Journal profile · Agronomy
Agricultural Water Management
ISSN 0378-3774 · eISSN 1873-2283 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly
Agricultural Water Management: CAS Zone 1 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 7.78; fully open access; APC about USD 3,070; review about 126 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 795 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Agricultural Water Management is published by Elsevier 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 Irrigation Practices and Water Management, Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics and Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies, together about 40.4% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The journal publishes papers of international significance relating to the science, economics, and policy of agricultural water management. In all cases, manuscripts must address implications and provide insight regarding agricultural water management.The primary topics that we consider are the following: • Farm-level and regional water management • Crop water relations, crop yields and water productivity • Irrigation, drainage, and salinity in cultivated areas • Salinity management and strategies for improving the use of saline water in agriculture • Rainwater harvesting and crop water management in rainfed areas • Use of wastewater and other low quality waters in agriculture • Groundwater management in agriculture and conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water • Implications of groundwater and surface water management on nutrient cycling • Exploitation and protection of agricultural water resources.Additional topics of interest include interactions between agricultural water management and the environment (flooding, soil erosion, nutrient loss and depletion, non-point source pollution, water quality, desertification, and the potential implications of global climate change for agricultural water management), and the institutional and regulatory aspects of agricultural water management (water pricing, allocation and competition).Papers in these categories must draw direct and practical linkages to agricultural water management. Manuscripts drawing generalised conclusions, such as that competition for water will increase in future, or that less water will be available for agriculture, are unlikely to be considered.Also, manuscripts describing basic soil-water-plant relationships, basic engineering and hydrology, or methods of estimating evapotranspiration will be considered only if the discussion is relevant to the active management of water in agriculture and the information enhances international literature.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Agronomy
Editor-in-chief Brent ClothierPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 11 in mainland China (about 16%); most named Mainland China 11, Italy 11, Australia 8, United States 7, Spain 7 (70 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Irrigation Practices and Water ManagementAgricultural and Biological Sciences20.7%
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon DynamicsEnvironmental Science13.1%
- Hydrology and Watershed Management StudiesEnvironmental Science6.6%
- Soil and Unsaturated FlowEngineering6.5%
- Water resources management and optimizationEngineering6.2%
- Rice Cultivation and Yield ImprovementAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.1%
- Climate change impacts on agricultureAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.3%
- Soil erosion and sediment transportAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.2%
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 | Agronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Water Resources | 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 | Agronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Water Resources | 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 | Agronomy | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Water Resources | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
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
- 7.78LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 7.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 12.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 12.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.74LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.78LetPub ·
- h-index
- 106LetPub ·
- h-index
- 213OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 7,379OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 7.5OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 14.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 761LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 10,587 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 714 | 714 | 572 |
| 2025 | 795 | 795 | 5,643 |
| 2024 | 594 | 594 | 9,560 |
| 2023 | 505 | 505 | 12,753 |
| 2022 | 596 | 294 | 16,281 |
| 2021 | 603 | 155 | 22,845 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with PubMed · to
Too few articlesOnly 1 articles from the last 24 months carry both submission and acceptance dates, too few for a median
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 7 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 60 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 126 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Anonymous peer reviewLetPub
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
Fully open accessOpenAlex
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,070 / EUR 2,870 / GBP 2,460 / JPY 380,770 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 3,510 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,510 | — | — |
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 papers4, by deadline
- Advances on Water reuse: crop irrigation and other agriculture usesDeadline
- Agricultural Water Management in the WEFE Nexus: Adaptation and Systemic Transitions in Mediterranean Agricultural SystemsDeadline
- Multi-source Remote Sensing for Precision Agricultural Water Management: Mechanisms, Technologies and Field ApplicationsDeadline
- Cold Region Agricultural Water Management Under Climate Change: Challenges, Adaptation, and SolutionsDeadline
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Required
Article types accepted9
- correspondence1. Original papers (Regular Papers) should report the results of original research. The material should not have been published previously elsewhere, except in …Length not stated
- letter to the editor1. Original papers (Regular Papers) should report the results of original research. The material should not have been published previously elsewhere, except in …Length not stated
- original paper1. Original papers (Regular Papers) should report the results of original research. The material should not have been published previously elsewhere, except in …Length not stated
- original papers (regular papers)1. Original papers (Regular Papers) should report the results of original research. The material should not have been published previously elsewhere, except in …Length not stated
- original research1. Original papers (Regular Papers) should report the results of original research. The material should not have been published previously elsewhere, except in …Length not stated
- regular paper1. Original papers (Regular Papers) should report the results of original research. The material should not have been published previously elsewhere, except in …Length not stated
- review1. Original papers (Regular Papers) should report the results of original research. The material should not have been published previously elsewhere, except in …Length not stated
- reviews2. Reviews should cover a part of the subject of active current interest. They may be submitted or invited.Length not stated
- short communication1. Original papers (Regular Papers) should report the results of original research. The material should not have been published previously elsewhere, except in …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, 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 ·- Publication ethics
Authors must follow Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy. Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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; submissions initially assessed by editors; suitable submissions sent to a minimum of two reviewers; editors make the decision. 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 sharing allowed per Elsevier's article sharing policy; free preprint posting service on SSRN offered. Model summary
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
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- ISSN
- 0378-3774
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-2283
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Agricultural Water Management
What CAS zone is Agricultural Water Management in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Agricultural Water Management is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Agronomy / Water Resources; 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 Water Management?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 7.78; CiteScore 12.5, h-index 213.
How long does peer review take at Agricultural Water Management?
The publisher reports about 126 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 7 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Agricultural Water Management?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Vancouver; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Agricultural Water Management based?
Of the 70 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 11 (about 16%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (11), Italy (11) and Australia (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Agricultural Water Management?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Agricultural Water Management is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Agricultural Water Management open access, and what is the APC?
Agricultural Water Management is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,070.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .