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PHYTOPATHOLOGY HOME PAGE
Phytopathology Author’s Guide for Manuscript Preparation 2015
Appropriateness for Phytopathology
Phytopathology publishes original research that significantly
advances our knowledge of plant diseases, the agents that cause
diseases, the factors that influence diseases, and the measures that
can be used to control them. Subject matter is not a criterion for
judging the merit of an article for publication in Phytopathology.
However, it is the author’s duty to establish relevance to the
science of plant pathology. Distinctions will be made between
what is routine and what is significant. The author should clearly
present the significance of the work in the article. The American
Phytopathological Society (APS) publishes three journals, each
with a prescribed scope that should be considered in determining
the most appropriate journal for a manuscript.
Please rely on recently published issues for guidance on suitability for Phytopathology. Manuscripts should fit into one of
these sections: Analytical and Theoretical Plant Pathology, Bacteriology, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Biological Control,
Disease Control and Pest Management, Ecology and Epidemiology, Etiology, Genetics and Resistance, Human Pathogens on
Plants, Mycology, Nematology, Plant Stress and Abiotic Disorders, Population Biology, Postharvest Pathology and Mycotoxins,
Techniques, and Virology.
Genomics and functional genomics-related papers are encouraged; however, authors must demonstrate how the research
addresses the central emphases of Phytopathology described
above. Papers that solely report complete or partial nucleotide sequences including draft genome sequences of organisms are not
acceptable for publication unless they relate structure to function
or demonstrate how the sequence information may advance our
understanding of the biology of the pathogen. Methods-type
marker papers should meet one of the following criteria: (i) a
report of new techniques or modifications that significantly
enhances current techniques or the application of these methods,
or (ii) the use of techniques to investigate interesting biological
questions that contribute to the basic concepts and understanding
of plant pathology.
Studies of pathogen population biology should address an
original question or hypothesis. In general, studies that describe
pathogen diversity or population structure are not acceptable unless they also address a biological question that advances our conceptual knowledge of pathogen population biology. In addition, as
much care should be given to the development and description of
an appropriate pathogen sampling scheme as is given to the subsequent procurement and analysis of marker data. However, sampling deficiencies beyond the control of the author will be acceptable in some cases, e.g., when conducting analyses of historical
isolate collections.
Papers dealing mainly with taxonomy, such as descriptions of
new taxa, should generally be submitted to a taxonomic journal.
Taxonomic papers that focus on classification, identification, and
nomenclature below the subspecies level may be submitted to
Phytopathology.
Authors are encouraged to contact the appropriate Senior
Editor prior to submission of a manuscript to receive clarification
concerning the suitability of their manuscript for publication in
Phytopathology. Names and e-mail addresses of the Senior Editors
can be found on the first page of each issue. The subject area
responsibilities for the Senior Editors are as follows: Gabriele
Berg: bacterial ecology in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere,
plant–bacteria interactions, microbe–microbe interactions, and
biology of human pathogens on plants; Saul Burdman: bacteriology, molecular plant–bacteria interactions, virulence determinants
of plant-pathogenic bacteria, and management of bacterial plant
diseases; David Cooke: ecology, epidemiology, population biology of fungal and oomycete pathogens; Nicole Donofrio: fungal
and oomycete genetics and genomics, molecular fungal and
oomycete–plant interactions, and biology of fungal and oomycete
pathogens; Karen A. Garrett: disease management, ecology, epidemiology, microbial communities, networks, social-ecological
systems, and statistics; Stewart M. Gray: virus–vector interactions, virology, virus diseases of cereal and vegetable crops, virus
disease management, virus resistance, and applied virus disease
epidemiology; Teresa Hughes: fungi, oomycetes, disease management, population biology, and pathogen–host interactions field
crop diseases; Kelly L. Ivors: oomycetes, fungicide resistance,
population genetics, vegetable, and ornamental diseases; Steven
J. Klosterman: senior editor for reviews (by invitation only);
Jeffrey A. Rollins: genetics of host–pathogen interactions, genomics, and fungal biology; Karen-Beth G. Scholthof: virology,
viruses of grasses and model systems (especially Brachypodium
and Setaria), virus–satellite interactions, host responses to virus
diseases, host–virus co-evolution, and molecular virus–plant
interactions; Ivan Simko: genetics of host resistance, quantitative
disease resistance, linkage and association mapping; Gary E.
Vallad: biology and management of vegetable diseases, biology
of soilborne plant pathogens, biological control, and disease
management; Frank van den Bosch: population dynamics and
evolutionary ecology of plants and pathogens, and quantitative
modeling; Martin Wubben: nematology, molecular aspects of
plant-parasitic nematode biology, nematode–plant interactions,
and management of nematode diseases; Chang-Lin Xiao: fungicide resistance, fungal biology, postharvest pathology, disease
management, and diseases of fruits and nuts.
Authors are strongly encouraged to have at least one colleague
review the manuscript before submitting it for publication. Senior
Editors may find the content of a submitted paper unsuitable for
Phytopathology and return the paper to the author without review.
Each manuscript receives two simultaneous reviews. Authors may
recommend individuals to review a manuscript, and they also may
ask that certain individuals not review a manuscript. Additional
experts are consulted as necessary to confirm the scientific merit
of any part or all of a manuscript, with due consideration for
prepublication confidentiality. Each reviewer makes a specific
recommendation to the Senior Editor for the manuscript, based on
the following applicable aspects:
Importance of the research
Originality of the work
Analysis of previous literature
Appropriateness of the approach and experimental design
Adequacy of experimental techniques
Soundness of conclusions and interpretations
Relevance of discussion
Clarity of presentation and organization of the article
Demonstration of reproducibility
In addition to original research, Phytopathology also publishes
the following manuscript formats:
Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor explain, amplify or otherwise comment on
research published in the Journal or elsewhere. The Editorial
Board reserves the right to reject or publish letters of rebuttal
when appropriate.
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Symposia
Symposia from an APS annual meeting may be published
in Phytopathology subject to the review process and to the
policies, procedures, and page fees applicable to other articles. It
is the responsibility of the committee chair sponsoring the
symposium to contact the Editor-in-Chief before the symposium
is presented.
Reviews
Reviews provide a survey of a subject relevant to plant
pathology with an emphasis on the previous 5 years. Unlike basic
research articles for Phytopathology, Reviews should also be
easily accessible to nonspecialist scientists and advanced students.
Reviews are typically invited by the Senior Editor for Reviews
or the Editor-in-Chief. Suggestions for future Reviews are
welcome.
Page Fees
Because of the high cost of publishing, page fees are mandatory
and are subject to change without notice. Current fees are $50
per printed page for the first six pages and $80 per printed page
for each additional page for members of APS and $130 per
printed page for nonmembers. In addition, there is a $20 fee
for each black-and-white figure or line drawing. If you would
like your images to appear in color in print, the color fees are
$500 for the first illustration, $500 for the second illustration, and
$250 for the third and each subsequent color illustration in one
article.
Single Article Purchases
PDFs of articles published within the last 12 months may be
purchased online. Go to http://apsjournals.apsnet.org/loi/phyto to
locate the article and then click the PDF link. APS retains full
copyright to any article that is purchased or retrieved with or
without payment and all copyright laws apply to any subsequent
usage.
Open Access
All content of Phytopathology is open access without restriction 12 months after publication. Immediate open access can be
purchased for any article in Phytopathology. The cost is $1,900
for this option. This fee is in addition to the usual publication
fees.
Authorship
Those who submit papers to Phytopathology should respect the
value of the research of their peers by not devaluing authorship.
Each author should have made a substantial intellectual contribution to the design, conduct, analysis, and/or interpretation of
the study. Each author must approve the final version of the
article to be published and be willing to take public responsibility
for their contribution to the paper. In addition, the first author and
the corresponding author are expected to be able to take public
responsibility for the entire paper.
Preprints
Authors are allowed to present and discuss their findings ahead
of publication at scientific conferences, on preprint servers (such
as arXiv, bioRxiv, or PeerJ preprints among others), public
databases, blogs, and other forms of social media. This prior
disclosure does not constitute prior publication. When submitting
a manuscript for review, authors need to disclose preprints,
databases, proceedings or other preliminary communications or
depositories. However, abstracts, presentations or other social
media need not be disclosed. Authors may post a link from the
preprint archive site to the published abstract posted at the APS
journal site once the paper is published.
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Online Article Enhancements (e-Xtras)
e-Xtras are an optional service to enhance the online version of
articles or to include supplementary materials. The presence of
e-Xtras is noted by a logo and footnote on the first page of the
printed article. These e-Xtras may be referenced within the
manuscript, but because they are intended to be supplemental in
nature and not necessary to the understanding of the printed
article, no more than one callout per e-Xtra is allowed.
e-Xtra options include:
 Tables, figures, lists, movies, or other files that provide
important additional but supplementary information, which
will be linked from the online table of contents, for $20
each.
 External links from the online table of contents to public
databases, such as GenBank or other approved websites.
Authors should submit links with the article for review,
noting specifically that they wish them to be e-Xtra links.
The first five links are added free of charge and additional
links are $5 each.
PREPARING A MANUSCRIPT
Organization of Text
Major sections after the introductory statements are Materials
and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Literature Cited. General
techniques and methods are described in Materials and Methods;
brief descriptions of experiments and trials are given in Results.
(Subheadings may be used, but avoid excessive fragmentation of
the text.) Footnotes to the text are not permitted. Please refer to
published articles for standard formatting of heads and subheads.
Authors are expected to list all sources of funding for the research
project in the acknowledgments section of the manuscript at the
time of submission.
Scientific Nomenclature and Language
The scientific language used in manuscripts should be internally
consistent. Please follow The ACS Style Guide (Dodd 1997) or
ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Publications Handbook and Style
Manual (1998).
The Scientific Style and Format (CBE Style Manual Committee
1994) by the Council of Biology Editors provides background on
the origins of scientific terms and the governing bodies that rule
on current nomenclature in a given field.
Apparatus and materials. Names of unusual proprietary materials and special apparatus should be followed by the manufacturer’s name and location in parentheses (e.g., manufacturer,
city and state [United States] or city and country). It is only necessary to cite these materials by specific name if the work cannot
otherwise be replicated. When necessary, trade names may be
used and should be capitalized; trademark symbols should not be
used and will be deleted before publication.
Authorities for Latin binomials. Citation of authorities for
Latin binomial names is optional but appropriate for manuscripts
dealing with taxonomy or nomenclature or for organisms with
unfamiliar binomials. When used, authorities should be provided
at first mention of the organism only.
Bacteria. Spellings should be based on Bergey’s Manual of
Systemic Bacteriology (Garrity and Boone 2001), the Approved
Lists of Bacterial Names (Skerman et al. 1989), or the lists of
species published in the International Journal of Systemic
Bacteriology (IJSB). Based on Bergey’s Manual, groups below
the level of subspecies should be italicized. Where applicable,
designate strains.
Common names of plant diseases. For common names of
plant diseases, the list developed by the APS Committee on Standardization of Common Names for Plant Diseases should be used
(http://www.apsnet.org/publications/commonnames/Pages/Approved
CommonNames.aspx).
Chemicals, chemistry, and biochemistry terms. The ACS Style
Guide (Dodd 1997) describes conventions in chemistry and
biochemistry. The Merck Index (O’Neil 2006) and Hawley’s
Condensed Chemical Dictionary (Lewis 2007) are good sources
for spellings of chemical terms. List fungicides by their approved
common or generic names. Trade names may be included within
parentheses, but do not include manufacturers. See the current
issue of Farm Chemicals Handbook (Anonymous) or the most
recent edition of Acceptable Common Names and Chemical
Names for the Ingredient Statement on Pesticide Labels (Environmental Protection Agency, Pesticide Regulation Division).
Cultures. Indicate the source of cultures. Include culture designations obtained from or deposited in recognized collections.
Authors are required to deposit voucher cultures and specimens at
recognized institutions and to provide accessions numbers in the
text. Papers are accepted on the condition that cultures, plasmids
and similar materials will be available for distribution to all
qualified members of the scientific community, either directly
from the investigator or by deposit in national or international
collections.
Enzymes. Use the enzyme names recommended in the latest issue of Enzyme Nomenclature (International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 1992). Give the number (classification) of the enzyme at its first use (e.g., EC 1.1.75.6).
Genetics. Rieger et al. (1991), Stenesh (1989), and King et al.
(2006) are good specialized genetics and molecular biology dictionaries.
Fungi. The preferred sources for common and scientific names
and authorities of fungi is Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in
the United States (Farr et al. 1989) and Ainsworth and Bisby’s
Dictionary of the Fungi (Kirk et al. 2008).
Insects. Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms
(Bosik 1997) can be used to verify insect names.
Nucleotide or amino acid sequences. All sequence data
must be deposited in GenBank or comparable publically available databases and accession numbers provided. If the sequence
is not available for general access from the database when the
manuscript is submitted, a Word or PowerPoint file or copy of
sequences described in the manuscript should be provided
for reviewers and posted as e-Xtra when the manuscript is
published.
AFLP, SSR or similar types of analysis. Data files used in the
analysis of AFLP, SSR, or SNP markers must be provided as
supplementary files that will be uploaded on the journal website
and made available for readers to download. The format should be
the same used for data analysis and run parameters for the analysis provided.
Phylogenetic trees. Authors are required to deposit phylogenetic trees and data in TreeBASE (http://treebase.org) and cite
accession number(s), or to upload as supporting data.
Plants. Farr et al. (1989) is a good source for spellings of
common and scientific names. Other good sources include
Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, A Checklist of Names
for 3,000 Vascular Plants of Economic Importance (Terrell et al.
1986), and The Plant-Book (Mabberley 1997). Use the term
“cultivar” for cultivated agronomic and horticultural varieties.
Identify the source of the cultivars and include CI and PI numbers
when appropriate. The name of a cultivar may be enclosed in
single quotation marks. You may also want to refer to
http://plants.usda.gov.
Software. Software used should be treated as proprietary material or equipment. Give the manufacturer or developer name and
location parenthetically within the text. Software should not be
listed in Literature Cited. Unpublished software or scripts has to
be uploaded as supporting information.
Statistics. Papers published in Phytopathology are diverse, and
it is not possible to give specific statistical recommendations,
guidelines, or rules that can apply to all manuscripts. General
guidelines and recommendations are given here that are relevant
for a large number of situations. Most importantly, describe
statistical methods with enough detail to enable a knowledgeable
reader to verify the reported results, or be able to conduct the
exact same analysis with a new data set. Give details of randomization and blocking, as well as number of replications,
blocks, repeated measurements, samples, or observations. Clearly
distinguish between true replications and subsamples within a
replication/treatment combination; similarly, distinguish between
so-called biological and technical replications. Always specify the
experimental design. Identify all the experimental factors being
tested, and indicate whether they are being considered fixed or
random effects. Except for simple procedures (e.g., t tests, oneway analysis of variance, simple linear regression analysis), cite
an appropriate and accessible statistical text and indicate the
computer software used. It is not sufficient to just mention the
name of a large and multifaceted software package such as
SAS, SPSS, or R. List the specific procedure or package used
(e.g., PROC MIXED in SAS, or the lme4 package in R). For
specialized applications, describe relevant options selected for
these procedures. In general, statistical techniques should be
described in the Materials and Methods. For complex analyses, it
is may be necessary to give snippets of software code in an
appendix or in an e-Xtra. Except for calculating means and
variances, do not use Excel for statistical analyses (McCullough
and Heiser 2008).
The statistical methods used for analyzing data should be
chosen according to the type of random (response) variable being
measured or assessed (e.g., disease incidence, severity, counts,
ordinal ratings), and the type of factors being investigated (fixed
or random effects, qualitative or quantitative). For continuous
response variables, such as yield or disease severity (proportion of
the surface area diseased), parametric methods, such as analysis
of variance (ANOVA) and linear mixed models, are appropriate,
although nonparametric methods can also be used. However,
transformations are usually needed for disease severity with
parametric analyses, since the variance is a function of the mean.
Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) with a non-identify
link function can also be used. For binary observations, proportions out of a total of n observations (e.g., disease incidence), and
counts (e.g., number of lesions or number of spores), parametric
methods such as linear mixed models can be used only if the data
are properly transformed; preferably, GLMMs can be used with
an appropriate selection of the discrete distribution (e.g., binomial, Poisson, negative binomial) and link function. Model fits
should be evaluated through the residual plots to confirm that a
reasonable model and data transformation (or link function) are
being used. Schabenberger and Pierce (2002) provides details on
parametric data analyses. When experimental factors are being
analyzed as random effects, software designed for mixed models
must be used.
For ordinal measurements (e.g., disease rating on a 0 to 3 scale
designating the ordinal degree of symptoms), nonparametric
methods based on ranks should generally be used for hypothesis
testing. See Shah and Madden (2004) for recommendations on the
treatment of ordinal data. As an alternative, parametric proportional-odds models may be used for ordinal data, if there are
sufficiently large numbers of observations for each experimental
unit. If ordinal rating scores are used for ranges of disease
severity (e.g., Horsfall-Barratt [where, for instance, a “2” corresponds to a severity range from 3 to 6%, and a “3” corresponds
to a range of 6 to 12%]), each score should be converted to the
midpoint of the corresponding disease severity range prior to use
of a parametric analytical technique.
Avoid use of arbitrary significance-level (P) cut-offs, such as
“significant or not significant at P = 0.05.” Instead, give the
achieved significance level for statistical tests (e.g., F was significant at P = 0.025, or P < 0.001 for very small probabilities). In
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general, do not rely solely on hypothesis tests; rather, estimation
of means, medians, mean differences, or other contrasts, with
appropriate measure of variability (uncertainty), is preferred. When
means (or medians) are followed by ± x, indicate whether x refers
to the standard deviation, standard error, or half the confidence
interval; error bars in graphs should similarly be defined. For
large-scale studies, with hundreds or thousands of treatments, it
may not be practical to show all estimated means or contrasts; in
this case, presented results could be limited to P values or related
summary statistics (this will depend on the study).
For Bayesian analysis, always describe the prior distributions
chosen for all the parameters (including the variance and covariance parameters) and the distribution (likelihood) used for the
response variable. Graphical presentation of posterior distributions for the parameters is recommended. At a minimum,
summary statistics for the location and dispersion of the posterior
distributions should be given in tabular form. When bootstrapping
methods are utilized in analysis, details of the bootstrap method
should be given, such as whether parametric or nonparametric
techniques are being used.
For studies with multiple treatments, avoid blindly utilizing
multiple-comparison procedures, where all possible pairwise contrasts of means are determined. In many cases, it is preferable to
calculate only the contrasts (e.g., pairwise differences) of means
of interest, based on hypotheses developed before the data
collection. When multiple comparison procedures are utilized, the
specific procedure should be clearly indicated; Duncan’s multiple
range test should not be used. When the effects of a quantitative
variable (e.g., temperature) are studied, it is preferable to use regression analysis or mixed models with continuous (and qualitative) factors instead of methods developed solely for a nonordered qualitative factor.
Wherever possible, researchers should consult with a statistician
before designing an experiment and when analyzing the results.
Viruses. In formal taxonomic usage, virus family, subfamily,
and genus should be capitalized and printed in italics. When used
formally, the name of the taxon should precede the term for the
taxonomic unit, e.g., the family Bunyaviridae and the genus
Tospovirus. Formal use of a virus species name also should be
printed in italics, with the first word and any subsequent proper
noun capitalized (e.g., Wheat American striate mosaic virus).
Generally, the designation of the taxonomic unit “species” need
not precede the species name: for example, Tomato spotted wilt
virus need not be written as the species Tomato spotted wilt virus.
The first use of a virus species name in a paper usually should
be formal and, therefore, italicized with the first word capitalized.
Subsequent reference to the same virus should be by the accepted
acronym, which is not italicized, e.g., TSWV. Virus names
written in tables should be written formally. The name of a
tentative species whose taxonomic status is uncertain should not
be written in italics, but its first word (and any proper nouns)
should be capitalized.
In informal vernacular use, the virus family, subfamily, and genus should be lowercase and not printed in italics. This generally
does not apply to virus species names, because acronyms are applied after the first use, which is formal. The name of the taxon, if
used, should follow the term for the taxonomic unit, e.g., the
tospovirus genus. When used informally, the name of the taxon
should not include the formal suffix, e.g., the bunyavirus family,
not the bunyaviridae family. Usually, these constructions should
simply be avoided, because they lead to unnecessary ambiguity.
Formal taxonomic usage is preferred, particularly when the formal family and genus names have the same root terms, e.g.,
Bromoviridae and Bromovirus.
Quick Guide to APS Editorial Style
(see text of Instructions for more complete references)
Numbers
Numerals for measurements, including ad hoc measurements such as drops,
wells.
Commas in numbers of 4 digits or more (except for digits used as designations).
Zero in front of decimal points.
In lists where one item is multidigit, use numerals throughout.
Spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence (if number is spelled out,
unit of measure also should be spelled out).
-fold: threefold, manyfold, 10-fold.
Ranges: use “to” rather than “–,” except in tables.
Measurements
Do not abbreviate measurements in titles.
Time: second (s), minute (min), hour (h), day (day), week, month, year.
liter (spell out), but ml, µl, etc.
Use the degree symbol with temperature (70°C).
Binomials and trinomials
All taxa are italicized. In trinomials, always spell out species, e.g., X.
campestris pv. campestris (not Xcc).
Molecular weight and Daltons
Correct: The molecular weight of protein x is 54,000.
The molecular mass of protein x is 54,000 Da [or 54 kDa].
Incorrect: The molecular weight of protein x is 54,000 Da [or 54 kDa].
Enumeration
Use (i), (ii), (iii), (iv).
Prefixes and suffixes
Generally should be closed up (e.g., postinfection, loopsful), even in nonstandard constructions; see dictionary or style manuals for exceptions.
Compound words
When two words are used as adjectives preceding a noun, as a rule they are
hyphenated. If uncertain, consult the dictionary (Meriam-Webster) or style
manuals.
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Abbreviations
Consult ACS (Dodd 1997) and the short list below for the standard
abbreviations for common terms. Authors may coin abbreviations. Limit
the use of coined abbreviations to terms used frequently and unusually
long terms. Spell out the term and place the abbreviation in parentheses
at first use; use the abbreviation after that.
Common abbreviations and terms
aa—amino acids
Carborundum
Casamino Acids
Celite
CFU—colony-forming units, do not spell out if preceded by a numeral
cheesecloth
chi-square test or χ2
cis, trans-italicize
cM—centimorgan, spell out at first use
Coomassie brilliant blue
df—degrees of freedom, do not spell out if preceded by a numeral
et al., not et al.
GLM—general linear model
gram negative, gram positive
Gram stain
LB broth—Luria-Bertani broth
LR white resin
MAb—monoclonal antibody
P—probability, do not spell out
Parafilm
phytoplasma, not MLO or mycoplasmalike organism
potato dextrose agar, not potato-dextrose agar
ppm—parts per million
Rf —retardation factor
V8 juice agar
General Editorial Style
Papers will be rejected outright if the quality of English is
insufficient to enable peer review. Most of the style guides mentioned previously have good discussions of English, grammar, and
style. Other good general references include The Chicago Manual
of Style and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
Citations. A citation should always be to the original source of
publication, whether print or online.
Guidelines for citing in text. Use the author-year method of
citing publications. For example, “Several studies (Anderson
1994; Jones et al. 1992, 1997a, b; Smith and Roberts 2002) have
reported similar findings.” List citations in alphabetical order by
authors’ surnames. When citing multiple works by the same
author, list articles by one author before those by multiple authors.
Determine the sequence by alphabetizing the first author’s surname and subsequent authors’ surnames, by the year of publication (most recent last), and, if necessary, by the page numbers
of articles published in the same journal.
Guidelines for reference list. List all references in alphabetical
order by authors’ surnames. Single-author works should be listed
before works with multiple authors. Works by the same author(s)
should be ordered chronologically.
Italicize Latin binomials, capitalize German nouns, and insert
diacritical marks. List specific pages of books. Refer to the Serial
Sources for the BIOSIS Database (BIOSIS) for accepted abbreviations of journal names. Do not abbreviate one-word titles of
journals. Double-check the accuracy of title abbreviations, page
and volume numbers, and dates and check that each reference is
cited in text.
Only references generally available through libraries and online
open-access journals should be listed in Literature Cited. If a
work cited is in preparation, submitted but not accepted for
publication, or not readily available in libraries, cite the work in
parentheses in the text, e.g., (J. Jones, unpublished data) or (J.
Jones, personal communication), not in Literature Cited. A copy
of the letter from the person supplying unpublished information
should be included as an e-mail attachment when submitting a
manuscript, or sent to the assigned Senior Editor by fax or mail.
To cite an article as in press, you must have a letter of acceptance
from a journal or book editor or have a copy of the galley proof
for book chapters, bulletins, etc. Avoid excessive reference to
unpublished information.
Online publications. Beginning in 2005, each article appearing
in an APS journal has a unique doi number assigned to it for
future reference.
It is the policy for APS journals to make changes to an online
PDF if an error occurs that requires publication of an erratum for
that article. A note will appear at the end of the revised file to
describe the change.
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Tables
Cite tables in numeric order in the manuscript. Tables should be
intelligible without reference to the text or another table. Do not
repeat data in the text that are given in a table or figure. The title
should summarize the information presented in the table without
repeating the subheadings. Subheadings should be brief.
Tables are used to present precise numerical data that show
comparisons or interrelationships. The minimum number of columns is two. Lists should be incorporated into the text. Long
tables including detailed information on isolates used or listing
sequence information should be uploaded as supplemental tables.
Nonessential details should be omitted or listed as supporting
material. Numbers should be rounded to significant digits. Abbreviations are acceptable; explain any nonstandard abbreviations
in footnotes. Footnotes are designated with superscript lowercase
letters.
Figures
General. Each submitted illustration should be labeled with the
figure number, first author’s surname, and Phytopathology.
Captions should describe the contents so each illustration is
understandable when considered apart from the text. Cite all
figures in numeric order in the manuscript.
Numbers and lettering should be in a 10-point sans serif type
(Helvetica preferred) and bold; capitalize only the first word and
proper nouns in each label. Panel designations—A, B, C, etc.
should be uppercase letters in an 18-point sans serif type that
matches the font used for the rest of the labeling. Keep font sizes
consistent among figures.
Figures should be sized to fit one (88 mm) or two columns
(183 mm); maximum height is 250 mm, including caption.
Line drawings. Affix index marks to ordinates and abscissae.
Avoid too bold lettering, numbers, and lines for coordinate axes
and curves. Graphs should be “boxed” with tic marks on axes as
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needed. Use solid black or white or hatch or stripe patterns in bar
graphs (Fig. 1); shaded columns do not reproduce well, either
becoming indistinguishable or fading to white. Use solid black
and white symbols; shaded or screened rules and symbols will not
reproduce.
Only standard symbols (boxes, circles, triangles) or other typographic elements should be used. If necessary, please provide a
key to any symbols as part of the figure (Fig. 2). Only standard
symbols can be reproduced in captions. Portions of a composite
line drawing or graph should be provided as a single illustration.
Digital image file specifications. Digital files must be saved in
.tif, .eps, or .jpg format for PC or in .tiff, .pict, .jpeg, or .eps format
for Apple. If high-resolution image files cannot be provided in the
formats listed above, original image files generated with MS Office
programs (such as Word, PowerPoint, or Excel) can be submitted.
Image resolution must be at least 360 ppi (600 ppi is preferred
for line art and figures with text) at the final printed image size.
One-column images must have a minimum of 1,260 pixels in
width and two-column images a minimum of 2,610 pixels. If the
final printed image size is unknown, size the image at a larger final
print size, maintaining the required resolution, and APS will
down-sample the image to fit the final print dimensions (to main-
tain quality, APS cannot enlarge a digitized image). Black and
white images must be saved as grayscale images. Color images
should be saved in RGB format.
Photographs should be cropped at right angles to show essential
details. Scale bars should be inserted to indicate magnification.
Images should be clear and of high quality.
Color illustrations. The cost of color reproduction must be
paid by the authors (for current costs, see the Page Fees section).
If you have questions regarding figures, please contact Patti Ek at
[email protected] or view Phytopathology figure instructions online.
Illustrations (photographs, drawings, or diagrams) from an article
or related to an article may be submitted for consideration for the
journal cover. Such figures should be submitted through Manuscript Central as Supplemental material and labeled as cover art
followed by a caption.
Guidelines for electronic manuscript submission
Phytopathology requires that all manuscripts be submitted
electronically via an Internet service called Manuscript Central in
order to be considered for publication. Electronic submission
speeds the handling of your manuscript and allows you to monitor
its status at any time during the review process.
Checklist for papers submitted to Phytopathology
Authors can expedite processing of their manuscripts by following
the formatting guidelines outlined below in preparing their manuscripts for submission to Phytopathology.
Content
 Significance and originality of work are shown.
 Reproducibility of results is illustrated.
 Objectives are clearly stated in the introduction.
 Introduction includes a succinct evaluation of the topic, including
all relevant literature citations.
 Experimental design and methodology are fully explained.
 Proper and sufficient analyses have been conducted (review by
qualified statistician before submission is encouraged).
 Discussion relates work to other published material and addresses
strengths and weaknesses of research.
 Major conclusions are supported by results from repeated experiments.
 Manuscript has been reviewed critically before submission.
Format
 With line numbers and double-spaced (including tables and figure
captions). Typescript is 12 point.
 First author’s name, page number, and Phytopathology in upper
right corner of each page.
 Tables on numbered pages after Literature Cited section and in
text format.
 Captions for figures, including e-Xtra figure captions, on a separate
numbered page following the tables. Also include captions preceding each figure for easy reference.
 Section heads provided.
 Title does not exceed 100 characters and spaces. (Do not include a
pathogen name in parentheses after a disease name unless essential
for clarity. Do not use both common and scientific names for
organisms in the title.)
 Author name(s) listed under the title.
 Affiliations, addresses, and acceptance date are given in separate
paragraphs beneath the author’s name. Acknowledgments are at the
end of the text.
 Corresponding author’s name and e-mail address are given before
the abstract.
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 Reference line is provided (authors, year, title, journal) under abstract
head.
 Abstracts are mandatory and limited to one 200 word paragraph.
Organization of text
 Major sections after the introduction are Materials and Methods,
Results, Discussion, and Literature Cited. General techniques and
methods are described in Materials and Methods; brief descriptions of
experiments and trials are given in Results. (Subheadings may be
used, but avoid excessive fragmentation of the text.) Footnotes to the
text are not permitted. Please refer to published articles for standard
formatting of heads and subheads.
 Published references are listed in Literature Cited. References are in
alphabetic order by authors’ surnames. Citations in text are cited by
the author-year method.
 Digital images have been checked for adequate resolution.
 Figures are boxed. The first letter of the first word of each label is
capitalized; all others are lowercase, except proper nouns.
 Figures are prepared for same-size reproduction (88 or 183 mm wide;
maximum 250 mm deep, including caption). Consistent font style and
sizing is used for all figures.
Supporting material
 Copy of first page or letter of acceptance is provided for all in
press citations. (The Senior Editor may request that preprints be
provided.)
 Copies of personal communication verification are provided.
 Permission has been granted for copyrighted material.
 Accession numbers obtained for nucleotide and/or amino acid sequences are provided as a footnote to the first page or in text.
 Voucher cultures and specimens have been deposited in recognized
collections.
 Illustrations (photographs, drawings, or diagram) from an article or
related to an article may be submitted for consideration for the journal
cover. Such figures should be labeled and include a caption.
Procedure. Type http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/Phytopathology
in your Internet browser to bring up the log-in screen. First-time
users must create an account. Follow the on-screen directions to
create your account and submit your manuscript. Text files can be
in Word or Rich Text. Figures should be submitted in .tif, .jpg,
Powerpoint, or Excel formats.
Technical problems. Assistance with technical difficulties in
submission is available from ScholarOne, Inc., the parent company of Manuscript Central. First, however, click the red “Get
Help Now” button in the top right corner of your screen and consult “FAQs” (frequently asked questions) or contact ScholarOne
Customer Support by telephone (+1.888.503.1050, option 1; or
+1.434.964.4100, option 1).
Manuscripts will be assigned to an appropriate Senior Editor by
the Editor-in-Chief. Authors will be notified of this assignment by
e-mail and will be contacted by the Senior Editor when the initial
review process is completed. Correspondence with authors will be
by e-mail and/or conventional mail at the discretion of the Senior
Editor. The final files submitted to Manuscript Central and accepted by the Senior Editor will be used by the editorial office for
processing the manuscript for publication. Submission implies
nonsubmission elsewhere and (if accepted) no publication elsewhere in the same form without consent.
An author receiving reviews and editorial recommendations for
revision of a manuscript has 3 months to complete the revision
and return it to the editor, again through Manuscript Central. Suggested revisions that substantially change the author’s intent or
appear to be in error may be rebutted with a documented explanation to the editor when the revised manuscript is returned. Unless
authors have permission from the Senior Editor for a brief delay
in revision, manuscripts requiring more than 3 months for revision should be resubmitted as new manuscripts.
Online publication upon acceptance. Phytopathology offers a
feature called First Look. Within a few days of acceptance, an
unedited, unformatted version of your paper can be posted online.
This means that your paper will be considered published and citable
as soon as it is posted online.
Papers that appear as “First Look” articles may be rapidly
indexed by PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and other online
databases with links back to the “First Look” article, before the
formatted and edited papers appear in the online issue.
The following statement will appear on papers posted in First
Look:
Phytopathology “First Look” paper • http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/
PHYTO-00-00-0000 • posted 00/00/2015
This paper has been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication
but has not yet been copy-edited or proofread. The final published
version may differ.
For more information, contact the Editor-in-Chief:
Krishna V. Subbarao
E-mail: [email protected]
Or the Technical Editor:
Kristen Barlage
E-mail: [email protected]
Biosecurity Statement
The APS biosecurity policy covers details for screening for
research that may constitute misuse of plant pathological methods
or potential danger from the improper application of knowledge.
In addition, before a report on a discovery of an Agricultural
Select Agent can be submitted for publication, the detection of the
Select Agent must be reported to USDA APHIS. See the APS
Select Agent policy.
LITERATURE CITED
American Phytopathological Society Committee on the Standardization of
Common Names for Plant Diseases. 2010. Common Names of Plant Diseases. Published online by The American Phytopathological Society, St.
Paul, MN.
American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of America
(CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA). 1998. Publications
Handbook and Style Manual. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, Madison, WI.
Anonymous. (Current) Farm Chemicals Handbook. Meister Publishing Co.,
Willoughby, OH.
BIOSIS. (Current) Serial Sources for the BIOSIS Database. BIOSIS,
Philadelphia, PA.
Bosik, J. J., ed. 1997. Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms, 4th
ed. Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD.
CBE Style Manual Committee. 1994. Scientific Style and Format: The CBE
Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 6th ed. Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge.
Dodd, J. S., ed. 1997. The ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and
Editors. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pesticide Regulation Division.
(Current) Acceptable Common Names and Chemical Names for the Ingredient Statement on Pesticide Labels. EPA, Washington, DC.
Farr, D. F., Bills, G. F., Chamuris, G. P., and Rossman, A. Y. 1989. Fungi on
Plants and Plant Products in the United States. American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, MN.
Garrity, G. M., and Boone, D. R., eds. 2001. Bergey’s Manual of Systemic
Bacteriology, Vol. 1, 2nd ed. Springer Verlag, New York.
International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 1992. Enzyme
Nomenclature 1992. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.
King, R. C., Stansfield, W. D., and Mulligan, P. K. 2006. A Dictionary of
Genetics, 7th ed. Oxford University Press, New York.
Kirk, P. M., Cannon, P. F., David, J. C, and Stalpers, J., eds. 2008. Dictionary
of the Fungi, 10th ed. CAB International, Wallingford, U.K.
Lewis, R. J., Sr. 2007. Hawley’s Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 15th ed.
John Wiley and Sons, Chichester, U.K.
Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The Plant-Book: A Portable Dictionary of the Vascular
Plant, 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
McCullough, B. D., and Heiser, D. A. 2008. On the accuracy of statistical procedures in Microsoft Excel 2007. Comput. Stat. Data Anal. 52:4570-4578.
O’Neil, M. J., ed. 2006. The Merck Index: An Encyclopedia of Chemicals,
Drugs, and Biologicals, 14th ed. Merck & Co., Whitehouse Station, NJ.
Rieger, R., Michaelis, A., and Green, M. M. 1991. Glossary of Genetics:
Classical and Molecular, 5th ed. Springer Verlag, New York.
Schabenberger, O., and Pierce, F. J. 2002. Contemporary Statistical Models
for the Plant and Soil Sciences. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
Shah, D., and Madden, L. V. 2004. Nonparametric analysis of ordinal data in
designed factorial experiments. Phytopathology 94:33-43.
Skerman, V. B. D., McGowan, V., and Sneath, P. H. A., eds. 1989. Approved
Lists of Bacterial Names, Amended ed. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC.
Stenesh, J. 1989. Dictionary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 2nd ed.
Wiley Interscience, New York.
Terrell, E. E., Hill, S. R., Wiersema, J. H., and Rice, W. E. 1986. A Checklist
of Names of 3,000 Vascular Plants of Economic Importance. USDA
Handb. 505, Washington, D.C.
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