Journal profile · SOIL SCIENCE
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
ISSN 0718-9516 · Springer · CHILE · Quarterly · Founded 2010
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition: CAS Zone 3 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.56; fully open access; APC about USD 3,190; median 169 days to acceptance (143 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 709 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition is published by Springer 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 Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics, Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance and Plant Micronutrient Interactions and Effects, together about 31.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition is an international, peer reviewed journal devoted to publishing original research findings in the areas of soil science, plant nutrition, agriculture and environmental science.Soil sciences submissions may cover physics, chemistry, biology, microbiology, mineralogy, ecology, pedology, soil classification and amelioration.Plant nutrition and agriculture submissions may include plant production, physiology and metabolism of plants, plant ecology, diversity and sustainability of agricultural systems, organic and inorganic fertilization in relation to their impact on yields, quality of plants and ecological systems, and agroecosystems studies.Submissions covering soil degradation, environmental pollution, nature conservation, and environmental protection are also welcome.The journal considers for publication original research articles, technical notes, short communication, and reviews (both voluntary and by invitation), and letters to the editor.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): SOIL SCIENCE
Editor-in-chief María de La LuzPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named Chile 29, Australia 5, New Zealand 3, Italy 2, Spain 2 (49 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsAgricultural and Biological Sciences17.4%
- Plant Stress Responses and ToleranceAgricultural and Biological Sciences7.6%
- Plant Micronutrient Interactions and EffectsAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.9%
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolismAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.4%
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing SymbiosisAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.5%
- Plant Growth Enhancement TechniquesAgricultural and Biological Sciences4%
- Phosphorus and nutrient managementEnvironmental Science3.5%
- Clay minerals and soil interactionsMaterials Science3.5%
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 | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 3 |
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 | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental 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 | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
CASCAB AbstractsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 3.56LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.1LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.77LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.87LetPub ·
- h-index
- 28LetPub ·
- h-index
- 88OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,649OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.71OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 11.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 14.23%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 693LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 788,100Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,160 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 680 | 173 | 344 |
| 2025 | 709 | 142 | 2,189 |
| 2024 | 599 | 130 | 4,834 |
| 2023 | 481 | 90 | 5,263 |
| 2022 | 389 | 83 | 6,734 |
| 2021 | 324 | 53 | 7,409 |
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
169 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 141 days – 222 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 13 days (143 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 184 days
- Sample
- 143 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,553 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)
- 6–12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 26 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 accessLetPub
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,190 / EUR 2,590 / GBP 2,290 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 3,090 / GBP 2,190 / EUR 2,490 | Yes | — |
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- Charged; see the journal's website for the amount
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 papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted16, with length limits
- brief reportThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…Length not stated
- letter to the editorThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…Length not stated
- letters to the editorThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…Length not stated
- meta-analysisThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…Length not stated
- original articleThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…Length not stated
- original articlesThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor.Length not stated
- original paperThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…main text ≤ 4,000 words
- original researchThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…Length not stated
- reviewThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…Length not stated
- review articleThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…Length not stated
- reviewsThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor.Length not stated
- short communicationThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…main text ≤ 2,500 words
- short communicationsThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor.Length not stated
- systematic reviewThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…Length not stated
- technical noteThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor. Original paper These are ful…Length not stated
- technical notesThe journal considers for publication Original Articles, Short Communications, Reviews, Technical Notes, and Letters to the Editor.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
Manuscript submission implies originality, not under consideration elsewhere, and approval by all co-authors and responsible authorities. Model summary
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
Open Choice articles retain author copyright under Creative Commons license. Model summary
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
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
- Springer
- Country or region
- CHILE
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 2010
- ISSN
- 0718-9516
- Print ISSN
- 0718-9508
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 26, Issue 2 (June 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- 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 Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
What CAS zone is Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Environmental Sciences / 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 Soil Science and Plant Nutrition?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.56; CiteScore 6.1, h-index 88.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition?
Based on the dates recorded on 143 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 169 days (interquartile range 141–222 days); authors report an average review time of 6–12 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Graphical abstract: Optional. 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 Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition based?
Of the 49 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Chile (29), Australia (5) and New Zealand (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists CAS and CAB Abstracts; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,190.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .