//SPECIAL ISSUE//
THE ROLE OF FORAGES IN AGRICULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS: MECHANISMS AND APPLICATIONS
Forages play a critical role in agricultural ecosystems and animal husbandry, especially given the growing need to reduce and replace soybean meal. From the perspective of the "Greater Food" approach, cultivating forage crops is as essential as growing grain crops. As a result, forage has become a focal point in contemporary research. Studies on forage cultivation management, processing, and utilization have provided crucial support for the development of the forage industry. In particular, the functional diversity of forages has garnered increasing attention.
The functional diversity of forages hinges on the integrated production and utilization of forage crops. Recent advancements in technologies related to forage planting patterns, ecological functions, and processing methods have seen significant growth. These innovations offer a solid foundation for enhancing both forage cultivation and its role in agro-ecosystems.
Journal of Integrative Agriculture (JIA) is launching a special issue titled “The Role of Forages in Agricultural Ecosystems: Mechanisms and Applications” to promote the development of innovative technologies across various aspects, including forage cultivation management, grassland restoration and utilization, and forage processing. Published by Elsevier and sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) and the Chinese Association of Agricultural Science Societies (CAASS), JIA provides a dynamic platform for researchers to share their discoveries. As a Q1 journal with an Impact Factor of 4.6, JIA plays a key role in disseminating cutting-edge research to the global scientific community.
Topics
Possible topics for the paper in the context of The Role of Forage in Agricultural Ecosystems, but are not limited to the following:
1. Function and application of diversified planting system for grain and forage crops.
2. Grassland management for higher productivity and livestock product supply capacity.
3. Disaster regularity of forage pests and diseases and environmentally friendly prevention and control
4. Forage processing and utilization to reduce the need for grain feed.
5. Planting forage to improve the utilization of saline-alkali land.
We invite original research articles, reviews, and short communications that address any of the above themes.
Important dates
21 February, 2025 Call for papers
20 October, 2025 Submission deadline for full papers
Submission Guidelines
This special issue will strictly follow the editorial policy of JIA. All manuscripts must pass a rigorous peer-review process. Please format manuscripts according to the JIA journal guidelines.
All papers must be submitted online under the following link: http://www.chinaagrisci.com/Jwk_zgnykxen/EN/volumn/current.shtml. Submission titles should include the keywords "[SI_Forage]" before the actual title to distinguish themselves from other submissions, e.g., “[SI_Forage]_Your paper title”. This special issue will strictly follow the editorial policies of JIA.
All manuscripts must pass the journal’s rigorous peer-review process.
All papers should pay for the publishing fee (CNY600 per printed page).
For any questions on submission, please contact Dr. Xiongbing Tu (txb1208@163.com) or Dr. Ruixuan Xu (xuruixuan@cau.edu.cn)
Guest Editors
Yingjun Zhang
Professor
College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
E-mail: zhangyj@cau.edu.cn
Xiongbing Tu
Professor
Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Email: txb1208@163.com
Ruixuan Xu
Associate Professor
College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University
E-mail: xuruixuan@cau.edu.cn
Managing Editor
Han Zhang
Tel: 010-82106280
E-mail: zhanghan@caas.cn
Agricultural Information Institute (AII)
Chinese Agricultural Academy of Sciences (CAAS)