Journal of Horticultural Science

Journal of Horticultural Science
Title	Journal of Horticultural Science
Discipline	Horticulture
Language	English
Abbreviation	J. Hortic. Sci.
Publisher	(various)
Country	United Kingdom
Frequency	Quarterly
History	19XX–present

Journal of Horticultural Science is a peer-reviewed scientific periodical focusing on Horticulture and allied plant sciences, publishing original research, reviews, and technical notes. The journal has been referenced alongside publications from Royal Horticultural Society, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and international institutions such as University of California, Davis, Wageningen University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Indian Council of Agricultural Research. It occupies a niche connecting applied research practiced at Kew Gardens, Rothamsted Research, Boyce Thompson Institute, Missouri Botanical Garden, and experimental programs at Cornell University and University of Florida.

History

The journal emerged in the 20th century amid initiatives at Royal Horticultural Society and academic programs at University of Reading, University of Bristol, University of Edinburgh, and University of Glasgow to formalize horticultural research dissemination. Early editorial contributions came from figures affiliated with Kew Gardens and the Scottish Horticultural Society, mirroring contemporaneous growth in journals such as Annals of Botany, Journal of Experimental Botany, HortScience, and Scientia Horticulturae. Over successive decades it navigated changes in publishing driven by organizations like Elsevier, Springer Nature, Wiley-Blackwell, and Taylor & Francis, and responded to policy shifts influenced by bodies such as Research Councils UK and the European Commission.

Scope and Aims

The journal’s remit includes research on fruit breeding initiatives from programs at USDA, Institute of Horticulture (Poland), and National Horticultural Research Institute (India), as well as studies in vegetable physiology represented by researchers at University of California, Davis, North Carolina State University, University of Toronto, and Purdue University. It targets topics spanning postharvest physiology relevant to Food and Agriculture Organization standards, plant pathology work seen at Sainsbury Laboratory, and crop improvement projects linked to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation funded programs. The aims emphasize translational outputs for horticulturalists connected to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, nursery industries in Holland, temperate fruit research at INRAE, and protected-cultivation studies in Israel Agricultural Research Organization.

Publication and Editorial Information

Editorial leadership has historically included professors from University of Reading, Wye College, University of Nottingham, University of Bristol, and specialist editors with ties to Royal Horticultural Society and Kew Gardens. The peer-review process aligns with standards promoted by Committee on Publication Ethics and publishing workflows employed by CrossRef and ORCID registries. Production collaborates with indexing services such as Web of Science, Scopus, and library consortia associated with British Library and Library of Congress. Special issues have been guest-edited in partnership with institutions such as Wageningen University & Research, University of California, and CSIRO.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is indexed alongside other horticultural outlets in databases including Web of Science, Scopus, CAB Abstracts, and regional indexes used by China National Knowledge Infrastructure and India Citation Index. Citation metrics are reported in contexts with journals like HortTechnology, Scientia Horticulturae, Tree Physiology, and Journal of Applied Ecology, and are tracked by services operated by Clarivate Analytics and Elsevier.

Notable Articles and Impact

Notable articles have addressed topics such as fruit genomics paralleling work from John Innes Centre, postharvest treatments echoing studies at U.S. Department of Agriculture, and grafting science linked to researchers from IRRI and CIMMYT. The journal’s contributions have been cited in policy briefs by Food and Agriculture Organization, breeding program reports from World Vegetable Center, and technical manuals distributed by United Nations Environment Programme. It has influenced cultivar development efforts and extension services coordinated by county agricultural extension networks and national research institutes including CSIR laboratories and Agricultural Research Service units.

Access and Availability

Access models have shifted from subscription arrangements common to publishers like Wiley-Blackwell and Springer toward hybrid and open-access options advocated by Plan S, Wellcome Trust, and university mandates from University of Oxford and Harvard University. Libraries catalog holdings under systems maintained by OCLC and interlibrary loan facilitated through networks such as British Library and Library of Congress. Authors often deposit versions in repositories such as Zenodo or institutional archives at University of Cambridge and University of Sydney.

Related Journals and Societies

Peer journals and societies in the field include HortScience, Scientia Horticulturae, Journal of Experimental Botany, Annals of Botany, International Society for Horticultural Science, Royal Horticultural Society, American Society for Horticultural Science, European Society for Horticultural Science, and national bodies such as Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Chinese Society for Horticultural Science, and Australian Society of Plant Scientists. Collaborative conferences and symposia often occur at venues like Kew Gardens, Wageningen Campus, Royal Society, FAO Headquarters, and university centers including Cornell University and University of California, Davis.

Category:Horticultural journals