BIBLIOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS OF PUBLICATIONS IN THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NIGERIA BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS FROM YEAR 2015 TO 2024

This study provides a statistical analysis of horticultural research publications that featured in Horticultural Society of Nigeria (HORTSON) Book of Proceedings from 2015 to 2024. Using simple frequency distribution, the research revealed the trends in publication categories, including vegetables, fruits, ornamentals, spices, and others. Data were sourced from HORTSON book of proceedings of the selected years. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were employed to summarize the trends. The results showed that vegetable crops consistently dominated research publications, peaking at 120 publications in 2023 and 42.7% score for all the publications. In contrast, ornamental crops experienced more variability, with zero publications in 2019. Spices had the least total number of publications 43 with 4.8% contribution to the 1516 publications in the year under review. The “Others” category, encompassing crops like herbs, applied horticulture and general agriculture showed significant variation, peaking at 148 publications in 2021. Years 2021 and 2023 had the highest numbers of publications, 276 each while year 2019 had the least 22. These findings provide insights into the evolving focus of horticultural research in Nigeria and highlight potential areas for future exploration and investment. The study analysis can inform researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders in strategic decision-making to enhance the horticulture sector.