Journal profile · Plant Sciences
Plant Growth Regulation
ISSN 0167-6903 · eISSN 1573-5087 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1982
Plant Growth Regulation: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.02; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,690; median 134 days to acceptance (90 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 41.66%; 130 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Plant Growth Regulation is published by Springer Netherlands and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance, Plant Molecular Biology Research and Plant tissue culture and regeneration, together about 34.5% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science and Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Plant Growth Regulation aims to explore the biology and mechanisms of plant growth and development, their regulation, and the physiological and environmental factors that influence these processes with a focus on phytohormones, stress physiology, and plant-microbe interactions. Studies submitted to the journal should present work that investigates biological questions using a variety of approaches including molecular, genetic, environmental, developmental, biophysical, omics, and physiological methods. Reviews on timely and relevant advances in plant growth and development are also welcome. The journal also considers opinions and perspectives for publication. The journal publishes studies that provide biological insights, and is unlikely to consider manuscripts that present only tissue culture work, or purely descriptive in nature.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Plant Sciences
Editor-in-chief Zhong-Hua ChenPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 25 in mainland China (about 42%); most named Mainland China 25, India 10, Australia 6, United States 3, Czechia 3 (59 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 Sciences14%
- Plant Molecular Biology ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences10.8%
- Plant tissue culture and regenerationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology9.7%
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolismAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.2%
- Plant Reproductive BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.2%
- Plant Physiology and Cultivation StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.2%
- Seed Germination and PhysiologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.9%
- Photosynthetic Processes and MechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | 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 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
- 4.02LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.92LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.03LetPub ·
- h-index
- 88LetPub ·
- h-index
- 156OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,843OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 5.42OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 35.6%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 127LetPub ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 511,800Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,304 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 121 | 121 | 87 |
| 2025 | 130 | 130 | 856 |
| 2024 | 161 | 38 | 1,289 |
| 2023 | 159 | 25 | 2,019 |
| 2022 | 166 | 17 | 3,725 |
| 2021 | 96 | 14 | 2,144 |
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
134 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 87 days – 226 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 21 days (90 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 179 days
- Sample
- 90 articles with submission and acceptance dates (277 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 4.5 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 41.66%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 10 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 3,690 / EUR 2,790 / GBP 2,390 | — | — |
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 prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted10, with length limits
- brief reportPlant Growth Regulation considers research, review, brief report, perspective, and comment articles. Research Reports of new and original research results that …main text ≤ 3,500 words · figures and tables ≤ 3 · references ≤ 50
- commentComment Presents the authors' opinion on the current state of a research focus or the field in general. They may pose new questions, raise new hypotheses, or sp…main text ≤ 2,500 words · references ≤ 15
- hypothesisPlant Growth Regulation considers research, review, brief report, perspective, and comment articles. Research Reports of new and original research results that …Length not stated
- opinionPlant Growth Regulation considers research, review, brief report, perspective, and comment articles. Research Reports of new and original research results that …main text ≤ 2,500 words
- original researchPlant Growth Regulation considers research, review, brief report, perspective, and comment articles. Research Reports of new and original research results that …Length not stated
- perspectivePlant Growth Regulation considers research, review, brief report, perspective, and comment articles. Research Reports of new and original research results that …main text ≤ 3,500 words · figures and tables ≤ 3 · references ≤ 30
- researchResearch Reports of new and original research results that should be formatted as outlined in the guidelines. These articles typically include an introduction, …Length not stated
- research reportPlant Growth Regulation considers research, review, brief report, perspective, and comment articles. Research Reports of new and original research results that …Length not stated
- reviewPlant Growth Regulation considers research, review, brief report, perspective, and comment articles. Research Reports of new and original research results that …Length not stated
- review articlePlant Growth Regulation considers research, review, brief report, perspective, and comment articles. Research Reports of new and original research results that …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, 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
Optional data availability statement encouraged Model summary
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 ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Plant Growth Regulation, 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
Single-blind peer review Model summary
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. 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 Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1982
- ISSN
- 0167-6903
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-5087
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Plant Growth Regulation
What CAS zone is Plant Growth Regulation in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Plant Growth Regulation is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Plant Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Plant Growth Regulation?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.02; CiteScore 8.5, h-index 156.
How long does peer review take at Plant Growth Regulation?
Based on the dates recorded on 90 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 134 days (interquartile range 87–226 days); authors report an average review time of about 4.5 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 41.66%”. 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 Growth Regulation?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Plant Growth Regulation based?
Of the 59 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 25 (about 42%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (25), India (10) and Australia (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Plant Growth Regulation?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Plant Growth Regulation is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists CAS, CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Plant Growth Regulation open access, and what is the APC?
Plant Growth Regulation is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,690.
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: .