Journal profile · Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Plant Biotechnology Journal
ISSN 1467-7644 · eISSN 1467-7652 · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 2003
Plant Biotechnology Journal: CAS Zone 1 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 12.71; fully open access; APC about USD 4,320; median 118 days to acceptance (98 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 25%; 604 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Plant Biotechnology Journal is published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd and is in Zone 1 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Plant Molecular Biology Research, Plant tissue culture and regeneration and CRISPR and Genetic Engineering, together about 26.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science and Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Plant Biotechnology Journal publishes highly impactful original research and incisive reviews by leading researchers in applied plant science, with a specific emphasis on molecular plant sciences and their applications through plant biotechnology. We aim to provide a forum for the most important advances in this field, including curiosity-driven studies with the potential for application, strategic research in plant biotechnology, scientific analysis of key issues for the beneficial application of plant sciences and scientific critique of the performance of the products of plant biotechnology in practice. We are also committed to supporting the plant biotechnology community, including nurturing the next generation of researchers. Plant Biotechnology Journal is published by Wiley in association with the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) and the Association of Applied Biology (AAB). Plant Biotechnology Journal has a strong focus on reporting results obtained in crop species, reflecting our belief in the importance of translation of basic research. Whilst Plant Biotechnology Journal continues to consider exceptional manuscripts carried out in model species or plant species with limited utility (such as medicinal herbs etc), the expectation is that the majority of published research will be carried out in established or emerging crop species. To be accepted for publication in Plant Biotechnology Journal, original research papers will need to present major new findings with conclusions thoroughly supported by critical experimental evidence and make a substantial contribution to plant biotechnology. Similarly, reviews must accordingly provide a high level of insight and synthesis beyond a summary of published work. Importantly, Plant Biotechnology Journal also continues to be keen to consider research which is underpinning plant biotechnology, so long as the relevance to translation and application is clearly articulated and manifest in the approaches taken. Submissions are initially reviewed by editors to select only those considered most appropriate for critical review by at least two independent experts. We aim to provide a speedy response to authors, rigorous scientific review and timely publication. Our author guidelines and editorial policies are here. Submit your best manuscript to Plant Biotechnology Journal. Abstracting and Indexing Information Abstracts on Hygiene & Communicable Diseases (CABI) Academic Search (EBSCO Publishing) Academic Search Al
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Editor-in-chief Johnathan NapierPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 8 in mainland China (about 24%); most named Mainland China 8, United Kingdom 7, United States 6, Australia 4, Canada 2 (33 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Plant Molecular Biology ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences9.6%
- Plant tissue culture and regenerationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology9.3%
- CRISPR and Genetic EngineeringBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.9%
- Transgenic Plants and ApplicationsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.2%
- Plant Virus Research StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.5%
- Photosynthetic Processes and MechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.5%
- Plant Gene Expression AnalysisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.3%
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolismAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.8%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPubMedCAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, 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
- 12.71LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 12.8Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 12.8Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 15.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 15.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 15.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 3.38LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.4LetPub ·
- h-index
- 96LetPub ·
- h-index
- 203OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,049OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 8.91OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.5%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 461LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 582Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 2,522,191Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,356 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 258 | 258 | 265 |
| 2025 | 604 | 604 | 4,511 |
| 2024 | 293 | 293 | 5,518 |
| 2023 | 289 | 289 | 7,931 |
| 2022 | 233 | 233 | 9,220 |
| 2021 | 244 | 244 | 13,352 |
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
118 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 82 days – 172 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 19 days (98 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 145 days
- Sample
- 98 articles with submission and acceptance dates (921 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 2 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 25%LetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 28%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 28%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 17 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 17 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 110 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 21 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 4,320 / EUR 4,000 / GBP 2,930 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 3,740 / GBP 2,530 / EUR 3,470 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 7,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
Article types accepted7, with length limits
- brief communicationam will be in touch to discuss further. Brief Communications Brief Communications should be no more than 1500 words including the figure/table legend and refere…main text ≤ 1,500 words
- brief communicationsBrief Communications should be no more than 1500 words including the figure/table legend and references, should not have an abstract, and should contain no more…Length not stated
- research articlesources Word limit PBJ recommends that Research Articles are no longer than 7000 words with no more than 7 Figures and Tables in total. We also remain text ≤ 7,000 words
- research articlesTo be accepted for publication in PBJ, original research papers will need to present major new findings with conclusions thoroughly supported by critical experi…Length not stated
- review articleTables in total. We also recommend that Review Articles should be no more than 9000 words, with a total of no more than 15 Figures and Tables. To supmain text ≤ 9,000 words
- review articlesReviews are normally by invitation and must provide a high level of new insight into the topic they cover.Length not stated
- special issue articlesPBJ aims to publish special issues, typically comprising specially commissioned review papers on an emerging topic identified by the Editorial Board.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, Peer review, Plagiarism, Preprints
- Authorship Authorship
Please refer to the journal’s authorship policy in the Editorial Policies and Ethical Considerations section for details on eligibility for author listing. A separate subsection entitled ‘Author Contributions’ should be inserted at the end of the main text and before the Acknowledgement section to indicate the contribution that each individual author has made to the manuscript.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflict of Interest Statement
You will be asked to provide a conflict of interest statement during the submission process. See the section ‘Conflict of Interest’ in the Editorial Policies and Ethical Considerations section for details on what to include in this section. Please ensure you liaise with all co-authors to confirm agreement with the final statement.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability
Data sharing mandated; data availability statement required at submission with repository links. Model summary
PBJ mandates data sharing, and authors are required to provide a data availability statement at the submission stage and must include links to the repositories where all data referenced in the manuscript are stored.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics 4. EDITORIAL POLICIES AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
COPE member. Model summary
Editorial Review and Acceptance The acceptance criteria for all papers are the quality and originality of the research and its significance to our readership. Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are single-blind peer-reviewed.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Single-blind peer review. Model summary
Except where otherwise stated, manuscripts are single-blind peer-reviewed.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
iThenticate CrossCheck similarity screening. Model summary
Note this journal uses iThenticate’s CrossCheck software to detect instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints
Preprints allowed (e.g., BioRxiv). Model summary
Note that submission implies that the content has not been published or submitted for publication elsewhere except as a brief abstract in the proceedings of a scientific meeting/symposium or on a preprint server such as BioRxiv.
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-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 2003
- ISSN
- 1467-7644
- Electronic ISSN
- 1467-7652
- Society / sponsor
- Society for Experimental Biology
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 24, Issue 9 (September 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 Plant Biotechnology Journal
What CAS zone is Plant Biotechnology Journal in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Plant Biotechnology Journal is in Zone 1 of Biology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology / Plant Sciences; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Plant Biotechnology Journal?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 12.71; CiteScore 15.2, h-index 203.
How long does peer review take at Plant Biotechnology Journal?
Based on the dates recorded on 98 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 118 days (interquartile range 82–172 days); authors report an average review time of about 2 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 25%”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 28% (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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Plant Biotechnology Journal?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Manuscript length: ≤ 7,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not 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 Plant Biotechnology Journal based?
Of the 33 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 8 (about 24%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (8), United Kingdom (7) and United States (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Plant Biotechnology Journal?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Plant Biotechnology Journal is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PubMed, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Plant Biotechnology Journal open access, and what is the APC?
Plant Biotechnology Journal is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 4,320.
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: .