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Author Guidelines

Phytoterrica is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes original research, reviews, and short communications in the fields of plant biology, soil sciences, microbiomes, and agricultural technology. Authors are required to follow the guidelines below when preparing manuscripts for submission.

1. General Format

Manuscripts must be prepared using the official Phytoterrica article template. Please ensure the following formatting:

  • Font: Times New Roman

  • Main Text: 10.5 pt, single spacing

  • Margins: 2.54 cm (all sides)

  • File Format: Microsoft Word (.docx)

2. Title Page

  • Title: Concise, clear, and informative; no more than 20 words.

  • Authors and Affiliations: Full names, institutional affiliations, and email addresses.

  • Corresponding Author: Mark with an asterisk (*) and provide complete contact information.

3. Abstract and Keywords

  • Abstract: A single paragraph of up to 200 words, logically structured to include background, methods, main results, and conclusions.

  • Keywords: Provide 3 to 10 keywords separated by semicolons.

4. Manuscript Structure

Manuscripts must follow the structure below:

  1. Introduction: Background, rationale, and objectives.

  2. Materials and Methods: Sufficient detail for replication, ethical approvals (if applicable), and AI usage disclosure.

  3. Results: Clear presentation of findings, supported by figures and tables.

  4. Discussion: Interpretation of results, comparison with previous studies, implications, and limitations.

  5. Conclusions (optional): Summary of key findings.

  6. Patents (if any)

Additional Sections (as applicable):

  • Supplementary Materials

  • Author Contributions (using the CRediT taxonomy)

  • Funding Statement

  • Ethical Statement

  • Data Availability Statement

  • Acknowledgments

  • Conflicts of Interest

  • Abbreviations

  • Appendices

5. References

All manuscripts must include a complete and properly formatted list of references.

Citation Style

  • Use “and” instead of ampersands (&) in both in-text citations and reference entries.

  • In-text citations follow the author–date format: (Smith, 2020) or (Smith and Lee, 2021).

  • Include DOIs for all references when available.

  • All citations must be accurate, complete, and accessible.

Formatting Guidelines

  • References must be listed alphabetically by the first author's last name.

  • Apply a hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented).

  • Ensure consistency in punctuation, capitalization, and journal formatting.

Sample References

Journal Article:
Smith, J. A. and Brown, L. M. (2021). Root microbiome dynamics under drought stress. Plant Soil Biology, 17(3), 145–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psb.2021.03.005

Book:
Raven, P. H., Evert, R. F. and Eichhorn, S. E. (2013). Biology of Plants (8th ed.). W.H. Freeman and Company.

Book Chapter:
Singh, R. K., Evert, R. F. and Prasad, M. (2015). Stress-responsive transcription factors in rice. In Blake, D. H. and Shah, S. M. (Eds.), Plant Stress Biology: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives (pp. 123–142). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-13368-3_8

Website:
International Rice Research Institute. (2023). Rice and climate change. https://www.irri.org/rice-and-climate-change

Dataset:
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2020). Global Soil Organic Carbon Map (GSOCmap) [Data set]. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca7597en

Important Notes:

  • All cited works must appear in the reference list, including those cited in figures or tables.

  • Manuscripts with incomplete or inconsistent references will be returned to authors.

  • Authors are strongly encouraged to use reference management tools (e.g., Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley).

6. Figures and Tables

  • All figures and tables must be cited in the text in numerical order (e.g., Figure 1, Table 1).

  • Include clear and descriptive captions.

  • Submit high-resolution images (minimum 300 dpi).

7. Language and Clarity

  • Manuscripts must be written in clear and fluent English.

  • Authors may use language editing services prior to submission.

  • Use of Generative AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) beyond basic editing must be transparently disclosed.

8. Submission Process

  • All submissions must be made through the journal’s OJS 3 system: https://phytoterrica.org

  • First-time users must register to submit and track their manuscripts.

9. Ethical and Legal Requirements

  • Manuscripts must be original and appropriately cited.

  • Use of previously published content must include proper permissions and citations.

  • Research involving humans or animals must include ethical approval details.

10. Plagiarism Screening

All manuscripts are screened using Turnitin. The following conditions apply:

  • Similarity index must be below 20%, excluding references and quotations.

  • Any detected plagiarism, including self-plagiarism, may lead to rejection or required revision.

11. Copyright and Open Access

  • All articles are published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

  • Authors retain full copyright.

12. Article Processing Charges (APC)

Phytoterrica is committed to free and open access. No fees are charged for submission, peer review, or publication.