The rise of the worm: bibliometric insights into the growing significance of vermicomposting for sustainable agriculture and environmental management

Abstract Purpose This paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of vermicomposting research over the past decade, focusing on its several advantages to sustainable agriculture and waste management. Method The study encompasses 3259 papers published during the last decade (2013-2022), with a focus on the last five years to identify emerging trends. Results A substantial growth in vermicomposting research is observed, with an annual publication output doubling from 2013 to 2022. Subject area analysis reveals prominence in Agricultural and Biological Sciences and Environmental Science. International collaboration has increased over the decade, with India leading in quantity but displaying a Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) below the global average. Other countries, including China, Spain, USA, and Malaysia, exhibit higher FWCI scores. Academic-corporate collaboration is limited, with only 9 papers resulting from such partnerships. Patent analysis indicates a growing interest in vermicomposting-related innovations, with 35 patents published since 2015, emphasizing sustainable practices in agriculture and waste management. Conclusion Emerging trends encompass the development of methods for assessing vermicompost maturity and investigating its integration with other waste treatment technologies, optimization of vermicomposting through feedstock diversification, process fine-tuning, and innovative reactor designs, and environmental applications, involving the removal of heavy metals, degradation of microplastics, and wastewater treatment.