Guidelines for Contributors to the Philippine Journal of Crop Science

General

The Philippine Journal of Crop Science (PJCS) is open to papers within the field of crop science and technology. Crop-related fields may include: agroforestry, biochemistry, biodynamic farming, biofuels, biotechnology, breeding, communication, culture, cytology, ecology, economics and policy, engineering, extension, genetics, management, marketing, morphology, physiology, postharvest handling, processing, production, protection, seed technology, soils and nutrient management, sustainable agriculture, systematics, teaching, and utilization. Each article must be a report of original research which has not been previously or simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere, except as an abstract of an oral or poster presentation. Contributions must be in English language and submitted as a Major Paper, a Research Note or a Variety Registration. Review articles may also be published only if they summarize information in a field in which the literature is scattered or they treat published data or information so as to provide a new approach or stimulate further research. It is encouraged that authors cite articles that have been published in the journal to increase the citation index of

the journal.

 

Submit one hard copy and electronic copy of the manuscript to:

     Dr. Rhodora R. Aldemita, Editor in Chief
     The Philippine Journal of Crop Science,
      Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Food Science
     University of the Philippines Los Baños, 4031 College, Laguna, Philippines
     Email address: pjcs.uplb@up.edu.ph

To ensure rapid and accurate publication, it is essential that manuscripts conform to the instructions below. Manuscripts which are not in accordance with the specifications and needs extensive editing will be returned to the authors.

Preparation of Manuscript

Each article, including tables, figures and other appendices should not be more than 30 pages using a letter
paper (216 mm x 279 mm or 8.5” x 11”). Specifications for the preparation of the manuscript are:

 

Spacing, Font Size and Margins. Type the manuscript in Microsoft Word Document (2000 or 2007 Version), in double space, and with 11-point Arial font. Margins should be 2.54 cm (1”) on the top, bottom, and left- and right-hand sides of each page.

Order and Contents. Arrange contents of the manuscript in the following order:

 

1. Title – The title of the article should be typed in uppercase letters, and should not be more than 15 words. Indicate the running title (not more than 40 letters) to be placed on the upper left-hand corner of each page;

2. Author(s)’ Name(s) and Address(es) – Should be complete, with acronyms spelled out. Omit institutional and social designations, and indicate the corresponding author with email address;

3. Keywords – Should be in alphabetical order. List single word, compound or phrases that indicate major subjects, and concepts or ideas that are related or implied in the paper;

4. Abstract – Summarize the rationale, materials and methods, major findings, and conclusions in not more than 300-350 words;

5. Introduction – Should contain rationale, hypothesis, and objective(s) of the paper;

6. Materials and Methods – Should include details of the methodology for replicability, adoption or adaptation of the procedures for future studies as well as when and where the study was conducted. Cite if the procedure has been published elsewhere;

7. Results and Discussion – Results presented should be consistent with the objectives of the study. Discussion should be done for integration purposes, i.e. within the results of the study or with reference to other studies;

8. Conclusion – Should include the summary and implications of major findings of the study. Recommendations can be included or be stated under the heading “Recommendations”;

9. Acknowledgement – Indicate the source(s) of funds and institutions or individuals who helped in the study;

10. Literature Cited – List literature cited in alphabetical order by main author’s last name. Give complete information. Reference should be cited in the text by the last name of the author, (both authors when only two; first author et al. when more than two) and year. Do not number literature cited. It is the author’s responsibility to maintain the consistency between the in-text citations and the end list of literature cited. Examples of the end literature citations are:

       Book –Taiz L, Zeiger E. 2006. Plant Physiology. 4th ed. Sunderland, Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates, Inc. 764 p.
       Book chapter –Giller KE, McDonagh JF, Cadisch G. 1994. Can biological nitrogen fixation sustain agriculture in the tropics? In: Soil

       Science and Sustainable Land Management in the Tropics. Syers JK, Rimmer DL, editors. CAB International, Wallingford. p. 173191.
       Editor – Balasubramanian V, Ladha JK, Denning GL, editors. 1999. Resource Management in Rice: Nutrients. Dordrecht, The

       Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers. 355p. Electronic references (end list).

           – Journal article from online database: Author. Year of publication. Title of the article. Title of the journal volume#(issue#):pages.
              Database name. Date accessed.

           – Online book (electronic text or part of a book): Author. Date of publication. Title of the book. Date accessed.
           – Web page: Author. Update date. Title of the document. Title of complete work. . Date accessed.

Journal article – Faustino FC, Garcia RN, Agtarap ML, Mendoza AMT, Lips SH. 2000. Salt tolerance in corn: Growth responses, ion accumulation, nitrate reductase and PEP carboxylase activities. Philipp J Crop Sci. 25(1):17-26.
Organization as author – [DA-BAS] Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural Statistics. 2006. Crops Statistics of the Philippines 2001-2006. Diliman, Quezon City. 300 p.

Paper in a proceeding – Virmani SS. 2001. Opportunities and challenges of developing and using hybrid rice technology in the tropics. In: Peng SB, Hardy B, editors. Rice Research for Food Security and Poverty Alleviation. Proc. International Rice Conference. Philippines. 407 p.

Personal communications should not be included in the end list of literature cited but can be included in the text as – PJA Santos 2008 (personal communication) or (PJA) Santos 2008, personal communication).
Thesis or Dissertation – Sastri AVB. 2006. Effects of co-solvents on the transesterification reaction time and reduction of free glycerin content of methyl ester produced from coconut oil. [MS Thesis] College, Laguna, Philippines: University of the Philippines Los Baños. 100 p. (Available at UPLB Library).

11. Tables and Figures – Number the tables and figures (graphs, Illustration and photographs) consecutively in Arabic numerals. Table should have a legend if necessary. Acronyms or abbreviations should be spelled out or defined in a footnote. Appropriate quantities and units in SI (Système International), and other qualifications should be indicated within the table or footnote to make the table a “stand alone” source of information. Letters in the table caption should be in Arial 10-point font (but can be reduced to a readable size if necessary). Figures with text should have Arial as the font style and must be at least 8 points or bigger. Graphs must have been generated preferably using the Excel program for uniformity. Microscopic illustrations should include magnification, preferably a bar denoting scale of measure.


Tables and figures should conform to the page size and style of the journal. Figures or tables should be prepared as camera-ready copy and submitted as excel or JPEG files. They should measure exactly 16 cm (1890 pixels) or 8 cm (945 pixels) wide. The height, however, can be varied to the maximum size of 23 cm, including label.


Electronic copy of picture must be submitted as JPEG picture files of at least 300 pixels per inch (PPI). Figures that do not meet this resolution requirement can have a poor printout. Paper submitted for initial assessment should have the tables, figures, photos/illustration incorporated in the text. During the final stage of paper preparations submit a separate file for the text document, tables and figures, photos/illustration. Do not incorporate tables in the text as this will be done by the PJCS.

Pagination. Number all pages of the manuscript consecutively at the right hand bottom corner of each page.

Numbers. Avoid beginning a sentence with a number. Spell out numerals from one to nine, except when followed by standard units of measure, and indefinite and approximate periods of time. Ordinal numbers should be treated as cardinal numbers (e.g. 8th,18th). Exceptions are numbers in tables, figures, graphs, and those in parenthesis.

Fractions. Spell out and hyphenate fractions (e.g. two-thirds). Exceptions are fractions in tables, figures, graphs, legends and those parenthesis.

Units and Symbols. Use recommended SI units and symbols. Use exponents instead of slash (e.g. kg ha-1). Use words when unit of measure is not involved (e.g. grains per panicle). In the case of range of values, indicate the unit at the end of the range (e.g. 10-15 t ha-1). Avoid beginning a sentence with a symbol. Use percent symbol (%) with figures only (e.g. 5%), and spell it out (percent) with written numbers. Indicate the US$ equivalent of other currencies at the first mention in the text, or indicate in a footnote in a table or a figure, if applicable.

Abbreviations and Acronyms. Spell out abbreviations and acronyms the first time they are used in the text (e.g. ATP for adenosine triphosphate, HYV for high yielding variety). Spell out abbreviations that are not generally known or specifically used in the paper at the first mention in the text. Commonly used abbreviations (e.g. ANOVA, DMRT, IQ, LSD, SD, etc.) need not be spelled out. For scientific names, shorten the generic name to the first capital letter followed by the species, by the 2nd time they are used. Spell out units of measure with five or less letters (when singular) as year, month, etc., except when preceded by a numeral from measurement. Abbreviate minute (min), second (s), hectare (ha), kilometer (km) and the rest, particularly for SI units. No period is needed at the end of each abbreviation and do not add “s” to the plural form. The PJCS generally adheres to the Council of Science Editors (CSE) in Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (7th ed, 2006).

Refereeing and Editing

Each manuscript submitted will be reviewed by two Referees. The Referees are asked to recommend to the Editors that a paper be accepted for publication, accepted after revision or rejected. A decision to accept the advice of the Referees to reject a paper is taken only after the paper has been read by two of the Editors. The Editors reserve the right to make alterations in manuscript submitted for publications. Such alterations will be made if manuscripts do not conform to the accepted scientific standards or if they contain matter which in the opinion of the Editors is unnecessarily verbose or repetitive. Papers that need extensive alteration will be returned to the Authors for checking and retyping. Unless such papers are returned within one month, they will be deemed to be new and given a revised date of receipt. The contents of the papers are the sole responsibility of the Author(s) and should not be construed to reflect the opinions of the Editor(s) and /or the Crop Science Society of the Philippines.

Papers should have undergone English editing and submitted to the journal with accompanying signed certificate by the English editor. Papers which still needed English editing will be charged accordingly.

Proof and Reprints. Galley proofs are sent to the Authors for correction of printer’s and similar errors. Avoid major alteration of the original text. Return proofs within 7 days. Reprints may be ordered at the Author’s expense at the proof stage.

Publication and Review Fee. Upon acceptance of the paper for review, authors will be requested to pay a review fee of PhP2000 for CSSP member, PhP2500 for non-member and PhP 3000 for foreign authors.

For the publication fee, the journal will charge CSSP members a fee of PhP1000 per page for black and white and PhP2000 for colored pages. Non-members will be charged PhP1200 for black and white and PhP2500 for colored pages. Foreign authors will be charged PhP1400 per page for black and white and PhP3000 per page for colored pages. Authors will be provided with a printing invoice along with the pre-printing proof of their article for proof-reading and will be requested to pay half of the total publication fee before printing. Full payment must be made after the release of the journal.