Journal profile · Agronomy
Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
ISSN 1436-8730 · eISSN 1522-2624 · Wiley-VCH Verlag · GERMANY · Bimonthly · Founded 1999
Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science: CAS Zone 3 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.24; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,030; median 175 days to acceptance (84 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 119 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science is published by Wiley-VCH Verlag and is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies, Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics and Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis, together about 34.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
We have a clear scope on basic science research—applied science studies should be sent to more suitable journals. The subject of soil science includes: mineral and organic soil components, organic-mineral associations, physical, chemical, biological, and ecological soil properties and processes, soil genesis, morphology, classification, mapping and geo-information, Scientific contributions to soil use and management which are also being solicited are: evaluation and improvement of soil fertility and soil quality, soil protection, soil and water conservation, soil remediation. The subject of plant nutrition includes: nutrient acquisition and translocation, functions of nutrients, mineral metabolism of plants, (eco)physiology of growth and yield development including abiotic stress situations, organic and mineral fertilizer application with regard to its impacts on yield, quality, and health of plants, Manuscripts dealing with ecological and environmental aspects of plant nutrition are also highly appreciated. Topical Divisions within JPNSS that are receiving increasing attention are: Interdisciplinarity focuses: sustainability & critical zone science Soil-Plant Interactions: rhizosphere science & soil ecology, pollutant cycling & plant-soil protection, land use & climate change ISSN: 1436-8730 (print), 1522-2624 (online) How to cite: To make sure that references to this journal are correctly recorded and resolved (for example in CrossRef or ISI Web of Science), please use the following abbreviated title in any citations: "J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci." (punctuation may vary according to the style of the citing journal).
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Agronomy
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 17%); most named Germany 5, Mainland China 1 (6 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Plant Physiology and Cultivation StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences13.8%
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsAgricultural and Biological Sciences12.4%
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing SymbiosisAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.1%
- Lichen and fungal ecologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences7%
- Botany and Plant Ecology StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.8%
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant InteractionsAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.8%
- Horticultural and Viticultural ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.9%
- Soil and Water Nutrient DynamicsEnvironmental Science3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Agronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Agronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Agronomy | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of SciencePubMedCASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: ProQuest, AGRICOLA
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
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
- 3.24LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.3Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.9LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 5.9Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.84LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1LetPub ·
- h-index
- 76LetPub ·
- h-index
- 126OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,250OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.29OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 62.73%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 85LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 89Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 241,565Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 9,193 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 83 | 46 | 12 |
| 2025 | 119 | 93 | 236 |
| 2024 | 99 | 71 | 440 |
| 2023 | 103 | 84 | 757 |
| 2022 | 110 | 71 | 1,243 |
| 2021 | 98 | 57 | 1,161 |
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 Crossref · to
175 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 115 days – 247 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 16 days (84 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 193 days
- Sample
- 84 articles with submission and acceptance dates (216 in the window); the latest was accepted on
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".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- 8–16 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 11%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 11%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 167 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 19 daysPublisher 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 4,030 / EUR 3,350 / GBP 2,670 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare1 items from the author guidelines
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteOpen access
- Open access Check if your Open Access fees are covered
Wiley has many transitional agreements in place for Open Access. Check whether your fees with JPNSS are covered: http://tinyurl.com/1eyjeq36
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
- Wiley-VCH Verlag
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1999
- ISSN
- 1436-8730
- Electronic ISSN
- 1522-2624
- Society / sponsor
- German Societies of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 189, Issue 4 (August 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
What CAS zone is Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Agronomy / Plant Sciences / Soil Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.24; CiteScore 5.9, h-index 126.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science?
Based on the dates recorded on 84 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 175 days (interquartile range 115–247 days); authors report an average review time of 8–16 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 11% (2025). 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 Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science based?
Of the 6 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 17%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (5) and Mainland China (1). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists Web of Science, PubMed, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,030.
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: .