Journal profile · Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Agronomy and Crop Science
Rhizosphere
ISSN 2452-2198 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS
Rhizosphere: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.88; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,970; review about 71 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 230 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Rhizosphere is published by Elsevier 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-Microbe Interactions and Immunity, Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions and Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis, together about 40.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Note: the journal will no longer consider descriptions of new rhizobacteria isolates.Rhizosphere is a multidisciplinary journal that publishes research on the interactions between plant roots, soil organisms, nutrients, and water. Except carbon fixation by photosynthesis, plants obtain all other elements primarily from soil through roots. Rhizosphere aims to advance the frontier of our understanding of plant-soil interactions.Scientists are beginning to understand how communications at the rhizosphere, with soil organisms and other plant species, affect root exudates and nutrient uptake. This rapidly evolving subject utilizes molecular biology and genomic tools, food web or community structure manipulations, high performance liquid chromatography, isotopic analysis, diverse spectroscopic analytics, tomography and other microscopy, complex statistical and modeling tools.Field experiments, microcosm experiments, and soil-free research are considered. Research papers, technical or method papers, reviews, and commentaries are welcome. Papers discussing informative negative results are also considered.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Agronomy and Crop Science
Editor-in-chief S. M. AdlPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 10 in mainland China (about 19%); most named Mainland China 10, United States 7, Germany 6, Iran 4, United Kingdom 3 (54 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and ImmunityAgricultural and Biological Sciences15.6%
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant InteractionsAgricultural and Biological Sciences12.6%
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing SymbiosisAgricultural and Biological Sciences12.2%
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.6%
- Plant nutrient uptake and metabolismAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.2%
- Nematode management and characterization studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.8%
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal DiseasesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4.2%
- Plant Stress Responses and ToleranceAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.8%
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 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Microbiology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Soil Science | 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 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 3 |
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
- 3.88LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.87LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.88LetPub ·
- h-index
- 60OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 608OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.57OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 5.1%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 13.55%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 224LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,460 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 236 | 66 | 120 |
| 2025 | 230 | 51 | 813 |
| 2024 | 163 | 48 | 1,315 |
| 2023 | 183 | 38 | 2,210 |
| 2022 | 166 | 32 | 3,008 |
| 2021 | 164 | 29 | 3,772 |
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
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
71 dayssubmission to acceptance
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Submission to first decision
- 4 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 42 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 71 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- 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 2,970 / EUR 3,000 / GBP 2,570 / JPY 398,140 | — | — |
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
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Highlights
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
- Not considered
- descriptions of new rhizobacteria isolates
Article types accepted12, with length limits
- book reviewRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review. Regular papers Original full-length research papers wh…Length not stated
- feature articleRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review.Length not stated
- opinionRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review. Regular papers Original full-length research papers wh…Length not stated
- opinion paperRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review.Length not stated
- perspectiveRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review. Regular papers Original full-length research papers wh…Length not stated
- regular paperRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review. Regular papers Original full-length research papers wh…Length not stated
- regular research paperRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review. Regular papers Original full-length research papers wh…Length not stated
- research paperRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review. Regular papers Original full-length research papers wh…Length not stated
- reviewRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review. Regular papers Original full-length research papers wh…Length not stated
- review articleRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review. Regular papers Original full-length research papers wh…Length not stated
- short communicationRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review. Regular papers Original full-length research papers wh…main text ≤ 1,800 words
- surveyRegular Research Paper, Review Article, Short Communication, Opinion Paper, Feature Article, Book Review. Regular papers Original full-length research papers wh…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, 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 ·- Publication ethics
Ethics in publishing Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double 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
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2452-2198
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Rhizosphere
What CAS zone is Rhizosphere in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Rhizosphere is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Plant Sciences / Soil Science. 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 Rhizosphere?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.88; CiteScore 6.7, h-index 60.
How long does peer review take at Rhizosphere?
The publisher reports about 71 days (submission to acceptance). 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 Rhizosphere?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Highlights: Optional; Cover letter: 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 Rhizosphere based?
Of the 54 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 10 (about 19%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (10), United States (7) and Germany (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Rhizosphere?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Rhizosphere is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Rhizosphere open access, and what is the APC?
Rhizosphere is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,970.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .