Announcements
1 July 2025
Meet Us at the SEB Annual Conference Antwerp 2025, 8–11 July 2025, Antwerp, Belgium
27 June 2025
Meet Us Virtually at the 3rd International Online Conference on Agriculture (IOCAG 2025), 22–24 October 2025
26 June 2025
Empowering Academic Growth with MDPI Scientific Publishing Exchange at Chiang Mai University, 9 July 2025, Chiang Mai, Thailand
We are delighted to announce a scientific publishing exchange organized by Plants (ISSN: 2223-7747) in partnership with Chiang Mai University. Participants will explore cutting-edge strategies for navigating the peer-review process, refine their manuscript preparation techniques to boost publication impact, and connect with editors through interactive discussions.
Plants and Chiang Mai University are proud to offer this unique platform for early-career researchers to elevate their publishing expertise. We encourage you to seize this opportunity, which marks a pivotal step in advancing your academic influence and research visibility.
Date: 9 July 2025
Time: 9:30 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
Location: Building No1 room 1-111-112, Faculty of Agro-industry, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Language: Thai
Registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XZ2LKL8
Schedule:
| Speaker | Program | Time |
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Assoc. Prof. Kittisak Jantanasakulwong (Chair) |
Opening Speech |
9:30—9:40 a.m. |
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Mr. Pongsakorn Vithayanon |
MDPI and Plants Journal Introduction |
9:40—10:00 a.m. |
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Dr. Krit Inthajak |
How to Write Scientific Papers |
10:00—10:30 a.m. |
| Q&A Session | 10:30—10:40 a.m. | |
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Ms. Hathaipat Kittirojana |
Understanding Data Visualization in Academic Papers |
10:40—11:10 a.m. |
| Q&A Session | 11:10—11:20 a.m. | |
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Ms. Ploy Assavajamroon |
Artificial Intelligence in Scientific Publishing |
11:20—11:50 a.m. |
| Q&A Session | 11:50 a.m.—12:00 p.m. |
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Chair: |
Biography |
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Assoc. Prof. Kittisak Jantanasakulwong is an Associate Professor in the Department of Packaging Technology, Faculty of Agro-Industry, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. He holds a Ph.D. in organic and polymeric materials from the Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan. His academic work focuses on biomaterials, biopolymers, polymer science, and packaging technology. His current research emphasizes advancing knowledge in materials science, biological systems, and food sciences, with applications in engineering and environmental contexts. In 2021, Assoc. Prof. Kittisak was honored with the Young Outstanding Alumni Award by the Tokyo Tech Alumni Association (Thailand Chapter). In 2023, he received Gold, Silver, and Bronze prizes for his research at the Seoul International Invention Fair, along with several other accolades. His work has been consistently supported by the National Research Council of Thailand in recent years. He is currently an Assistant Dean and researcher at the Faculty of Agro-Industry, Chiang Mai University, Thailand. |
MDPI speakers:
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Speaker |
Biography |
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Mr. Pongsakorn Vithayanon obtained his master's degree in food biotechnology from the Faculty of Biotechnology, Assumption University, USA. He joined MDPI in February 2023 as an Assistant Editor for IJMS. He was appointed as a Section Managing Editor in 2024 and worked as a Group Leader from 2024 to present. He is now one of MDPI’s Journal Relations Specialists for the Editorial Office of IJMS. |
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Dr. Krit Inthajak obtained his Ph.D. in engineering and technology from Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology, Thammasat University, Thailand. He joined MDPI in March 2020 as an Assistant Editor for Molecules. He was appointed as a Section Managing Editor in 2021 and worked as a Group Leader from 2021 to 2024. He is now one of MDPI's Regional Journal Relations Specialists for the Asia–Pacific region. |
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Ms. Hathaipat Kittirojana obtained her master’s degree in food science and biotechnology from Teesside University, UK. She joined MDPI in December 2020 as an Assistant Editor for the Journal of Imaging. She was appointed as a Section Managing Editor in March 2023 and a Regional Journal Relations Specialist for the Asia–Pacific region in July 2024. |
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Ms. Ploy Assavajamroon obtained her master’s degree in chemistry from Thammasat University, Thailand, in 2020 and joined MDPI as an Assistant Editor for the journal Crystals in the same year. She became a Section Managing Editor in 2021 and a Group Leader in 2022. She is currently one of MDPI’s Regional Journal Relations Specialists for the Asia–Pacific region. |
24 June 2025
Meet Us at the Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America 2025, 10–15 August 2025, Baltimore, MD, USA
20 June 2025
Plants Receives an Updated Impact Factor of 4.1
10 June 2025
Meet Us at the 52nd Annual Meeting & International Symposium (KMB 2025), 25–27 June 2025, Busan, Republic of Korea
10 June 2025
Plants Receives an Increased CiteScore of 7.6
3 June 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #23 - MDPI Summits Spain & Italy, Ei Compendex, and Editorial Independence
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
Highlights from the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona (21-22 May)
In May we hosted the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona – our second summit in the city following the inaugural one in November 2023.
Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI) at the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona, 22 May 2025.
Creating a space for exchange of views
The goal of our summits is to bring together Chief Editors of MDPI journals from across disciplines and institutions. These intimate gatherings provide a platform to present the latest developments at MDPI and to initiate open conversations about our journals, the future of open access, and the evolving landscape of scientific publishing.
Most importantly, these are opportunities for in-person connection, providing a more meaningful space for the exchange of views and for building long-term relationships.
Exploring the future of scientific publishing in Spain
The summit took place on 21–22 May and featured a mix of MDPI presentations (including two guest presentations), roundtable discussions, and Q&A sessions. On the first day, we held a focused session with our Chief Editors to gather feedback and have open discussions on their journal development, the peer-review process, and local accreditation systems.
Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI, presents MDPI’s Editorial Process and Peer Review Quality Metrics at the MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona, 22 May 2025.
I had the pleasure of opening the Summit with a welcome address and an overview of MDPI’s recent milestones. The agenda then included the following sessions:
- MDPI and Recent Developments in the Spanish Market – Dr. Marta Colomer (Public Affairs Specialist, MDPI)
- MDPI Editorial Process and Peer Review Quality Metrics – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
- Open Access in Spain – Dr. Remedios Melero (Researcher, CSIC – guest speaker)
- AI in Publishing and MDPI's Actions – Dr. Enric Sayas (Business Analyst, MDPI), Daniele Raimondi (Data Scientist, MDPI), and Dr. Alexandre López-Borrull (Researcher, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya – guest speaker)
- Publication Ethics – Ana Stankovic (Research Integrity and Publication Ethics, MDPI)
- Opening and Closing remarks were provided by Rocksy Zhang (Editorial Director, MDPI)
We are extremely grateful for the strong engagement shown by our Editors, who were clearly appreciative of the event and the discussions we had. They felt seen and heard, which is a vital prerequisite for building open channels of communication and cultivating productive long-term collaborations.
MDPI colleagues during MDPI Spain Summit in Barcelona (22 May 2025).
A big thank-you to the entire Barcelona team for organizing such a successful event!
Upcoming MDPI Summit events:
- Italy Summit – Rome (26–27 May)
- US Summit – Boston, MA (5–6 June)
- France Summit – Paris (12–13 June)
- US Summit – Houston, TX (26–27 June)
- UK Summit – London (16–17 September)
- Germany Summit – Berlin (18–19 September)
- Romania Summit – Bucharest (23–24 October)
...with more in between, and more to follow.
Impactful Research
50 MDPI Journals Now Indexed in Ei Compendex
Indexing is a key indicator of a journal’s scientific impact. An indexed journal gives research greater visibility and credibility within the global academic community and is recognized for its quality and relevance. While many of our journals are included in major databases such as Web of Science and Scopus, MDPI also places strong emphasis on journal inclusion in subject-specific indexing platforms that align with each journal’s scope. This ensures that when you publish with MDPI, you publish with impact.
I’m pleased to share that as at May 2025, 51 of our journals are now indexed in Ei Compendex, a leading bibliographic database for engineering and applied sciences. This is a major milestone that reflects both the quality or our editorial processes and the relevance of the research we publish in these fields.
“When you publish with MDPI, you publish with impact”
Discoverability and reach
Inclusion in Ei Compendex means greater discoverability for our authors and broader reach of our journals in the fields of engineering and technology. It improves our ability to support global research and innovation, while building MDPI’s reputation in the applied sciences. This recognition is the result of the dedicated work of our editorial teams, reviewers, and authors, and of our overall commitment to excellence in publishing.
You can read our full announcement here.
Appreciative thanks to everyone involved in reaching this milestone.
Inside MDPI
One Year of MDPI’s Seoul Office
On 29 April, we marked one year since the opening of our Seoul office, MDPI’s first local hub in South Korea. South Korea is a key market for MDPI, currently ranking as our sixth-largest contributor to the company’s total publications, with over 89,000 MDPI articles authored by individuals affiliated with Korean institutions. Over the past 12 months, the Seoul team has made great strides in building our visibility, networks, and presence in the region.
A few highlights from the past year
Claude Seo (MDPI Korea Office Manager, Seoul)
Claude Seo, who has over 15 years of experience in the academic publishing industry, is the Office Manager of the Seoul office.
In its inaugural year, the Seoul office focused primarily on marketing and promotional activities to support the MDPI brand locally. During that time, the team concentrated on scholar visits to local institutions, attending academic conferences, and hosting editorial board meetings.
The team also secured 10 Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) renewals, signed three new IOAP agreements, and established one new Society affiliation.
The Seoul office also hosted its first library book fair and reached over 1,000 followers on its LinkedIn channel, which is an encouraging indication of local visibility and engagement.
“The Seoul team has made strides in building our visibility, networks, and presence in the region”
Growth plans
Later this year, we are working on opening a new Seoul office in a more central location, with room for our growing team. The new space will bring us closer to other publishing partners and provide easier access to and from the airport. The Seoul office will continue to expand its efforts in outreach and engagement as its builds its presence in South Korea.
Warm thanks to the entire Seoul team for their hard work and dedication, and to all MDPI colleagues who have contributed to this exciting chapter in our global journey.
Coming Together for Science
Highlights from the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (26–27 May)
We closed the month of May by hosting the first MDPI Italy Summit in Rome. This was an important event for us, as Italy has consistently ranked among the top ten countries globally for open access publications over the past decade.
MDPI and Italy: Facts & Figures
- With over 144,000 publications (as at 31 May 2025), Italy is MDPI’s third largest contributor after China and the USA.
- In 2024, MDPI was the second-largest publishing house in Italy.
- The 7,165 Editorial Board Members (EBMs) drawn from Italian institutions represent 8.9% of all MDPI academic editors.
- Among these, 319 serve as Editors-in-Chief (EiCs) or Section Editors-in-Chief (SEiCs).
- Eleven Italian EBMs were recognized as 2024 Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers.
- In 2024, MDPI received 24,873 review reports and collaborated with 88,578 reviewers from Italy.
- 23,131 Guest Editors from Italian institutions led 4,827 Special Issues across 248 MDPI journals.
- MDPI partners with over 900 institutions globally, of which 17 are in Italy.
The MDPI Italy Summit in Rome
Dr. Prof. Giulio Cerullo, EiC of Applied Sciences, at the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).
Held on 26–27 May, the MDPI Italy Summit brought together 25 Chief Editors from across our journal portfolio, including some of our largest journals such as Applied Sciences, to discuss MDPI’s latest developments and collaborations in the Italian market, our use of data intelligence and AI to support strategic decision-making, a look into our editorial process, peer-review quality metrics, and conversations around research integrity and community engagement.
The Summit featured MDPI presentations followed by Q&A and concluded with a roundtable discussion. On the evening of the 26th, we hosted a dinner with our Editors to connect personally, learn more about their research, and hear feedback on journal operations and the broader academic landscape in Italy.
Gathering of Editors-in-Chief and MDPI staff at the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).
Event Agenda – 27 May
Moderated by Maddalena Favaretto (Conference Scientific Advisor, MDPI), the program featured:
- MDPI Overview, Achievements, Latest News and Future Developments – Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI)
- Country Report: Italy – Dr. Laura Perez Martin (Conference Assistant, MDPI)
- AI in Publishing and MDPI’s Actions – Dr. Andrea Perlato (Head of Data Analytics, MDPI)
- MDPI Editorial Process and Research Integrity – Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI)
- Panel Discussion – Stefan, Andrea, Giulia
Panel Discussion with Stefan Tochev (CEO, MDPI), Dr. Giulia Stefenelli (Scientific Communications Lead, MDPI), Dr. Andrea Perlato (Head of Data Analytics, MDPI) during the MDPI Italy Summit in Rome (27 May 2025).
A big thank-you to our Conference team and everyone who worked behind the scenes to make these events run smoothly.
Closing Thoughts
Upholding Editorial Independence in Scholarly Publishing
A recent MDPI blog post written by Dr. Ioana Craciun (Scientific Communications Specialist, MDPI), “Editorial Independence and Publisher Support: Collaborating to Uphold Integrity,” highlights the important balance between editorial autonomy and publisher collaboration in academic publishing.
As the leading fully Open Access scholarly publisher, we are proud to champion editorial independence within our publishing process.
Drawing from the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) guidelines, the article emphasizes that while editors must have the freedom to make decisions based on scholarly merit, publishers play a critical role in providing the necessary infrastructure and tools to support the editorial process. This collaborative approach ensures the integrity of the peer review process, builds trust among authors and readers, and upholds the quality and relevance of published content.
MDPI highlights its commitment to this model by investing in research integrity specialists, AI tools for plagiarism detection, and administrative support, all aimed at empowering editors to make independent, informed decisions.
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
30 May 2025
International Day of Potato—“Shaping History, Feeding the Future”, 30 May 2025
The second International Day of Potato will be held on 30 May 2025, with the theme “Shaping History, Nourishing the Future”. The theme highlights the profound historical and cultural significance of the potato and its evolving role in today’s global agricultural system. As the world’s fourth largest staple food crop, the importance of potatoes in food security, nutritional supply and climate change adaptation cannot be ignored.
From an academic perspective, potatoes have significant agronomic advantages: their carbohydrate yield per unit area is higher than that of cereal crops, they are widely adaptable and have high water use efficiency. In addition, potato tubers are rich in vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber.
The International Day of Potato highlights the value potatoes have in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through scientific research cooperation, policy advocacy and technology promotion. As parts of a global open access academic publisher, MDPI’s journals from Biology & Life Sciences subject such as Agriculture, Dietetics, Horticulturae, Plants and Seeds are willing to participate and provide a high-quality sharing platform for the academic community to jointly optimize potato germplasm innovation, sustainable agriculture and post-harvest value chain construction.
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“Compost and Vermicompost as Substrates Enriched with Trichoderma asperellum for the Production of Basic Potato Seed in the Venezuelan Andes”
by Haydee Peña, Fernando Diánez, Beatriz Ramírez, José Sulbarán, Karen Arias, Victoria Huertas and Mila Santos
Horticulturae 2025, 11(2), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11020124
“Morphological and Molecular Characterization of the Potato Rot Nematode, Ditylenchus destructor, Parasitizing Garli”
by Sungchan Huh, Sohee Park, Hwanseok Je, Namsook Park, Donggeun Kim, Insoo Choi and Heonil Kang
Horticulturae 2024, 10(9), 902; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10090902
“Crop Nutrition and Soil Fertility Management in Organic Potato Production Systems”
by Anita Ierna and Miriam Distefano
Horticulturae 2024, 10(8), 886; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10080886
“Leaf Membrane Stability under High Temperatures as an Indicator of Heat Tolerance in Potatoes and Genome-Wide Association Studies to Understand the Underlying Genetics”
by Amaka M. Ifeduba, Shuyang Zhen, Jeewan Pandey and M. Isabel Vales
Plants 2024, 13(16), 2175; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162175
“Genomic Prediction for Inbred and Hybrid Polysomic Tetraploid Potato Offspring”
by Rodomiro Ortiz, Fredrik Reslow, Ramesh Vetukuri, M. Rosario García-Gil, Paulino Pérez-Rodríguez and José Crossa
Agriculture 2024, 14(3), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14030455
“Multivariate Analysis Compares and Evaluates Heat Tolerance of Potato Germplasm”
by Sujie Zhang, Han Ye, Lingshuang Kong, Xiaoyu Li, Yeqing Chen, Shipeng Wang and Bailin Liu
Plants 2024, 13(1), 142; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13010142
“Water Deficit Duration Affects Potato Plant Growth, Yield and Tuber Quality”
by Sheng Li, Yulia Kupriyanovich, Cameron Wagg, Fangzhou Zheng and Sheldon Hann
Agriculture 2023, 13(10), 2007; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13102007
“Proximal Soil Moisture Sensing for Real-Time Water Delivery Control: Exploratory Study over a Potato Farm”
by Xiaoling Wu, Jeffrey P. Walker and Vanessa Wong
Agriculture 2023, 13(7), 1297; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13071297
“Multiplex CRISPR-Cas9 Gene-Editing Can Deliver Potato Cultivars with Reduced Browning and Acrylamide”
by Diem Nguyen Phuoc Ly, Sadia Iqbal, John Fosu-Nyarko, Stephen Milroy and Michael G. K. Jones
Plants 2023, 12(2), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12020379
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“Community Seed Banks“ |
“Breeding for Abiotic Stress Resistance in Crops: Biotechnology and Bioinformatics” |
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“Secondary Metabolism and Quality Regulation in Vegetables” |
“Biological Control Strategies for Managing Major Bacterial Diseases in Horticultural Crops” |
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“Vegetable Breeding, Genetics and Genomics, 2nd Volume“ |
“Exploring Nutritional, Antioxidant and Functional Potential of Plant-Based Food and Plant Bioactive Compounds in Human Health“ |
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13 May 2025
Empowering Academic Growth with MDPI: A Scientific Publishing Exchange at Toronto Metropolitan University, 15 May 2025
MDPI is excited to collaborate with Toronto Metropolitan University to host an engaging Scientific Publishing Workshop aimed at empowering scholars with the knowledge and tools needed to succeed in academic publishing. This workshop will delve into the key aspects of MDPI’s open access publishing framework, offering an in-depth exploration of journal selection, the editorial workflow, and the essentials of publication ethics. Participants will also gain practical advice on improving their scientific writing and effectively addressing reviewer comments, with guidance from an experienced professional. This session promises to equip attendees with valuable skills to elevate their publishing journey.
Workshop Highlights:
- Learn How to Better Write and Structure a Research Article;
- How to Choose Where to Publish Academic Work;
- How to Respond to Reviewer Comments;
- Reasons for Rejection During Pre-Check;
- How to Navigate Through Ethics and AI Use.
Date: 15 May 2025
Time: 12:00–1:30 p.m.
Venue: Toronto Metropolitan University
Program:
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Speakers |
Program and Content |
Time |
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Dr. Stephen Mora |
Introduction to MDPI |
12:00–12:05 p.m. |
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How to Write and Structure a Research Article |
12:05–12:45 p.m. |
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How to Respond to Reviewer Comments |
12:45–1:30 p.m. |
