[Objective] The development status, research hotspots and development trend of the deserticulture were analyed in order to reveal the current research situation of the deserticulture and provides new ideas for the future research of the deserticulture. [Methods] With the Web of Science core collection database as the literature source, relevant literature studies on deserticulture from 1984 to 2021 were retrieved to draw the map of scientific knowledge. [Results] ① The research of deserticulture has experienced a development process from slow growth to fast growth. ② At present, the main research forces of deserticulture are concentrated in China, the United States, Germany, Italy and other countries. ③ The cooperation among the institutions of deserticulture is relatively close, the scientific research exchanges are frequent, and several relatively stable cooperative groups have been formed, and there are many researchers, but the research direction and research field of the researchers are relatively broad. No fixed research theme and research paradigm has been formed at present. ④ From the perspective of “restoration and balance”, the research focuses on desert management and development through constructing sustainable development framework, improving ecosystem services, developing ecological engineering, establishing desert parks, carrying out factory farming and other approaches. [Conclusion] Under the background of the construction of ecological civilization in the new era, the development and management of desert is related to China’s ecological security and sustainable development. the future development of deserticulture should pay more attention to diversified practical exploration on the basis of theoretical analysis.