu 603201, Tamil Nadu, India.2Department of Basic Sciences, SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Baburayanpettai, Chengalpattu 603201, Tamil Nadu, India. Corresponding e-mail: ilakiyat1@srmist.edu.in
DOI: https://doi.org/10.37855/jah.2026.v28i02.77
The genus Solanum includes cultivated and wild species with substantial morphological diversity and considerable importance in vegetable production and crop improvement. Wild Solanum species serve as reservoirs of adaptive traits, particularly resistance or tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and their use as rootstocks may improve the performance of cultivated Solanum crops. In the present study, 27 standard descriptors were used to evaluate nine wild species of Solanum collected from various agroecological regions of India. Multivariate analyses, including principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis, were conducted. In parallel, a bibliometric analysis of Solanum grafting research published during 2010-2025 was performed using Scopus data and visualised with VOSviewer. Quantitative traits showed substantial interspecific -variation. The first two components explained 72.97 % of total variance, with plant-vigour and reproductive traits having the greatest contribution. The cluster analysis based on vegetative and fruit traits divided the taxa into 3 major clusters. Qualitative traits, such as pubescence and fruit colour, further supported the differentiation of the species. The bibliometric analysis revealed a steady increase in publications, with major contributions from the USA, China, and India. Co word and co-authorship networks revealed links among physiological, molecular and agronomic research themes. Overall, the findings provide a baseline for rootstock selection and evidence-based planning of future Solanum grafting research.
