Journal profile · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Plant Science
ISSN 0168-9452 · eISSN 1873-2259 · Elsevier Ireland Ltd · IRELAND · Semimonthly · Founded 1985
Plant Science: CAS Zone 2 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.5; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,760; median 99 days to acceptance (104 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: about 50%; 516 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Plant Science is published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd and is in Zone 2 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 32.3% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science and Molecular Biology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An international journal of experimental plant biologyThis journal has no page charges, publication is free of charge.Plant Science will publish in the minimum of time, reporting significant advances in plant biology as well as commissioned reviews, method papers (technical papers) and commentaries recommended by its referees in all areas of experimental plant biology with emphasis in the broad areas of genomics, proteomics, biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, development, genetics, functional plant breeding, systems biology and the interaction of plants with the environment. Although manuscripts containing large data are welcomed, they must contain functional validation.Manuscripts for full consideration should be written concisely and essentially as a final report. The main criterion for publication is that the manuscript must contain original and significant insights that lead to a better understanding of fundamental plant biology. Plant Science is not a publication vehicle for preliminary observations, for studies that are merely confirmatory of results accomplished in other plant systems, or that are addressed only to a specialized readership. Submitted manuscripts describing studies of preliminary nature, that are merely confirmatory in scope or of limited scope and interest to the general readership of the journal will be returned without formal review. As a general policy, the journal will no longer consider manuscripts just describing the cloning, sequencing and expression patterns of gene sequences that have been identified and characterized in other plant species, expression of a protein without proper characterization of the recombinant product and native form, the isolation, purification and characterization of enzymes extensively analyzed in other plants, description of molecular markers and plant genetic diversity without any relevant biological information, cell culture and/or transformation of plant species (or closely related species) already established in the literature and basic transcriptomic approaches with no further relevant functional characterization of genes of interest.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Editor-in-chief Sergi Munné-BoschPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 15 in mainland China (about 34%); most named Mainland China 15, Hong Kong, China 7, United States 7, France 3, Argentina 3 (44 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 Sciences11.3%
- Plant Molecular Biology ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences10.6%
- Plant tissue culture and regenerationBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology10.5%
- Photosynthetic Processes and MechanismsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.8%
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolismAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.5%
- Plant Reproductive BiologyBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.8%
- Plant Gene Expression AnalysisBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.6%
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and ImmunityAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Biochemistry & Molecular Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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
- 4.5LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.5LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 8.5Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.21LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.11LetPub ·
- h-index
- 130LetPub ·
- h-index
- 229OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 7,536OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.94OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 13.55%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 466LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 11,526 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 442 | 60 | 207 |
| 2025 | 516 | 87 | 2,127 |
| 2024 | 316 | 63 | 2,681 |
| 2023 | 310 | 76 | 4,554 |
| 2022 | 330 | 62 | 6,664 |
| 2021 | 284 | 55 | 7,365 |
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 PubMed · to
99 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 82 days – 131 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 2 days (104 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 102 days
- Sample
- 104 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,065 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 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 50%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 3 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 39 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 105 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 3,760 / EUR 3,520 / GBP 3,010 / JPY 466,350 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,930 | — | — |
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)
- Page charges
- No page charges
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 papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted9
- correspondence1. Original research papers2. Review articles3. Technical advances4. Correspondence1. Original research papers should report the results of original, high quali…Length not stated
- opinion1. Original research papers2. Review articles3. Technical advances4. Correspondence1. Original research papers should report the results of original, high quali…Length not stated
- original research1. Original research papers2. Review articles3. Technical advances4. Correspondence1. Original research papers should report the results of original, high quali…Length not stated
- original research paper1. Original research papers2. Review articles3. Technical advances4. Correspondence1. Original research papers should report the results of original, high quali…Length not stated
- original research papers1. Original research papers should report the results of original, high quality research.Length not stated
- review1. Original research papers2. Review articles3. Technical advances4. Correspondence1. Original research papers should report the results of original, high quali…Length not stated
- review article1. Original research papers2. Review articles3. Technical advances4. Correspondence1. Original research papers should report the results of original, high quali…Length not stated
- review articles2. Review Articles will ordinarily be solicited and commissioned by the Editor-in-Chief.Length not stated
- technical advances3. Technical advances will report breakthrough technical advances in plant biology.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Elsevier Ireland Ltd
- Country or region
- IRELAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1985
- ISSN
- 0168-9452
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-2259
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Plant Science
What CAS zone is Plant Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Plant Science is in Zone 2 of Biology, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Biochemistry & Molecular Biology / Plant Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Plant Science?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.5; CiteScore 8.5, h-index 229.
How long does peer review take at Plant Science?
Based on the dates recorded on 104 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 99 days (interquartile range 82–131 days); authors report an average review time of about 6 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 50%”. 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 Science?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Author–date; Highlights: Required; 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 Plant Science based?
Of the 44 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 15 (about 34%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (15), Hong Kong, China (7) and United States (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Plant Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Plant Science is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Plant Science open access, and what is the APC?
Plant Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,760.
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: .