Plants MDPI

18/06/2025

🌿 Great news from Plants MDPI!

📊 Our Journal Impact Factor has increased to 4.1!

We're also proud to share that Plants now ranks in Q1 in the “Plant Sciences” category (45 out of 273).

This achievement reflects the outstanding contributions and collaboration of our authors, reviewers, editors, and readers — thank you for your continued trust and support 🤝

As we celebrate this milestone, we remain dedicated to publishing innovative, high-quality research and to strengthening our role as a trusted open-access platform for the global plant science community.

🔗 Discover our latest articles and Special Issues: https://brnw.ch/21wTuGB

Plants, an international, peer-reviewed Open Access journal.

17/06/2025

🌟 Featured Article: & Editor’s Choice!

📖 "CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Knockout of the Lycopene ε-Cyclase for Efficient Astaxanthin Production in the Green Microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii"

✍️ Jacob Sebastian Kneip, Niklas Kniepkamp, Junhwan Jang, Maria Grazia Mortaro, EonSeon Jin, Olaf Kruse, and Thomas Baier

🔗 Read the article: https://brnw.ch/21wTsSy

🔬 This high-impact study showcases the power of targeted genome editing in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii to enhance astaxanthin biosynthesis, a valuable ketocarotenoid with applications in nutraceuticals and aquaculture. By knocking out lycopene ε-cyclase (LCYE), the authors redirected carotenoid flux, suppressing lutein biosynthesis and boosting β-carotene levels. Further metabolic engineering—via iterative overexpression of CrBKT, PacrtB, and CrCHYB—achieved a 2.3-fold increase in astaxanthin yield. This work highlights how CRISPR/Cas9 and rational pathway engineering can convert microalgae into efficient green biofactories.

Carotenoids are valuable pigments naturally occurring in all photosynthetic plants and microalgae as well as in selected fungi, bacteria, and archaea. Green microalgae developed a complex carotenoid profile suitable for efficient light harvesting and light protection and harbor great capacity for ca...

13/06/2025

🚀

📖 Tools and Techniques to Accelerate Crop Breeding
✍️ Krystal Williams, Mayavan Subramani, Lily W. Lofton, Miranda Penney, Antonette Todd, and Gulnihal Ozbay

🔗 Read the full article: https://brnw.ch/21wTnwZ

🌾 Meeting global food demands requires faster, smarter crop breeding. This highly viewed review explores cutting-edge tools—like speed breeding, CRISPR-Cas9, genomic selection, and epigenomic strategies—that are transforming how quickly and efficiently new cultivars can be developed. A must-read for those working at the intersection of innovation and agriculture.

10/06/2025

📈 Article in Plants MDPI!

📖 "Factors Influencing Seed Dormancy and Germination and Advances in Seed Priming Technology"

✍️ Yanfeng Fu et al.
🔗 Read the full article: https://brnw.ch/21wTinN

🌱 This comprehensive review explores the complex physiological and molecular mechanisms behind seed dormancy and germination—key determinants of crop yield and quality. It also covers the latest advancements in seed priming technologies, emphasizing the need to shift from generic chemical treatments toward approaches informed by metabolic insights. A must-read for researchers in seed biology and agricultural innovation!

06/06/2025

🌿 We are pleased to share that Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) has achieved a heightened CiteScore of 7.6!

CiteScore is a transparent and current metric that reflects journal impact based on Scopus data from 2021 to 2024. It serves as a vital tool for researchers, institutions, and publishers to evaluate journal performance alongside SNIP and SJR.

This outstanding result is a reflection of the dedication and excellence of our editors, reviewers, authors, and readers. We extend our sincere thanks to all who have contributed to this achievement. 🤝

📊 Plants is now ranked:
• Q1 – 59 out of 534 in Plant Science
• Q2 – 55 out of 481 in Ecology
• Q2 – 65 out of 731 in Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

🔗 Explore more journal statistics: https://brnw.ch/21wTczP

05/06/2025

🙌 Introducing the event chair of the 5th International Electronic Conference on Agronomy--Prof. Dr. Oscar Vicente from Institute for the Conservation and Improvement of Valencian Agrodiversity (COMAV), Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain.

⛳ More about this e-conference: https://sciforum.net/event/IECAG2025

🕛 Abstract Submission Deadline: 18 August 2025
🕛 Abstract Acceptance Notification: 22 September 2025
🕛 Registration Deadline: 8 December 2025

👉 Open for Abstract Submissions (FREE to attend):
The 5th International Electronic Conference on Agronomy (IECAG 2025)
https://sciforum.net/event/IECAG2025
Submit your abstract by 5th August 2024 through:
https://sciforum.net/user/submission/create/1337

29/05/2025

🏅 Editor's Choice & article in Plants MDPI!

📖 Echinacea: Bioactive Compounds and Agronomy
✍️ by Fatemeh Ahmadi, Khalil Kariman, Milad Mousavi, and Zed Rengel

🔗 Read the full article: https://brnw.ch/21wT0Zc

📚 This in-depth review explores the fascinating world of Echinacea—one of the most important medicinal plants globally. The authors examine its agronomy, health-promoting secondary metabolites (like chicoric acid and echinacoside), and powerful pharmacological effects including immunomodulation and potential anticancer activity.

Despite its popularity, many scientific questions remain—especially around bioavailability and molecular targets. This article lays the groundwork for future research and large-scale cultivation strategies.

08/05/2025

🏆Editor's Choice Article in Plants MDPI:

"Diversity of the Maize Root Endosphere and Rhizosphere Microbiomes Modulated by the Inoculation with Pseudomonas fluorescens UM270 in a Milpa System"

by Blanca Rojas-Sánchez et al

📚 Read the full paper here👉: https://bit.ly/4m6U0nm

Published: 26 March 2024
Views: 2374
Citation: 5

08/05/2025

🙌Thrilled to Announce!

🌿New Article Alert in Plants MDPI:

"Yield, Quality, and Nitrogen Leaching of Open-Field Tomato in Response to Different Nitrogen Application Measures in Northwestern China"

by Xinping Mao et al

📚 Read the full paper here👉: https://bit.ly/4jO7tiw

Published: 22 March 2024
Views: 2012
Citation: 5

08/05/2025

🏆Editor's Choice Article in Plants MDPI:

"Alfalfa Responses to Intensive Soil Compaction: Effects on Plant and Root Growth, Phytohormones and Internal Gene Expression"

by Mingke Yan et al

📚 Read the full paper here👉: https://bit.ly/42N3Tz4

Published: 26 March 2024
Views: 2247
Citation: 5

08/05/2025

🏆Editor's Choice Article in Plants MDPI:

"Analysis of the UDP-Glucosyltransferase (UGT) Gene Family and Its Functional Involvement in Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Phoebe bournei"

by Hengfeng Guan et al

📚 Read the full paper here👉: https://bit.ly/4m7v7b9

Published: 4 March 2024
Views: 2700
Citation: 5

07/04/2025

🌟 The Outstanding Reviewer Award winners for 2024 have been announced! 🎉🌿🏆

A huge thank you to our dedicated reviewers for their professionalism, thoroughness, and timely contributions to Plants. 🙌🌱

https://brnw.ch/21wRR67

📚✨