To explore the research hotspots and trends in plant genetic transformation, this study analyzed 413 relevant articles from the CNKI database from January 1, 1982, to October 21, 2024, using CiteSpace software. The analysis included visual representations of publication volume, sources, research institutions, authors, and keywords. The results showed that the period from 1982 to 1996 was an exploratory phase, with an average annual output of 1.6 articles; 1996 to 2010 marked a growth phase, with an average of 15.7 articles per year; and 2010 to 2024 saw a decline, with an average of 12.2 articles annually. Journals with higher publication volumes included Molecular Plant Breeding, Biotechnology Bulletin, and Anhui Agricultural Sciences. The institutions with the most publications were the College of Horticulture at Northwest A&F University and the State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding at Northeast Forestry University, with 8 and 6 articles, respectively. Liu Caixia from Northeast Forestry University had the highest number of publications, totaling 6 articles. The network density of institutional and author collaboration networks was 0.002 4 and 0.003 3, respectively, indicating a need for stronger communication and cooperation among institutions and researchers.Research hotspots primarily focused on plant expression vectors, Agrobacterium, and plants. Keywords were clustered into two major categories: one labeled plants, including tomato, medicinal plants, corn, tobacco, potato, and Arabidopsis; and the other labeled biotechnology, encompassing plant expression vectors, plant genetic transformation, tissue culture, and antibiotics. From 1995 to 2006, burst keywords included gene gun and plants, among 6 others; from 2006 to 2020, burst keywords included plant expression vectors and 8 others; in 2021, the burst keyword plant hormones emerged, which may represent a future research focus. This study provides a reference for related research and practices in plant genetic transformation.