Agronomy for Sustainable Development
Encyclopedia
Agronomy for Sustainable Development is a peer-reviewed
scientific journal
publishing research on the interactions between cropping systems and other activities in the context of sustainable development
. It is one of the seven journals of the French Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
(Institute of Agronomical Research, INRA). Journal issues are produced by the scientific publisher Springer Science+Business Media
. Its impact factor
increased from 0.566 in 2003 to 2.972 in 2010, ranking the journal 4th out of 74 in the category "Agronomy".
As a consequence, an important increase was observed in the impact factor, the rejection rate, the number of submissions, the number of article downloads at the journal's website, the number of subscribers to the free e-mail alert, and the number of published review articles.
collaborates with 2 associate editors and 32 field editors for manuscript peer-review. Submitted articles are first evaluated by a pre-selection committee that rejects about 50% of incoming manuscripts. Selected submissions are then sent to field editors for more in-depth evaluation.
From 2005, review articles are published both in the journal and in the book series Sustainable Agriculture.
Peer review
Peer review is a process of self-regulation by a profession or a process of evaluation involving qualified individuals within the relevant field. Peer review methods are employed to maintain standards, improve performance and provide credibility...
scientific journal
Scientific journal
In academic publishing, a scientific journal is a periodical publication intended to further the progress of science, usually by reporting new research. There are thousands of scientific journals in publication, and many more have been published at various points in the past...
publishing research on the interactions between cropping systems and other activities in the context of sustainable development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
. It is one of the seven journals of the French Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique
The Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique is a French public research institute dedicated to scientific studies surrounding the problems of agriculture...
(Institute of Agronomical Research, INRA). Journal issues are produced by the scientific publisher Springer Science+Business Media
Springer Science+Business Media
- Selected publications :* Encyclopaedia of Mathematics* Ergebnisse der Mathematik und ihrer Grenzgebiete * Graduate Texts in Mathematics * Grothendieck's Séminaire de géométrie algébrique...
. Its impact factor
Impact factor
The impact factor, often abbreviated IF, is a measure reflecting the average number of citations to articles published in science and social science journals. It is frequently used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal within its field, with journals with higher impact factors deemed...
increased from 0.566 in 2003 to 2.972 in 2010, ranking the journal 4th out of 74 in the category "Agronomy".
History
Agronomy for Sustainable Development was originally entitled "Agronomie", and was founded in 1981. At that time, less than 10% of articles were in English. The journal was greatly reformed from 2003 to 2006, major changes including:- the setting up of a pre-selection committee at the submission stage
- an increase in the number of Field Editors from 14 to 32;
- novel topics focusing on sustainable agriculture
- novel format instructions for more concise articles
- a novel title
- a switch from hardcopy to fully electronic managing
- 100% of articles in English and a novel journal cover
- 7 review reports produced per manuscript
- active commissioning of review articles by the Editor-in-Chief
As a consequence, an important increase was observed in the impact factor, the rejection rate, the number of submissions, the number of article downloads at the journal's website, the number of subscribers to the free e-mail alert, and the number of published review articles.
Major journal topics
Since 2003, the journal changed topics from classical, production-oriented agronomy to sustainable and ecological agriculture. Major journal topics currently include:- AgricultureAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and global changes - Agricultural production of renewable energies
- Ecological pest control and biopesticides
- Organic farmingOrganic farmingOrganic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
- Genetically modified organisms in cropping systems
- Environmental impact on soil, water, air and biodiversityBiodiversityBiodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
- Risk assessment for food, ecotoxicologyEcotoxicologyEcotoxicology is the study of the effects of toxic chemicals on biological organisms, especially at the population, community, ecosystem level. Ecotoxicology is a multidisciplinary field, which integrates toxicology and ecology....
- Decision support systems and companion modelling
- Social and economic issues of agricultural changes
- Innovation in farming systems
- Pollutants in agrosystems
Editorial process and management
The journal is managed by a collaboration of two INRA departments, the Departments of Environment and Agronomy and of Sciences for Action and Development. The editorial boardEditorial board
The editorial board is a group of people, usually at a publication, who dictate the tone and direction the publication's editorial policy will take.- Board makeup :...
collaborates with 2 associate editors and 32 field editors for manuscript peer-review. Submitted articles are first evaluated by a pre-selection committee that rejects about 50% of incoming manuscripts. Selected submissions are then sent to field editors for more in-depth evaluation.
From 2005, review articles are published both in the journal and in the book series Sustainable Agriculture.