Acta Oecologica is venue for the publication of original research articles in ecology. We encourage studies in all areas of ecology, including ecosystem ecology, community ecology, population ecology, conservation ecology and evolutionary ecology. There is no bias with respect to taxon, biome or geographic area. Both theoretical and empirical papers are welcome, but combinations are particularly sought. Priority is given to papers based on explicitly stated hypotheses. Acta Oecologica also accepts review papers.The forum section is reserved for short papers with critical discussion of current issues in ecology, as well as comments and viewpoints on previously published papers. Acta Oecologica does not publish book reviews, but comments on new books are welcome in the forum section.Benefits to authors We also provide many author benefits, such as free PDFs, a liberal copyright policy, special discounts on Elsevier publications and much more. Please click here for more information on our author services.Please see our Guide for Authors for information on article submission. If you require any further information or help, please visit our Support Center
An interdisciplinary journal on the interactions between agroecosystems and the environmentAgriculture, Ecosystems & Environment is a leading interdisciplinary forum that publishes research investigating all aspects of agroecological science. Our objective is to advance understanding of the patterns and processes governing agroecosystem functions, interactions with the environment and provision of ecosystem services. A central theme is how agriculture influences the environment and how changes in that environment impact agroecosystems.Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment publishes novel, high impact research conducted at various spatial scales - from experimental plots and field trials to farm-, agroecosystem- and landscape-level investigations - with preference given to hypothesis-based and/or data-rich investigations. We particularly encourage broadly significant studies of agroecosystems that deal with cross-scale interactions, bridge scientific disciplines or integrate new knowledge and perspectives relevant to agroecosystem management or agri-environmental policies. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment rarely publishes papers focused on the management of a specific agricultural system in a particular environmental setting unless the research produces new and compelling findings; therefore, submissions should be placed in an international and/or widely comparative context.All manuscripts are initially screened on their topic suitability. AGEE's core subject-matter fields/topics include (but are not limited to): • Mechanisms governing bio-physical features and functioning of agroecosystems (e.g., the biogeochemistry, ecology, and sustainability of agricultural systems) • The interplay between agroecosystems and the environment (soil, air, and water) and the role of ecological processes in provision of ecosystem services • Agroecosystems and their role in catalyzing/mitigating global change (climate change, greenhouse gases and biodiversity loss) • Ecological consequences of land use intensification and other human impacts (soil degradation and erosion, water and waste management, and associated mitigation approaches) • Environmental implications of agricultural land use and land use change (biodiversity conservation and land management, and ecological restoration and stewardship)The following topics are discouraged unless they provide new information that complements AGEE's core subject-matter areas: • Inventory and survey analysis (including life cycle and energy analysis) • Impact assessment and environmental/compliance monitoring investigations • Exclusively greenhouse- or laboratory-based studies • Studies on the development of models or methodologies and pure model applications • Studies that are purely agronomic, socio-economic, or political
Computers and Electronics in Agriculture provides international coverage of advances in the development and application of computer hardware, software, electronic instrumentation, and control systems for solving problems in agriculture, including agronomy, horticulture (in both its food and amenity aspects), forestry, aquaculture, and animal/livestock farming. Its new companion journal, Smart Agricultural Technology provides continuity for smart application being applied in production agriculture.The journal publishes original papers, reviews, and applications notes on topics pertaining to advances in the use of computers or electronics in plant or animal agricultural production, including agricultural soils, water, pests, controlled environments, structures, and wastes, as well as the plants and animals themselves. On-farm, post-harvest operations considered part of agriculture (such as drying, storage, logistics, production assessment, trimming and separation of plant and animal material) are also covered. Relevant areas of technology include artificial intelligence, sensors, machine vision, robotics, networking, and simulation modelling.When determining the suitability of submitted manuscripts for publication, particular emphasis is placed on novelty and innovation, and the degree to which a manuscript advances the state of the art for computers/electronics in agriculture. Applying existing technology to a particular crop for the first time does not qualify as an innovation in computers/electronics for this journal. Research applying off-the-shelf hardware or software, without augmenting such technology with investigator-developed tools, innovations, or unique approaches, should be submitted to its companion journal, Smart Agricultural Technology, whose scope includes applied technology. Manuscripts that apply computers/electronics in an ancillary fashion or focus objectives and conclusions primarily on the application sciences (e.g., entomology, agronomy, engineering, economics, horticulture) should be submitted to one of those respective science journals.The journal recognizes that the use of previously published data sets (either alpha-numeric, quantitative, or imagery) can be extremely beneficial as researchers develop and prototype new machine learning or machine vision algorithms with potential application to agriculture. However, the journal views this prototyping work as preliminary in nature, and prospective authors should, prior to submitting such work to this journal, generate a more scientifically rigorous data set, collected by the authors under controlled and reported experimental conditions.
The Official Journal of the European Society for AgronomyThe European Journal of Agronomy, the official journal of the European Society for Agronomy, publishes original research papers reporting experimental and theoretical contributions to field-based agronomy and crop science. The journal will consider research at the field level for agricultural, horticultural and tree crops, that uses comprehensive and explanatory approaches. The EJA covers the following topics:crop physiologycrop production and management including irrigation, fertilization and soil managementagroclimatology and modellingplant-soil relationshipscrop quality and post-harvest physiologyfarming and cropping systemsagroecosystems and the environmentcrop-weed interactions and managementorganic farminghorticultural cropspapers from the European Society for Agronomy bi-annual meetingsprecision farmingIn determining the suitability of submitted articles for publication, particular scrutiny is placed on the degree of novelty and significance of the research and the extent to which it adds to existing knowledge in agronomy. Confirmatory research and results routine cultivar or agronomy trials in which there are no identified biological processes will not normally be considered for publication. Modelling studies have to be informative and innovative and used to illustrate important generic issues facing agronomy. Studies in which a model is only tested against observed data for its goodness-of-fit are not generally welcome. Field experiments need to be either multi-locational or multi-year and normally three at least and be accompanied by appropriate statistical analysis. Glasshouse experiments are only accepted in exceptional circumstances. Review articles are normally written on invitation from the Editor-in-Chief. Authors intending to prepare review papers for the Journal are advised to consult the Editor-in-Chief before writing their reviews. Forthcoming special issues are focusing on uncertainty analysis in models and the status of non-renewable resources in agriculture.
SCIENTIFIC NOVELTYField Crops Research is an international journal publishing scientific articles on:√ Original experimental and modelling research, meta-analysis of published data. √ Articles must demonstrate new scientific insights, original technologies or novel methods at crop, field, farm and landscape levels.FOCUS and SCOPEThe focus of Field Crops Research is crop ecology, crop physiology, agronomy, and crop improvement of field crops for food, fibre, feed and biofuel. The inclusion of yield data is encouraged to demonstrate how the field experiments contribute to the understanding of the bio-physical processes related to crop growth, development and the formation and realisation of yield. Articles on quality (grain, fibre, fodder), breeding and genetics, crop protection (diseases, pests, weeds), phenotyping, remote and non-contact sensing, soils, climate and greenhouse gas emissions, are encouraged, provided they are integrated with crop ecology, crop physiology, crop improvement and/or agronomy. Articles containing new insights into resource-use efficiency, crop intensification, precision and digital agriculture, climate smart practices and molecular and/or physiological breeding are welcome. Studies at lower levels of organisation (plant to molecular) must demonstrate scaling up to crop level or higher.SCIENTIFIC and PRESENTATION STANDARDManuscripts must be written in grammatically sound English.Objectives must flow from complete, brief, unbiased and updated review of the literature.Experimental design must match objectives.Field experiments must be repeated in at least two seasons or locations.Key agronomic practices and environmental conditions (soil, weather) must be detailed, and weather information should be shown in relation to crop phenology.Data must be analysed with appropriate statistics, and results have to be concise and address objectives.A separate discussion must not repeat results but place findings in agronomic context with conclusions fully justified by data.OUT of SCOPEResearch that is corroborative, descriptive, or only of local significance.Studies carried-out exclusively under controlled-environment (greenhouse, pot, or any system that constricts root growth) conditions.Studies on natural grasslands, horticultural (i.e., vegetable and fruit species), woody perennial and non-cultivated species.One-year field studies in one location or environment.Articles on crop storage, transportation and usage, and social studies on crops and cropping systems.
Motivation for Global Food Security arose from concern about the difficulty for scientists and policy makers to keep up with the expanding volume of information published about the challenge of ensuring food systems are meeting human food safety and nutritional requirements whilst protecting the environment, securing livelihoods, mitigating against climate change, and reducing inequalities. The journal takes the food system to incorporate all levels of food production from the supply of agricultural inputs and agricultural production through to final consumption, and the wider technological, environmental, economic, political and social context within which this occurs.Global Food Security aims to publish papers that contribute to better understanding of economic, social, biophysical, technological, political, and institutional drivers of current and future food security at the local to global levels. It aims to stimulate debate that is rooted in robust scientific analysis, has strong interdisciplinary connections, and recognizes the trade-offs that often occur because of reconciling competing objectives and outcomes in promoting the needed transformation of food systems.While integration across academic disciplines is encouraged, papers on specific elements of Global Food Security will also be considered if they address important constraints and have broad geographical relevance. The goal is to publish concise and timely reviews and synthesis articles related to research on the following elements of food security and food systems:Food availability - ensuring there is enough high quality and socially appropriate foods at the local to global levels.Food access - ensuring economic and physical access to safe, nutritious, and socially appropriate food through reduced poverty, well-functioning markets and conducive food environments.Food quality – ensuring food is safe to eat and of a high nutritional quality; ability to utilize foods in a manner that is safe and nutritious and aligned with the socio-cultural roles of food.Stability, environmental sustainability, and climate change – ensuring agri-food systems are resilient and sustainable.Wider socio-economic context and impacts of food systems – agency within the food system and impacts of efforts to promote the transformation of food systems towards sustainable food security on poverty inequalities, socio-cultural contributions of food systems, etc.The types of articles the Journal publishes include:Strategic reviews of research from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives related to sustainable food security based on the best available science, in a clear and readable form that is accessible to a wide disciplinary and professional audience, thus bridging the gap between the biological, social, and environmental sciences.Original research that has relevance to sustainable food security at the local to global level and where the wider implications beyond the specific context of the study are made clear. Also, where advanced technical research and data analysis techniques are communicated clearly and understandably to a diverse disciplinary and professional audience.Reviews, opinion pieces and debates that synthesize, extend and critique research approaches, methodologies, and findings from the evolving body of original research on global food security and agri-food system transformation.Distinguishing features of Global Food Security include:Incudes multiple papers that address specific and timely issues of importance to sustainable food security and the related transformation of food systems.publishes authors who are recognized authorities in their field.a focus on sustainable food security and related processes of food system transformation from the local to global level.a focus on examining the implications of localised and context-specific research for sustainable food security more generally from the local to global level.sustained effort to make technically complex analysis understandable and relevant to a multidisciplinary audience.a focus on challenging current paradigms and seeking to provide out-of-the box thinking on the technical, economic, social, political issues around sustainable food security.Given this focus, Global Food Security is considered an invaluable source of information for researchers, teachers, students, professionals, policy makers and the international media.
Industrial Crops and Products is an international journal publishing research on cultivated plants (crops) of industrial interest (non-food, non-feed). Papers concern both crop-oriented and bio-based materials research. It should be of interest to an international audience, hypothesis driven, and repeatable. Crops and products of interest include: fiber, forest, and energy crops, industrial oilseeds, rubber and resins, and cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants. The plant(s) in the manuscript must fit our definition of industrial crops, before it is classified further in research topics as indicated below. Research on food, phytochemistry, ethnobotany, and medicine are not in the scope of the journal. Authors should make clear in the cover letter how the research fits our scope following the detailed scope description below.The following are examples of research that fits within the scope of the journal:Industrial crop management practices to increase productivity and specific chemical components. Including cultural practices (sowing, plant density, fertilization, pruning, shading, management of wild stands for sustainable harvest, pests and weed management, harvest, post-harvest, etc.).Breeding and genetics of cultivated industrial crops. The research must be of international interest and hypothesis driven. The research must be of value to other breeders and the germplasm developed must be available to other researchers for further genetic improvement.Response of cultivated industrial crops to abiotic (temperature, water, salinity, pH, heavy metals, etc.) and biotic stresses (insects, diseases, weeds).Sustainable cropping systems including an industrial crop to reduce negative environmental impacts of conventional cropping systems. For example, cultivation in marginal lands, intercropping, double or relay cropping, cover cropping or other systems intended to minimize soil erosion, eutrophication, greenhouse gases emissions, loss of biodiversity, etc.New techniques for the propagation of industrial crops or production of metabolites in vitro (root and tissue culture, micropropagation).Discovery or development of new industrial crops is in the scope, but must include an evaluation of the real potential to make a plant an industrial crop, not just information on plants gathered in natural habitats (many plants make products, but they will not become a crop). An economic analysis may be included as appropriate.Extraction methods of metabolites from industrial crops and waste streams of industrial crops processing (non-food related).Biochemical and thermochemical conversion of lignocellulosic biomass.Bio-based materials:Fiber and fiber compounds: cellulose-, hemicelluloses-and lignin-based products, textiles, nanofibers, composites, films, etc.Other crop-polysaccharides based materials such as carbohydrates and proteins-based products not intended for the food industry (adhesives, varnishes, paints, etc.)Rubber, waxes, resins, gums from cropsPolymers from cropsCrop and forestry biorefinery:Energy crops: fuel (bioethanol, biogas, syngas), biochar, chemicals, etc.Oils, fatty acids, biofuels (biodiesel, jet fuel, drop-in fuels), and chemicals derived from oilseed cropsBiologically active compounds:Insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and pharmaceuticals (the species has to fit our definition of industrial crop; cultivated plants or plants with demonstrated potential to be cultivated with non-food purposes)Essential oils: inks, dyes, lubricants, perfumes, cosmetics, plastics, and other industrial applicationsBio-based products must be tied to specific crops/plants, and their modification to meet new industrial uses. For instance, for nanoparticles, a direct link is required with an industrial crop or with the respective value-chain.In the manuscript, all species must include the Latin name and Authority, the first time the species is mentioned in the abstract or text.Research not in the scope of the journal:Field or horticultural crops and products which main use is food, functional food, or nutraceutical. Some crops might have both an industrial and food use. For example rapeseed (Brassica napus L.), if the work is directed to industrial rapeseed (biodiesel, jet fuel) fits the scope; but if it is a canola type with main use as food; then is not in the scope, same for other oilseeds (sunflower, safflower), sugar crops( sugarcane, sugarbeet), and others.Non-plant research or non-plant derived products, for instance animal, algae, fungi, microorganisms, and minerals. For example: honey, propolis, chitosan, graphene, etc. are not in the scope.Genetic, phytochemical, molecular characterization or screening of plant species collected in their natural habitat or a local set of genotypes of a species with or without potential to become a cultivated industrial crop.In vitro antioxidant activity characterization with indirect methods (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP or ORAC) of plants or plant parts without proof of biological activity. Antioxidant activity is present in all plants and thus is meaningless without additional data.Edible films and food/feed related antioxidant activity.Ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology, pharmacology, and phytochemistry.Development of analytical methods of metabolites.Valorization and metabolite extraction of waste streams from food industry (peels, seeds, pomace, coffee grounds, vegetables processing, etc.).
Journal of Integrative Agriculture continues with the same aims and scope, editorial team, submission system and rigorous peer review.Journal of Integrative Agriculture publishes manuscripts in the categories of Commentary, Review, Research Article, Letter and Short Communication, focusing on the core subjects: Crop Science, Horticulture, Plant Protection, Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Agro-Ecosystem and Environment, Food Science, Agricultural Economics and Management, Agricultural Information ScienceCrop ScienceCrop genetics, breeding, germplasm resourcesCrop cultivation, tillage, physiologyHorticultureHorticultural crop (major vegetable and fruit crops) genetics, breeding, germplasm resourcesHorticultural crop (major vegetable and fruit crops) cultivation, physiology, biochemistryPlant ProtectionPlant pathologyAgricultural insectPesticide and weed scienceAnimal Science and Veterinary MedicineAnimal genetics and breeding, nutrition and metabolism, reproduction, forage scienceBasic veterinary, preventive veterinary, clinical veterinaryAgro-Ecosystem and EnvironmentPlant nutritionSoil and fertilizationSoil microorganismIrrigationAgricultural remote sensingFood ScienceFood processingFood nutritionFood quality and safetyFood biotechnologyAgricultural Economics and ManagementAgricultural economicsFood economicsEnvironmental economicsAgricultural policyFarm management
OIL CROP SCIENCE (OCS) is a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal sponsored by the Oil Crops Research Institute (OCRI), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) (OCRI-CAAS). It publishes high-quality, novel research on oil-bearing plants such as rapeseed, soybean, peanut, sesame, sunflower, oil flax, safflower, castor bean, and other woody oil plants such as oil-tea camellia, oil palm, olive and walnut, etc.Original research articles on novel discoveries focusing on any aspects of oil crops, including crop biotechnology, genetics and breeding, germplasm resources, physiology and biochemistry, tillage and cultivation, plant protection, plant nutrition, soil and fertilization, oil detection and quality inspection, lipid chemistry and nutrition, functional oil processing are welcomed. In addition, the journal also publishes Review articles, Editorial views, and Comments on current, significant events and topics in global oil crop research and industry area.OCS is an OPEN ACCESS journal, which is indexed in the Scopus, DOAJ, CABI, FSTA, CSCD, WANFANG DATA, CQVIP, and CNKI databases. OCS provides many author benefits, such as open access in ScienceDirect in order to ensure the highest possible public exposure; quality peer-review; easy online submission.Editorial Board
The mission of Plant Phenomics is to publish novel research that will advance all aspects of plant phenotyping from the cell to the plant population levels using innovative combinations of sensor systems and data analytics. Plant Phenomics aims also to connect phenomics to other science domains, such as genomics, genetics, physiology, molecular biology, bioinformatics, statistics, mathematics, and computer sciences. Plant Phenomics should thus contribute to advance plant sciences and agriculture/forestry/horticulture by addressing key scientific challenges in the area of plant phenomics.The scope of the journal covers the latest technologies in plant phenotyping for data acquisition, data management, data interpretation, modeling, and their practical applications for crop cultivation, plant breeding, forestry, horticulture, ecology, and other plant-related domains.