Journal profile · Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Agricultural Systems
ISSN 0308-521X · eISSN 1873-2267 · Elsevier BV · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1976
Agricultural Systems: CAS Zone 1 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 6.02; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,000; review about 165 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 305 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Agricultural Systems is published by Elsevier BV and is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Agricultural Innovations and Practices, Climate change impacts on agriculture and Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact, together about 29.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Agricultural Systems is an international journal that deals with interactions - among the components of agricultural systems, among hierarchical levels of agricultural systems, between agricultural and other land use systems, and between agricultural systems and their natural, social and economic environments. Manuscripts submitted to Agricultural Systems generally should include one or both of the following:substantive natural science (especially farm- or landscape-level biology or ecology), or technological content, sometimes combined with social sciences, and substantive qualitative and/or quantitative analysis and discussion of the interactions within or among agricultural systems components (natural, social, economic, etc.) and other systems.Preference is given to manuscripts that address whole-farm and landscape level issues, via integration of conceptual, empirical and dynamic modelling approaches.The scope includes the development and application of systems analysis methodologies (diagnosis, simulation and mathematical modelling, participatory modelling, multi-criteria assessment, trade-off analysis, participatory design, etc.) in the following areas:agroecology and the sustainable intensification of agriculture as well as transition pathways for sustainable intensification; decision-making and resource allocation in agricultural systems; interactions between agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes; multiple services provided by agricultural systems, from food security to environmental services; adaptation and transformation of agricultural systems in the era of global change; development and application of tools and methods for agricultural systems design, assessment and management; innovation systems and multi-stakeholder arrangements that support or promote change and/or inform policy decisions; and Internet of Things, big data, digitalisation of agriculture, artificial intelligence, and Agriculture 4.0/5.0 and their effects on agricultural systems.The following subjects are discouraged:econometric, descriptive or other statistical analyses that exclude systems considerations, landscapes, land use change studies, or other economic analyses without substantive natural science content; development of typologies unless the typology developed forms the basis for further systems analysis; results from crop or livestock trials unless from systems trials or the results address systems issues; studies focusing on social or political outcomes that lack a clear systems framework and direct application to agricultural systems conceptual frameworks without empirical implementation (unless submitted as a short communication); studies focusing on specific chemical constituents of plant or animal species or their products; studies of the operation or efficiency of agricultural or food processing machinery, or of agricultural supply chains without a substantive biological component; life cycle analysis (LCA) studies that are primarily descriptive unless LCA is combined with other types of methods that address interactions within agricultural systems or between those systems and their environment.Such subjects are not considered for publication unless they clearly provide substantive and highly generalizable new insights regarding processes operating at farm or landscape levels or describe novel analytical methods applicable to a wide variety of agricultural systems.Potential authors planning or considering the submission of their manuscripts to this journal are advised to read the Editorial directions (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X26001642) before submission.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Editor-in-chief Jagadish TimsinaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 10 in mainland China (about 9%); most named Australia 22, France 13, Netherlands 12, Mainland China 10, New Zealand 7 (111 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Agricultural Innovations and PracticesAgricultural and Biological Sciences11.1%
- Climate change impacts on agricultureAgricultural and Biological Sciences9.6%
- Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental ImpactEnvironmental Science9%
- Agricultural Economics and PolicyAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.9%
- Sustainable Agricultural Systems AnalysisEnvironmental Science5.9%
- Agriculture and Rural Development ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.4%
- Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive PhysiologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences4%
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsAgricultural and Biological Sciences4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Agriculture, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Agriculture, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Agriculture, Multidisciplinary | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 6.02LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 11.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 11.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.61LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.8LetPub ·
- h-index
- 95LetPub ·
- h-index
- 193OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,620OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.14OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 55.35%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 289LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 6,048 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 298 | 174 | 177 |
| 2025 | 305 | 183 | 1,470 |
| 2024 | 322 | 218 | 4,030 |
| 2023 | 186 | 139 | 4,419 |
| 2022 | 164 | 101 | 5,522 |
| 2021 | 248 | 160 | 10,800 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
165 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports 12–24 weeks
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- 12–24 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 70 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 165 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 10 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,000 / EUR 3,740 / GBP 3,200 / JPY 496,120 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,700 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteArticle types accepted11, with length limits
- book reviewThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments. Review perspective articles and book reviews should …Length not stated
- commentsThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments.Length not stated
- original scientific papersThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments.Length not stated
- perspectiveThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments. Review perspective articles and book reviews should …main text ≤ 2,000 words
- perspectivesThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments.Length not stated
- research paperThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments. Review perspective articles and book reviews should …main text ≤ 4,000 words
- reviewThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments. Review perspective articles and book reviews should …Length not stated
- reviewsThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments.Length not stated
- short communicationThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments. Review perspective articles and book reviews should …main text ≤ 2,000 words
- short communicationsThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments.Length not stated
- viewpointThe journal publishes original scientific papers, short communications, reviews, perspectives and comments. Review perspective articles and book reviews should …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1976
- ISSN
- 0308-521X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-2267
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Agricultural Systems
What CAS zone is Agricultural Systems in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Agricultural Systems is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Agriculture, Multidisciplinary; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Agricultural Systems?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.02; CiteScore 11.2, h-index 193.
How long does peer review take at Agricultural Systems?
The publisher reports about 165 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of 12–24 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Agricultural Systems based?
Of the 111 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 10 (about 9%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Australia (22), France (13) and Netherlands (12). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Agricultural Systems?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Agricultural Systems is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Agricultural Systems open access, and what is the APC?
Agricultural Systems is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,000.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .