Journal profile · Plant Sciences
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
ISSN 0140-7791 · eISSN 1365-3040 · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1978
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT: CAS Zone 1 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 6.87; hybrid open access; APC about USD 5,440; median 133 days to acceptance (150 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 713 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT 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 Stress Responses and Tolerance, Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics and Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms, together about 33.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Publishing only the best work, Plant, Cell & Environment publishes original research, either theoretical or experimental, that provides novel insights into the ways that plants respond to their environment. Thus the journal covers plant biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, cell physiology, whole plant physiology, crop physiology and physiological ecology, together with structural, genetic, pathological and meteorological aspects as related to plant function. Work at any scale, from the molecular to the community level, is welcomed.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Plant Sciences
Editor-in-chief Christine FoyerPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 8 in mainland China (about 10%); most named United States 17, Australia 9, Mainland China 8, United Kingdom 6, Germany 6 (78 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Plant Stress Responses and ToleranceAgricultural and Biological Sciences13.1%
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon DynamicsEnvironmental Science11.5%
- Photosynthetic Processes and MechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology8.9%
- Plant Molecular Biology ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.3%
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolismAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.2%
- Plant responses to elevated CO2Agricultural and Biological Sciences7.7%
- Plant responses to water stressAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.6%
- Light effects on plantsAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.3%
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 | 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 | 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 | Plant Sciences | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
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
- 6.87LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6.9Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 6.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 10.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 10.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 10.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 2.16LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.9LetPub ·
- h-index
- 176LetPub ·
- h-index
- 310OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 6,968OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 6.59OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 11.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 30.66%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 595LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2Publisher website ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 673Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 2,364,106Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 10,197 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 580 | 365 | 343 |
| 2025 | 713 | 345 | 4,006 |
| 2024 | 566 | 320 | 7,901 |
| 2023 | 272 | 180 | 5,198 |
| 2022 | 296 | 139 | 8,494 |
| 2021 | 262 | 114 | 9,775 |
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
133 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 92 days – 186 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 12 days (151 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 143 days
- Sample
- 150 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,424 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 monthLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly hardLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 20%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 20%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 118 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 13 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 5,440 / EUR 4,560 / GBP 3,610 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Colour 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)
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 200 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 5
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- Harvard
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 2
Article types accepted10
- brief communicationArticle Type Description Word Limit FigureTable Limit Reference limit Other Requirements Research Articles Present the results of substantial research projects …Length not stated
- brief communicationsBrief communications Provide a vital platform for disseminating new research advances in emerging topics within plant science.Length not stated
- opinionArticle Type Description Word Limit FigureTable Limit Reference limit Other Requirements Research Articles Present the results of substantial research projects …Length not stated
- opinionsOpinions Provide a platform for objectively argued alternative viewpoints on widely accepted contemporary concepts in plant-environment responses, based on rece…Length not stated
- research articleArticle Type Description Word Limit FigureTable Limit Reference limit Other Requirements Research Articles Present the results of substantial research projects …Length not stated
- research articlesResearch Articles Present the results of substantial research projects that provide fundamental new insights into the ways that plants respond to their environm…Length not stated
- reviewArticle Type Description Word Limit FigureTable Limit Reference limit Other Requirements Research Articles Present the results of substantial research projects …Length not stated
- reviewsReviews Contain a concise overview of current literature but also deep insights that come from experience that allow a critical evaluation of the literature, id…Length not stated
- technical reportsTechnical Reports Present new methods that are of interest to a broad readership.Length not stated
- viewpointArticle Type Description Word Limit FigureTable Limit Reference limit Other Requirements Research Articles Present the results of substantial research projects …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- Authorship Authorship
All listed authors should have contributed to the manuscript substantially and have agreed to the final submitted version. Review editorial standards and scroll down for a description of authorship criteria.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflict of Interest Statement
Authors will be asked to provide a conflict of interest statement during the submission process. Any interest or relationship, financial or otherwise that might be perceived as influencing an author's objectivity is considered a potential source of conflict of interest. If the authors have no conflict of interest to declare, they must also state this at submission. Submitting authors should ensure…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Availability
Data sharing Model summary
The journal expects authors to share the data and other artefacts supporting the results in the paper by archiving it in an appropriate public repository. Authors should include a data accessibility statement, including a link to the repository they have used, in order that this statement can be published alongside their paper. Manuscripts based on large datasets (e.g. RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq) should in…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Reproduction of Copyright Material
If excerpts from copyrighted works owned by third parties are included, credit must be shown in the contribution. It is your responsibility to also obtain written permission for reproduction from the copyright owners. For more information visit Wiley’s Copyright Terms & Conditions FAQ. The corresponding author is responsible for obtaining written permission to reproduce the material "in print and …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Free format submission Model summary
Plant, Cell & Environment is a subscription journal that offers an open access option. You’ll have the option to choose to make your article open access after acceptance, which will be subject to an APC. You can read more about APCs and whether you may be eligible for waivers or discounts, through your institution, funder, or a country waiver.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review 1. Submission and Peer Review Process
Peer review model Model summary
New submissions should be made via the Research Exchange submission portal https://authors.wiley.com/journal/PCE. Should your manuscript proceed to the revision stage, you will be directed to make your revisions via the same submission portal. You may check the status of your submission at anytime by logging on to submission.wiley.com and clicking the “My Submissions” button. For technical help wi…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint Policy
Preprint policy Model summary
Plant, Cell & Environment will consider for review articles previously published on preprint servers. You may also post the submitted version of a manuscript to a preprint server at any time. You are requested to update any pre-publication versions with a link to the final published article. Please find the Wiley preprint policy here.
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
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1978
- ISSN
- 0140-7791
- Electronic ISSN
- 1365-3040
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
What CAS zone is PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT is in Zone 1 of Biology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category 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 CELL AND ENVIRONMENT?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.87; CiteScore 10.2, h-index 310.
How long does peer review take at PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT?
Based on the dates recorded on 150 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 133 days (interquartile range 92–186 days); authors report an average review time of about 1 month; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 20% (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 CELL AND ENVIRONMENT?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 200 words; Keywords: ≥ 5; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: Harvard; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Required, 2. 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 CELL AND ENVIRONMENT based?
Of the 78 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 8 (about 10%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (17), Australia (9) and Mainland China (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PubMed, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT open access, and what is the APC?
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 5,440.
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: .