Announcements

More than 100 German universities and research institutions have entered into a national agreement with MDPI. The publication agreement negotiated by ZB MED comes into effect on 1 January 2025 and is valid until the end of 2026. Joining the consortium is still possible until the beginning of 2025. We are delighted by the high level of interest this agreement has already garnered, reflecting the strong demand for accessible and cost-effective open access publishing solutions among German research institutions.

This new cooperation aims to make scientific gold open access publishing more affordable and less administratively burdensome for researchers in Germany. The agreement includes substantial discounts on article processing charges (APCs) for corresponding authors from participating institutions. It offers flexible payment options, including centralized invoicing or individual payment of fees by researchers or their institutions. Additionally, the agreement features a flat-fee model that enables institutions to precisely plan expenses and optimize their library budgets.

"MDPI can look back on over a decade of successful partnerships with German research institutions," says Peter Roth, MDPI Head of Publishing. "The new agreement marks another milestone in the long-standing co-operation between MDPI and the German scientific community. It emphasizes our commitment to developing up-to-date and inventive solutions for the diverse needs of scientific institutions to promote open research for the benefit of researchers."

Petra Labriga, Head of Strategic License Management at ZB MED, highlighted the agreement's significance: "As one of the world's leading Gold OA publishers, MDPI plays a central role in the German publishing landscape. We are particularly pleased that we were able to achieve considerable potential cost savings for scientific institutions and their authors at a national level through our negotiations."

The partnership reflects a common goal of advancing the idea of open access and supporting researchers in making their scientific excellence internationally visible.

"We would like to thank the ZB MED consortium team for their excellent collaboration," added Adrian Stefan Zamfir, MDPI Institutional Partnership Manager for the DACH region. "We are delighted that this agreement will give even more researchers in Germany access to our tried-and-tested and reliable publication platform."

Franziska Fischer (right), Commercial Director at ZB MED, an Peter Roth (left), Head of Publishing at MDPI, celebrate the signing of the new national open access agreement between MDPI and the ZB MED Consortium.

More Information

• Conditions and participation opportunities (German): Link
• Frequently asked questions (German): Link

Contact

• ZB MED: Team Konsortiallizenzen (konsortiallizenzen@zbmed.de) - Website
  MDPI: Adrian Stefan Zamfir, Institutional Partnership Manager (zamfir@mdpi.com)
  
  

About ZB MED

ZB MED - Information Centre for Life Sciences is an infrastructure and research centre for life science information and data. Its aim is to support and strengthen research for people and the environment: from medicine to biodiversity and environmental protection.

The work of ZB MED is orientated towards the strategic guidelines:

• Research + Networking: We conduct research together with the regionally, nationally, European and globally networked research community.
• Data science: We enable data analyses and generate new knowledge through research.
• Access to information: We provide sustainable access to information, literature and data as a central information infrastructure.
• Open + FAIR: We promote open and reproducible science in line with open science and FAIR principles.
• Knowledge and skills transfer: We actively impart knowledge, competences and skills.

More information at www.zbmed.de.

About MDPI

Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, MDPI is one of the world's leading open access publishers with a current portfolio of more than 440 journals in all scientific disciplines. MDPI‘s goal is to advance open science worldwide through greater transparency, efficiency and collaboration. To date, more than 3.7 million researchers have published their results in MDPI journals. The editorial process is overseen by a large network of dedicated reviewers and editors and supported by more than 6500 MDPI employees. MDPI currently works with over 800 academic institutions and 180 scientific societies worldwide, which benefit from a wide range of MDPI services and products.

We are pleased to announce a series of updates to our template, aimed at improving the readability and overall aesthetics of our publications. These changes have been meticulously designed to enhance the user experience and ensure consistency across all our publications. The updated template will be available for download from the Instructions for Authors page.

The following updates will be applied to articles published in the 2025 volumes, starting on 24 December 2024:

• Main text: The line spacing has been increased to improve the readability of publications;
• Header and footer: The link to the journal website will be removed, as a hyperlink has been integrated into the journal logo. Additionally, the DOI link will be moved from the left-hand side to the right-hand side, and both the header and footer will be slightly raised to achieve a better balance;
• Left information bar: The information provided here has been rearranged for better organization; the CC-BY logo will be removed;
• Font size: The font size used for the abstract, keywords, and first-level headings will be increased.

Furthermore, MDPI journals will continue to use article numbers. This approach enables us to maintain a rapid and efficient production process by being able to define pagination as soon as a paper is accepted.

We hope that the new version of the template will provide users with a better experience and make the process more convenient.

Please contact production@mdpi.com if you have any questions or suggestions.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 685 Editorial Board Members of our journals – from 39 different countries and territories – who have been recognized as Highly Cited Researchers for 2024 by Clarivate. This distinction highlights their exceptional scientific achievements and significant contributions, which transcend academic boundaries to advance global knowledge, sustainability, security, and well-being.

Clarivate's annual Highly Cited Researcher™ list identifies the most influential scientists of the past decade, whose work has had a profound and widespread impact across various scientific and social science disciplines. Their impactful papers rank among the top 1% by citations in one or more of the 21 fields analyzed within the "Essential Science Indicators," marking them as leaders in their respective domains.

"Highly Cited Researchers have demonstrated significant and broad influence in their field(s) of research," according to Clarivate. In 2024, a total of 6,886 Highly Cited Researcher designations were awarded to 6,636 individuals.

The following is a list of MDPI's Editorial Board Members named Highly Cited Researchers in 2024. We congratulate them for their achievement and their contributions to advancing knowledge in their respective fields.

We are thrilled to welcome you to join the upcoming 4th International Electronic Conference on Agronomy (IECAG 2024) from 2 to 5 December 2024, proudly sponsored by the MDPI open access journal Agronomy (ISSN: 2073-4395).

It will be a 4-day, 7-session e-conference, with speakers from 25 countries, 1 plenary, 14 keynote speakers, 5 invited speakers, and 39 selected talks. So far, 184 abstracts have been accepted, and more than 600 registrations have been made. Zoom links will be available from 27 November 2024.

In line with our commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, this electronic conference will provide a unique platform for researchers to showcase their work, discuss groundbreaking findings, and engage in meaningful conversations with fellow experts.

More information can be found at: https://sciforum.net/event/IECAG2024?subscribe&section=#program_overview.

Conference Overview: This virtual conference will be held at www.sciforum.net, a platform developed and sponsored by MDPI to organize and provide technical support for electronic conferences. The virtual format offers the distinct advantage of eliminating the need for travel and its associated expenses, allowing broad participation without any logistical constraints.

Chair and Session Chairs:

Program Overview:

Sessions:

S1. Crops;
S2. Breeding/Selection Technologies and Strategies;
S3. Sustainable Soil Management and Farming Systems;
S4. Precision and Digital Agriculture;
S5. Biostimulation and Biocontrol Microbial-Based Strategies;
S6. Plant–Crop Biology and Biochemistry;
S7. Water Use and Irrigation.

Free-of-Charge Participation: We are pleased to inform you that participation in this conference is entirely free of charge for both authors and attendees. The accepted proceedings papers will likely be published in the MDPI Biology and Life Sciences Forum journal, available online on the MDPI website. Selected extended versions of the papers will be published in a Special Issue of the journal Agronomy with a 15% discount on the article processing charge.

Awards and Opportunities: The best oral presentation and best poster awards will receive an award of CHF 200, along with an offer to publish an extended paper in the Special Issue of Agronomy.

We encourage you to explore the conference platform and guidelines provided in advance for a smooth experience. Our dedicated support team is available should you have any queries or require assistance.

We look forward to engaging in exciting discussions and hearing new ideas and perspectives from experts in the field. All participants are welcome to join the online conference and contribute to the vibrant intellectual exchange that makes events like IECAG 2024 exceptional.

We are honored to announce that Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn will serve as the Chair of the 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee.

Name: Prof. Dr. A. Douglas Kinghorn
Affiliation: College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, USA

Prof. Dr. Kinghorn is a leading expert in pharmacognosy and natural products research. He is recognized for his key contributions to discovering bioactive compounds from plants, especially in anticancer, cancer chemopreventive, and substances with a sweet taste and taste-modifying agents. His prolific contributions include over 590 peer-reviewed works and edited or co-edited 40 scientific volumes.

The 2024 Tu Youyou Award Committee, under Prof. Dr. Kinghorn's guidance, will focus on identifying innovative research in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. The committee will aim to identify groundbreaking work with the potential to lead to significant advancements in these areas.

We are confident that, with Prof. Dr. Kinghorn at the helm, the 2024 Tu Youyou Award will continue to inspire excellence and innovation in the related fields.

About the Tu Youyou Award
Established in 2016, the Tu Youyou Award seeks to honor those who excel in the fields of natural products chemistry and medicinal chemistry. This award offers a total prize of CHF 100,000, which will be equally divided among the winners if there is more than one, with each recipient receiving an award medal.

The 2024 Tu Youyou Award remains open for nominations until 31 December 2024. We encourage all eligible candidates to participate in this prestigious recognition, as this award not only honors individual achievement but also encourages further scientific exchange, exploration and discovery in critical areas of medicine.

If you are interested in participating, please visit the Tu Youyou Award website for more information on the nomination requirements.

1. “Very Early Biomarkers Screening for Water Deficit Tolerance in Commercial Eucalyptus Clones”
by Thais R. Corrêa, Edgard Augusto de T. Picoli, Washington Luiz Pereira, Samyra A. Condé, Rafael T. Resende, Marcos Deon V. de Resende, Weverton Gomes da Costa, Cosme Damião Cruz and Edival Angelo V. Zauza
Agronomy 2023, 13(3), 937; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13030937
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/3/937

2. “Impact of the Farming System and Amino-Acid Biostimulants on the Content of Carotenoids, Fatty Acids, and Polyphenols in Alternative and Common Barley Genotypes”
by Rafał Nowak, Małgorzata Szczepanek, Karolina Błaszczyk, Joanna Kobus-Cisowska, Anna Przybylska-Balcerek, Kinga Stuper-Szablewska, Jarosław Pobereżny, Mohammad Bagher Hassanpouraghdam and Farzad Rasouli
Agronomy 2023, 13(7), 1852; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13071852
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/7/1852

3. “Effects of Organic Amendments on Soil Pore Structure under Waterlogging Stress”
by Kefan Xuan, Xiaopeng Li, Jiabao Zhang, Yifei Jiang, Bin Ma and Jianli Liu
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020289
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/2/289

4. “Agricultural Water Quality Assessment and Application in the Yellow River Delta”
by Yunpeng Sun, Xiaobing Chen, Yongming Luo, Dan Cao, Hongyu Feng, Xin Zhang and Rongjiang Yao
Agronomy 2023, 13(6), 1495; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13061495
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/6/1495

5. “Compost Tea as Organic Fertilizer and Plant Disease Control: Bibliometric Analysis”
by Ricardo Israel Ramírez-Gottfried, Pablo Preciado-Rangel, Mario García Carrillo, Alain Buendía García, Gabriela González-Rodríguez and Bernardo Espinosa-Palomeque
Agronomy 2023, 13(9), 2340; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13092340
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/9/2340

6. “N₂ Use in Perennial Swards Intercropped with Young Poplars, Clone I-214 (Populus × euramericana (Dode) Guinier), in the Mediterranean Area under Rainfed Conditions”
by Lorenzo Gabriele Tramacere, Massimo Sbrana and Daniele Antichi
Agronomy 2023, 13(7), 1761; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13071761
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/7/1761

7. “Quantifying CO₂ Emissions and Carbon Sequestration from Digestate-Amended Soil Using Natural ¹³C Abundance as a Tracer”
by Gregory Reuland, Steven Sleutel, Haichao Li, Harmen Dekker, Ivona Sigurnjak and Erik Meers
Agronomy 2023, 13(10), 2501; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13102501
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/10/2501

8. “Fodder Galega—Persistence as a Special Asset in Sustainable Agriculture”
by Stanisław Ignaczak, Jadwiga Andrzejewska and Katarzyna Sadowska
Agronomy 2023, 13(10), 2587; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13102587
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/10/2587

9. “Different Response of Carbon and P-Related Soil Properties toward Microbial Fertilizer Application”
by Jacek Długosz and Anna Piotrowska-Długosz
Agronomy 2023, 13(11), 2751; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13112751
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/11/2751

10. “Sustainable Management of Anaerobic Digestate: From Biogas Plant to Full-Scale Cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus”
by Veronica Zuffi, Federico Puliga, Alessandra Zambonelli, Lorenzo Trincone, Santiago Sanchez-Cortes and Ornella Francioso
Agronomy 2023, 13(4), 950; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13040950
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/4/950

1. “Agrivoltaics: The Environmental Impacts of Combining Food Crop Cultivation and Solar Energy Generation”
by Moritz Wagner, Jan Lask, Andreas Kiesel, Iris Lewandowski, Axel Weselek, Petra Högy, Max Trommsdorff, Marc-André Schnaiker and Andrea Bauerle
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 299; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020299
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/2/299

2. “Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Improve Germination and Bioactive Compounds in Cucumber Seedlings”
by Laura-Andrea Pérez-García, Jorge Sáenz-Mata, Manuel Fortis-Hernández, Claudia Estefanía Navarro-Muñoz, Rubén Palacio-Rodríguez and Pablo Preciado-Rangel
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020315
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/2/315

3. “Biofertilization with PGP Bacteria Improve Strawberry Plant Performance under Sub-Optimum Phosphorus Fertilization”
by Pedro Valle-Romero, Jesús V. García-López, Susana Redondo-Gómez, Noris J. Flores-Duarte, Ignacio D. Rodríguez-Llorente, Yanina Lorena Idaszkin, Eloisa Pajuelo and Enrique Mateos-Naranjo
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020335
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/2/335

4. “Integrating Agrivoltaic Systems into Local Industries: A Case Study and Economic Analysis of Rural Japan”
by Hideki Nakata and Seiichi Ogata
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 513; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020513
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/2/513 

5. “Removal of Two Triazole Fungicides from Agricultural Wastewater in Pilot-Scale Horizontal Subsurface Flow Constructed Wetlands”
by Paraskevas Parlakidis, Ioanna Gounari, Aristidis Georgiou, George Adamidis, Zisis Vryzas and Georgios D. Gikas
Agronomy 2023, 13(1), 265; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13010265
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/1/265 

6. “Capsaicinoid Content in the Pericarp and Placenta of Bolilla Peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) throughout the Ripening of the Fruit at Two Different Stages of Plant Maturation”
by Mercedes Vázquez-Espinosa, María Álvarez-Romero, Ana V. González-de-Peredo, Ana Ruíz-Rodríguez, Marta Ferreiro-González, Gerardo F. Barbero and Miguel Palma
Agronomy 2023, 13(2), 435; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13020435
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/2/435 

7. “Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Their Applications in Enhancing Plant Stress Resistance: A Review”
by Zijun Wang, Sijin Wang, Tingting Ma, You Liang, Zhongyang Huo and Fengping Yang
Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 3060; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13123060
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/12/3060

8. “Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy to Assess Compost Maturity Degree during Composting”
by Yao-Tsung Chang, Chia-Hsing Lee, Chi-Ying Hsieh, Ting-Chien Chen and Shih-Hao Jien
Agronomy 2023, 13(7), 1870; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13071870
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/7/1870

9. “Influence of Extraction Methods on the Phytochemical Profile of Sambucus nigra L.”
by Doris Floares (Oarga), Ileana Cocan, Ersilia Alexa, Mariana-Atena Poiana, Adina Berbecea, Marius Valentin Boldea, Monica Negrea, Diana Obistioiu and Isidora Radulov
Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 3061; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13123061
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/12/3061

10. “The Role of Buildings in Rural Areas: Trends, Challenges, and Innovations for Sustainable Development”
by Alessia Cogato, Leonardo Cei, Francesco Marinello and Andrea Pezzuolo
Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 1961; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13081961
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/8/1961

Conference: Plant & Animal Genome 32 Conference
Organization: Scherago International
Date: 10–15 January 2025
Place: San Diego, CA, USA

MDPI journals will be attending the Plant & Animal Genome 32 Conference as exhibitors. This meeting will be held at the Town & Country Resort and Conference Center, San Diego, USA, from 10 to 15 January 2025. 

The Plant & Animal Genome Conference (PAG) will bring together the leading genetic scientists and researchers involved in plant and animal research and related areas. With 62 countries typically represented, the Plant & Animal Genome Conference provides an established forum for the exchange of information internationally as well as in the USA. Approximately 39% of attendees travel to the PAG from outside the USA, making the conference a truly global event. Of the attendees, 73% checked “Plant” and 27% checked “Animal” as their areas of interest.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Plants;
• Agronomy;
• Life;
• Epigenomes;
• Biochem;
• Current Issues in Molecular Biology (CIMB);
• International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS);
• Animals;
• International Journal of Plant Biology (IJPB);
• Taxonomy;
• Crops;
• Agriculture;
• Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens (JZBG);
• Horticulturae;
• Genes;
• Grasses;
• Seeds.

The 3rd International Conference on Rice for the Future will be at the Grand Richmond Stylish Convention Hotel Nonthaburi from 14 to 15 November 2024. This conference is organized by the Thailand Rice Science Research Hub of Knowledge, Rice Science Center, Kasetsart University and National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA). As we deal with the future, rice as an important crop has a significant role in feeding the increasing world population amid challenges faced by all sectors related to cultivation and rice industry. This year’s conference will focus on a wider range of topics including rice omics and breeding, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, climate change and rice, novel processing and product development for healthy rice products, health, medical and pharmaceutical-related products, and agri-technology. The scientific program will include plenary lectures, invited speakers, oral, and poster presentations.

MDPI will be attending the conference as an exhibitor from 14 to 15 November 2024, and we welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

The following MDPI journalagronos will be represented:

• Agronomy;
• Agriculture;
• Plants;
• Foods;
• Crops;
• Seeds;
• IJPB.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at the MDPI booth and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://events.thailandricehub.org/icrf/index.php.