Skip to main content

Journals in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

  • Soil Biology & Biochemistry

    • ISSN: 0038-0717
    AIMS Soil Biology & Biochemistry publishes original, scientifically challenging research articles of international significance that describe and provide insight into biological processes occurring in soil. These include the possible applications of such knowledge to issues of soil and environmental quality - insofar as such studies inform our understanding of the role of soil biology and biochemistry in mediating soil functions, agricultural sustainability and ecosystem services. The ecology and biochemical processes of soil organisms, their effects on the environment and their interactions with plants are major topics. The applications of new molecular, microscopic and analytical techniques to understanding and explaining population and community dynamics is of great interest. The journal also publishes state-of-the-art reviews of contemporary research that present significant and novel hypotheses, as well as comments and arguments about specific and often controversial aspects of life in the soil.SCOPE The scope of Soil Biology & Biochemistry publishes scientific research articles of international significance which describe and explain fundamental biological and biochemical features and processes occurring in soil systems.The emphasis is on original research which substantively advances or directs our understanding of the mechanistic basis of how soils function. Articles may involve applications of basic knowledge to applied issues if they provide distinct insight into the role of soil biology and biochemistry in regulating soil functions. Some examples of major topics include:The ecology of all soil organisms (including viruses)How soil biology interacts with soil physical and chemical properties and processes to regulate belowground functionsRelationshi... and functional interactions between soil biota and plantsThe effects of soil organisms on ecosystem dynamics across spatial and temporal scalesSBB also emphasizes the application of molecular, microscopic, and analytical techniques and modelling approaches to understand, explain and visualise soil functioning. Technique-focused papers must involve a particularly high degree of novelty or significance.In addition, the journal publishes state-of-the-art reviews that consider contemporary research and synthesise knowledge to provide enhanced understanding of biotic roles in soil system functioning.The Editors-in-Chief do not accept pre-submission enquiries to determine if a manuscript is likely to be of interest to the journal. Please submit your paper straight to the platform for consideration.
  • Journal of Microbiological Methods

    • ISSN: 0167-7012
    The Journal of Microbiological Methods publishes Research, Review and Short Communication articles on novel, state-of-the-art, and significantly improved methodologies in microbiology. Innovative, validated applications of existing methods that advance the field are also welcome. JMM considers research on all types of microorganisms including protozoa, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Data must clearly support method interpretation and utility.The scope includes, but is not limited to:· Environmental, Agricultural & Ecological Microbiology: Applied and environmental microbiology, microbial ecology and diversity, soil/sediment/geomic... microbiomes, rumen microbiology, and methods for extreme environments including space missions.· Genetics, Molecular & Cellular Microbiology: Microbial genetics, genomics, molecular microbiology, physiology, ultrastructure, imaging, high-throughput sequencing, omics technologies (metabolomics, metagenomics, proteomics, transcriptomics), bioinformatics, and mathematical modeling.· Clinical, Medical, Veterinary & Public Health Microbiology: Diagnostics, clinical and veterinary microbiology, public health, vaccine development, sero-diagnostics, immunology, typing, and microbial identification.· Microbial Interactions & Pathogenesis: Host-pathogen interactions, microbiome interactions, plant-microbe relationships, parasitology, and mycology.· Virology: Innovative approaches for virus detection, isolation, quantification, and characterization, including molecular techniques, cell culture assays, viral genomics, imaging technologies, and high-throughput screening methods.· Technological Advances & Method Development: Bioassays, biosensors biochemical methods, sampling techniques, robotics, and radioisotope applications in microbiology.· Food Microbiology: Studies on the role of microorganisms in food production, preservation, spoilage, and foodborne illnesses.· Industrial Microbiology: Explores the industrial applications of microorganisms, such as in the production of pharmaceuticals, enzymes, and biofuels.· Mathematical modelling, computer science, and artificial intelligence techniques.We invite proposals for review articles and special issues on emerging microbiological methods driving scientific progress.
  • Crop Protection

    • ISSN: 0261-2194
    The Official Journal of the International Association for the Plant Protection SciencesThe Editors of Crop Protection especially welcome papers describing an interdisciplinary approach showing how different control strategies can be integrated into practical pest management programs, covering high and low input agricultural systems worldwide. Crop Protection particularly emphasizes the practical aspects of control in the field and for protected crops, and includes work which may lead in the near future to more effective control. The journal does not duplicate the many existing excellent biological science journals, which deal mainly with the more fundamental aspects of plant pathology, applied zoology and weed science. Crop Protection covers all practical aspects of pest, disease and weed control, including the following topics:Abiotic damageAgronomic control methodsAssessment of pest and disease damageMolecular methods for the detection and assessment of pests and diseasesBiological controlBiorational pesticidesControl of animal pests of world cropsControl of diseases of crop plants caused by microorganismsContro... of weeds and integrated managementEconomic considerationsEffect... of plant growth regulatorsEnvironmen... benefits of reduced pesticide useEnvironmental effects of pesticidesEpidemiolo... of pests and diseases in relation to controlGM Crops, and genetic engineering applicationsImportan... and control of postharvest crop lossesIntegrated controlInterrelation... and compatibility among different control strategiesInvasive species as they relate to implications for crop protectionPesticide application methodsPest managementPhytobiome... for pest and disease controlResistance managementSampling and monitoring schemes for diseases, nematodes, pests and weeds.The editors of Crop Protection invite workers concerned with pest, disease and weed control to submit suitable contributions on any topic falling within the aims and scope of the journal.
  • Agricultural and Forest Meteorology

    • ISSN: 0168-1923
    Agricultural and Forest Meteorology is an international journal dedicated to advancing the science of land-atmosphere interactions across agriculture, forests and other terrestrial systems (e.g. wetlands, tundra, urban environments). Manuscripts considered by Agricultural and Forest Meteorology for publication must include both of the following:Strong atmospheric components such as meteorological, micrometeorological, or climate-related processesDemonstrate how these atmospheric processes interact with the terrestrial surfaceThe journal’s scope includes research that applies micrometeorological theory, develops and evaluates novel instrumentation (e.g., sensors for trace gas measurements, flux measurement systems, radiation instrumentation), advances remote- and proximal-sensing approaches (e.g. satellite observations, UAV-based sensors), or employs models that represent land-atmosphere interactions (e.g. soil-vegetation-atmo... transfer models, data-fusion frameworks and physically guided machine learning models). These tools and approaches are applied to address research questions in the following areas:Energy, momentum, mass and trace gas exchange between ecosystems and the atmosphere, including their role in biogeochemical cycles (e.g. carbon, nitrogen) and water cycles (e.g. evapotranspiration)E... phenology and physiology Radiative transfer, water interception, turbulence and microclimate in vegetation canopiesAerobiology (e.g. the dispersion of pollen, spores, microorganisms, insects and pesticides)Impacts of climate variability and climate change on land-atmosphere interactions Impact of land use, land use change, and disturbances such as fire on land-atmosphere interactions Regional and global land-atmosphere feedbacksThe following submissions are discouraged:Studies that do not focus on the inter-relationship of concepts in meteorology and ecosystemsStudies reporting on climate trends without consideration of the impacts of such trends on ecosystemsDendrochro... and climate reconstruction studies that do not relate to land-atmosphere interactionsRemote sensing studies that report solely on methodology or on vegetation trends such as greeningSoil or plant focused studies that merely report weather or climate variables without investigating land-atmosphere interactionsSoil microbial ecology studiesStudies of the effects of management practices (e.g. mulching), soil processes or soil properties on respiration or greenhouse gas fluxes, without a strong atmospheric componentStudies of plant physiology, chemistry or genetics, without a strong atmospheric componentHydrologica... studies that are not primarily concerned with water vapour transfer to or from the atmosphereStudies of potential evaporation that do not also consider actual evaporationStudies conducted exclusively in controlled environments (e.g. growth chambers, incubators, wind tunnels, greenhouses)Design, technology and operation of greenhouses or other plant-growing facilitiesStudies based on data products or theoretical modelling studies that do not test model predictions against experimental data except for very novel models that target processes for which measurements are not yet possibleMachine-lear... studies that are limited in their results to a specific geographic region, without novel methodology or novel physical understandingNote that solely considering climate variables such as air temperature, precipitation etc., does not constitute the study of land-atmosphere interactions and as such are discouraged.All submissions will only be considered for publication if they clearly advance knowledge on land-atmosphere interactions or propose novel methods to study these interactions.
  • Journal of Hydrology

    • ISSN: 0022-1694
    Journal of Hydrology publishes original research papers and comprehensive reviews in all the subfields of the hydrological sciences, including water based management and policy issues that impact on economics and society. These comprise, but are not limited to the physical, chemical, biogeochemical, stochastic and systems aspects of surface and groundwater hydrology, hydrometeorology, hydrogeology and hydrogeophysics. Relevant topics incorporating the insights and methodologies of disciplines such as climatology, water resource systems, ecohydrology, geomorphology, soil science, instrumentation and remote sensing, data and information sciences, civil and environmental engineering are within scope. Multi- and inter-disciplinary analyses of hydrological problems are invited, specifically ones that broaden the understanding of hydrologic science through integration with social, economic, or behavioural sciences. The science published in the Journal of Hydrology is relevant to catchment scales rather than exclusively to a local scale or site. Studies focused on urban hydrological issues are included. Submissions focusing on region-specific problems, past and future conditions, analysis, review and solutions, can be submitted to the journal's companion title, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies.Journal of Hydrology is part of the Journal of Hydrology family of journals, alongside Journal of Hydrology X and Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies.
  • Journal of Plant Physiology

    • ISSN: 0176-1617
    Mechanisms of Plant Function: from Molecular to Ecosystem ScalesThe Journal of Plant Physiology is a broad-spectrum journal that welcomes high-quality submissions in all major areas of plant physiology, including plant biochemistry, functional biotechnology, computational and synthetic plant biology, growth and development (including reproduction), photosynthesis and respiration, transport and translocation, plant-microbe interactions, biotic and abiotic stress. Studies are welcome at all levels of integration ranging from molecules and cells to organisms and their environments and are expected to use state-of-the-art methodologies. Pure gene expression studies are not within the focus of our journal. To be considered for publication, papers must significantly contribute to the mechanistic understanding of physiological processes, and not be merely descriptive, or confirmatory of previous results. We encourage the submission of papers that explore the physiology of non-model as well as accepted model species and those that bridge basic and applied research. For instance, studies on agricultural plants that show new physiological mechanisms to improve agricultural efficiency are welcome. Studies performed under uncontrolled situations (e.g. field conditions) not providing mechanistic insight will not be considered for publication.The Journal of Plant Physiology publishes several types of articles: Original Research Articles, Humboldt Reviews, Early-Career Researcher Reviews, Invited Reviews, Perspectives, Opinion Articles and Short Communications. Reviews, Perspectives and Opinion Articles will be solicited by the Editors; unsolicited reviews are also welcome but only from authors with a strong track record in the field of the review. Original research papers comprise the majority of published contributions.Humbol... Reviews are expected take a broad approach, one that spans multiple areas of biological inquiry, and one that distinguishes itself from that taken in most regular review works by a deeper philosophical line of thought and a more global reach. Humboldt Reviews are also expected to be thoroughly respectful of the historical developments in a given field (i.e. not limit themselves to covering the literature of only the previous one to two decades) and speak to both its fundamental and applied aspects. They are named after Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), one of the most influential German natural philosophers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Our editors-in-chief take great inspiration from Alexander von Humboldt's profound and wide-ranging contributions. The Journal of Plant Physiology was founded in 1909 but it traces back to 1818 and to the geographic region Alexander von Humboldt was most active in. The Journal of Plant Physiology has consistently published landmark papers in plant physiology, and is one of the world's oldest international journals in the botanical sciences. For these reasons, we consider Alexander von Humboldt a particularly appropriate scholar after whom to name our prestigious review series.Early-Career Researcher Reviews: This new category is specifically aimed at early-career scientists starting their independent research careers. Suitable candidates will be nominated by senior scholars. Nomination letters should include a brief curriculum vitae and a justification for the selection. Nominees will be evaluated by the Editors-in-Chief and officially invited to submit articles. ECR Reviews should not exceed 8,000 words and contain no more than 150 references plus figures and tables.Early Career Researchers are within their first eight years of academic or other research-related employment, following completion of postgraduate research training.Founded in 1909, with roots tracing back to 1818, the Journal of Plant Physiology has consistently published landmark papers in plant physiology, and is one of the world's oldest international journals in the botanical sciences.An official journal of the Federation of European Societies of Plant Biology (FESPB)Authors are encouraged to carefully study the Aims & Scope of the journal to examine suitability of submissions. We discourage directly contacting editors about suitability of manuscripts, except in cases of proposals for Review, Opinion, or Perspectives articles, which are by invitation only. In the latter cases, well-developed proposals must be submitted for consideration.
  • Aquaculture

    • ISSN: 0044-8486
    The aim of Aquaculture is to publish and make available the highest quality international scientific contributions concerning to aquaculture. The Journal publishes disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary aquaculture research related to the science of aquaculture. The scope of Aquaculture includes the traditional priorities of its sections, but also includes papers from non-traditional scientific areas such as sustainability science, social-ecological systems, as well as aquaculture of various species for ornamental, conservation and restoration purposes.Original research papers and reviews with a regional context and focus, can be submitted to Aquaculture's open access companion title, Aquaculture Reports .
  • Food Chemistry

    • ISSN: 0308-8146
    The Aims and Scope of Food Chemistry are assessed and modified on an annual basis to reflect developments in the field. This means that research topics that have been deemed in scope previously may now fall outside of the scope of the journal as our scientific and technical understanding of the fields evolve and topics become less novel, original or relevant to Food Chemistry .Food Chemistry publishes papers dealing with the advancement of the chemistry and biochemistry of foods or the analytical methods/approach used. All papers should focus on the novelty of the research carried out. The assessment of the manuscripts considers a number of elements including novelty, scientific rigour, scientific advancement of a particular field and the overall interest to the readership.Research advancing the theory and practice of molecular sciences of foods or cure/prevention of human diseases will not be considered for inclusion in Food Chemistry .Topics featured in Food Chemistry include:Chemistry relating to major and minor components of food, their nutritional, physiological, sensory, flavour and microbiological aspects;Bioactive constituents of foods, including antioxidants, phytochemicals, and botanicals. Data must accompany sufficient discussion to demonstrate their relevance to food and/or food chemistry;Chemical and biochemical composition and structure changes in molecules induced by processing, storage, distribution and domestic conditions;Effects of processing including novel ones and different extraction methods on the composition, quality and safety of foods, co-products, bio-based materials, , and processing wastes;Chemistry of food additives, contaminants, processing aids, and agro-chemicals, together with their metabolism, toxicology and food fate.We also accept Analytical Papers related to the microbiological, sensory, nutritional, physiological, authenticity and origin aspects of food. Papers should be primarily concerned with new or novel methods (especially instrumental or rapid) provided adequate validation is described including sufficient data from real samples to demonstrate robustness. Papers dealing with significant improvements to existing methods, or data from application of existing methods to new foods, or commodities produced in unreported geographical areas, will also be considered.For Analytical Papers, especially those dedicated to the development and validation of methods, authors are encouraged to follow internationally recognized guidelines, such as EURACHEM - for chemical compounds (https://www.eurache... or FDA - for microbiological data (https://www.fda.gov... and proper statistical methods should be applied. Special attention should be given to linearity, selectivity, determination of LOD/LOQ, repeatability and reproducibility of the analysis. Authors should also pay attention to trueness and, when possible (quantitative methods), determine the uncertainty of measurement. Overall, real samples should be analyzed by the state-of-the-art and the newly developed method for validation purposes. The results from new and novel methods (including sensors) should be compared with an acceptable reference method as part of the validation procedure (e.g. AOAC, CEN etc).Methods for the determination of both major and minor components of food especially nutrients and non-nutrient bioactive compounds (with putative health benefits) with proper validation in real samples will be considered.Results of method inter-comparison studies and development of food reference materials for use in the assay of food components;Methods concerned with the chemical forms in food, nutrient bioavailability and nutritional status;General authentication and origin [e.g. Country of Origin Labelling (COOL), Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), Certificate of Specific Character (CSC)] determination of foods (both geographical and production including commodity substitution, and verification of organic, biological and ecological labelling) using chemical markers, providing sufficient data from authentic samples should be included to ensure that interpretations are meaningful.The following topics/manuscripts will not be considered for publication in Food Chemistry, unless otherwise stated.Clinical or engineering papers without contribution to chemistryPharmaceuti... or non-food herbal remedies;Traditional or folk medicines;Food supplements, botanicals and herbal extract including Royal Jelly and Propolis, bee pollen and pollen, unless they are added to food as part of functional food development;Survey/s... data;In silico studies and/or network pharmacology, or computational simulations without proper validation in vitro/in vivo;Papers containing a high proportion of molecular based content (these papers will be offered a transfer to our companion journal Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences);Work that is incremental and does not present significant advances in current scientific knowledge.
  • International Dairy Journal

    • ISSN: 0958-6946
    The International Dairy Journal publishes significant advancements in dairy science and technology in the form of research articles and critical reviews that are of relevance to the broader international dairy community. Within this scope, research on the science and technology of milk and dairy products and the nutritional and health aspects of dairy foods are included; the journal pays particular attention to applied research and its interface with the dairy industry.The journal's coverage includes the following, where directly applicable to dairy science and technology: Chemistry and physico-chemical properties of milk constituentsMicrobio... food safety, enzymology, biotechnologyProcess... and engineeringEmulsion science, food structure, and textureRaw material quality and effect on relevant productsFlavour and off-flavour developmentTechnolog... functionality and applications of dairy ingredientsSensory and consumer sciencesNutrition and substantiation of human health implications of milk components or dairy productsInternationa... Dairy Journal does not publish papers related to milk production, animal health and other aspects of on-farm milk production unless there is a clear relationship to dairy technology, human health or final product quality.
  • Carbohydrate Polymers

    • ISSN: 0144-8617
    A Journal Devoted to Scientific and Technological Aspects of Industrially Relevant PolysaccharidesCarbo... Polymers is a major journal within the field of glycoscience, and covers the study and exploitation of polysaccharides which have current or potential application in areas such as bioenergy, bioplastics, biomaterials, biorefining, chemistry, drug delivery, food, health, nanotechnology, packaging, paper, pharmaceuticals, medicine, oil recovery, textiles, tissue engineering and wood, and other aspects of glycoscience.The role of the well-characterized carbohydrate polymer must be the major proportion of the work reported, not a peripheral topic. At least one named carbohydrate polymer must be cited and be the main focus of the paper and its title. Research must be innovative and advance scientific knowledge.Characteri... - For all polysaccharides or their derivatives, including those obtained from a supplier, essential structural information which will affect their behavior in the subsequent work should be given, along with a description of how that information was ascertained. Editors are unlikely to send papers for formal review if the glycan is not adequately characterized. Please read the guidelines Characterization of carbohydrates and related products carefully as it contains all relevant information.Hypothes... - Nearly all scientific papers benefit from inclusion of a statement of hypothesis. Such statements should be concise, declarative, and should describe the one or more key hypotheses that the studies upon which the manuscript is based were intended to confirm or refute. Inclusion of a hypothesis statement makes it simple to contrast the hypothesis with the most relevant previous literature and point out what the authors feel is distinct about the current hypothesis (novelty). It also permits the authors to describe why they feel it would be important to prove the hypothesis correct (significance).Topic... of interest to the journal: structure-property relationships analytical methods chemical, enzymatic and physical modifications biosynthesis natural functions interactions with other materialsTopics not of interest to the journal: Bibliometric reviews Studies that involve only modelling without any comparison of model results with experimental data, either carried out by the authors or from the literature. biological, physiological and pharmacological aspects of non-carbohydrate molecules attached to, or mixed with, carbohydrate polymers, unless the polysaccharide has a relevant and specific role materials science of biocomposites where there is no mention of any specific carbohydrate polymer, or the role of the carbohydrate polymer is not the major proportion of the study polyalkanoates, polylactic acid, or lignin routine studies of extraction yields without characterisation of the extracted polysaccharide under the different conditions studies of complexation of a drug with a single cyclodextrin studies of newly discovered natural polysaccharides or new polysaccharide derivatives where the structure of the polysaccharide (derivative) is unknown production and isolation of enzymes which act on polysaccharides (studies on the mode of action of an enzyme on a polysaccharide are within the journal scope)carbohydrate oligomers where the degree of polymerization is equal to or less than four treatments of cotton fabrics and cellulose-based paper where the research is largely not about the component cellulose itself use of carbohydrate polymers as a support material (e.g. in enzyme immobilization, chromatography, etc.) where there is no specific involvement of the chemistry of the carbohydrate polymer production of chars from polysaccharides, regardless of the application to which the char will be used. Such manuscripts are out of scope since they do not focus on the science of well-characterized polysaccharidesStudi... of routine preparation of polysaccharides such as cellulose nanocrystals or cellulose nanofibers where the focus is on preparation from a particular plant source, including “new” plant sources, rather than advancing the science of polysaccharide structure, properties, and synthetic methods.Carbohydrate Polymers has an open access companion journal, Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications, which is devoted to scientific and technological aspects and applications of polymers and oligomers containing carbohydrate.