Journal profile · Agronomy
Molecular Breeding
ISSN 1380-3743 · eISSN 1572-9788 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · Bimonthly · Founded 1995
Molecular Breeding: CAS Zone 3 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.55; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,990; median 116 days to acceptance (101 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 62.5%; 99 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
The journal's website announces a move to full open access: We are pleased to announce that Molecular Breeding will become a fully open access (OA) on 1 January 2027. Source ↗Publisher website ·
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Molecular Breeding is published by Springer Netherlands 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 Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals, Wheat and Barley Genetics and Pathology and Plant Disease Resistance and Genetics, together about 31.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Announcement We are pleased to announce that Molecular Breeding will become a fully open access (OA) on 1 January 2027. As a result, all submissions received from 11 August 2026 are subject to an article publication charge (APC) if accepted and published in the journal (unless a waiver is applied). Please see our FAQs which can be found at the bottom of this page for more information on APCs, funding options, waivers and the journal's transition to fully open access. Molecular Breeding is an international journal publishing papers on applications of plant molecular biology, i.e., research most likely leading to practical applications. The practical applications might have demonstrable benefits for the seed industry, farmers, processing industry, environment and consumers.All papers published should contribute to the understanding and progress of modern plant breeding, encompassing the scientific disciplines of genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, molecular biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, physiology, pathology and breeding. Topics include contemporary methods of molecular genetics and genomic analysis, functional genomics, proteomics and metabolic profiling, biotic stress, abiotic stress, molecular breeding and field evaluation of crops with improved traits.Molecular Breeding welcomes the following categories of papers: full papers, short communications, review papers and papers describing novel methods. All submission are subject to peer review ensuring the highest scientific quality standards.Manuscripts submitted to Molecular Breeding will focus on applications, but we will also accept fundamental science papers as long as they are of direct relevance to crop plants. Molecular Breeding also welcomes relevant articles addressing intellectual property issues, regulation and public attitudes to plant biotechnology and also significant technology advances in applied plant molecular biology.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Agronomy
Editor-in-chief Qifa ZhangPublisher website
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and AnimalsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology12.9%
- Wheat and Barley Genetics and PathologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences10.7%
- Plant Disease Resistance and GeneticsAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.2%
- Genetics and Plant BreedingAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.9%
- Plant tissue culture and regenerationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.9%
- Plant Molecular Biology ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.6%
- Plant Virus Research StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.6%
- Plant Reproductive BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology3.8%
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 | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Horticulture | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Agronomy | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Horticulture | Zone 2 |
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 2 |
| Minor | Horticulture | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Genetics & Heredity | 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
EI CompendexCASCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, 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
- 3.55LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.86LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.91LetPub ·
- h-index
- 93LetPub ·
- h-index
- 146OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,598OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.1OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 18.87%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 91LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 439,200Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,399 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 93 | 93 | 21 |
| 2025 | 99 | 82 | 237 |
| 2024 | 89 | 87 | 614 |
| 2023 | 90 | 81 | 1,034 |
| 2022 | 74 | 70 | 973 |
| 2021 | 81 | 80 | 1,601 |
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
116 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 82 days – 183 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 14 days (102 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 139 days
- Sample
- 101 articles with submission and acceptance dates (213 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)
- about 1.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 62.5%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer review, Double 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 3,990 / EUR 2,990 / GBP 2,590 | — | — |
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 papers1, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted9
- brief reportResearch Research articles should report a complete, comprehensive report of original research. Brief Report A Brief Report denotes a concise report of research…Length not stated
- correspondenceResearch Research articles should report a complete, comprehensive report of original research. Brief Report A Brief Report denotes a concise report of research…Length not stated
- editorialSingle-blind peer review This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review proce…Length not stated
- mini reviewResearch Research articles should report a complete, comprehensive report of original research. Brief Report A Brief Report denotes a concise report of research…Length not stated
- original researchResearch Research articles should report a complete, comprehensive report of original research. Brief Report A Brief Report denotes a concise report of research…Length not stated
- research articleResearch Research articles should report a complete, comprehensive report of original research. Brief Report A Brief Report denotes a concise report of research…Length not stated
- reviewResearch Research articles should report a complete, comprehensive report of original research. Brief Report A Brief Report denotes a concise report of research…Length not stated
- short reviewResearch Research articles should report a complete, comprehensive report of original research. Brief Report A Brief Report denotes a concise report of research…Length not stated
- surveyResearch Research articles should report a complete, comprehensive report of original research. Brief Report A Brief Report denotes a concise report of research…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- 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 Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Availability
This journal encourages authors to provide an optional statement of data availability in their article. Data Availability Statements should include information on where data supporting the results reported in the article can be found, including, where applicable, hyperlinks to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Data availability statements can also indicate whether …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
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
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Molecular Breeding, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Single-blind peer review
This journal follows a single-blind reviewing procedure. This journal also publishes special/guest-edited issues. The peer review process for these articles is the same as the peer review process of the journal in general. Additionally, if a guest editor authors an article in their issue/collection, they will not handle the peer review process.
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 Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1995
- ISSN
- 1380-3743
- Electronic ISSN
- 1572-9788
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Molecular Breeding
What CAS zone is Molecular Breeding in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Molecular Breeding is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Agronomy / Genetics & Heredity / Horticulture / Plant Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Molecular Breeding?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.55; CiteScore 5.4, h-index 146.
How long does peer review take at Molecular Breeding?
Based on the dates recorded on 101 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 116 days (interquartile range 82–183 days); authors report an average review time of about 1.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 62.5%”. 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 Molecular Breeding?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: 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.
Which databases index Molecular Breeding?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Molecular Breeding is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Molecular Breeding open access, and what is the APC?
Molecular Breeding is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,990.
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: .