A Bibliometric Analysis of Research on Irrigation Water Quality and Farmland Ecosystem Respiration

This study combined bibliometric analysis and qualitative analysis to examine 652 publications retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection between 1 January 1989 and 25 May 2026. Since the publications from 2026 cover only the period from 1 January to 25 May, these records were excluded from analyses of annual publication volume and citation trends. Analysis using CiteSpace 7.0 and VOSviewer 1.6.20 reveals a shift in focus from regional phenomenon studies to comprehensive exploration of how irrigation water quality regulates soil carbon cycling mechanisms. Salinity, ion composition, and dissolved organic matter influence carbon flux by altering soil physicochemical properties, microbial activity, and the balance between autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration. Overall, salinity primarily suppresses soil respiration through osmotic stress and ion toxicity, while the reclaimed water effect exhibits significant context dependence. Current controversies center on the initial effects of dissolved organic carbon, salinity thresholds, and their coupling mechanisms with temperature sensitivity (Q10). Future research should enhance the integrated application of isotopic tracing, microbiomics, and process modeling to improve understanding and prediction of how irrigation water quality affects soil carbon cycling mechanisms.