Instructions to Authors

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Editorial Policy and Procedures

NOTE: This journal does not accept Microsoft Word 2007 documents at this time. Please use Word's "Save As" option to save your document as an older (.doc) file type.

NOTE: Electronic Submission Procedure: Plant Disease has adopted an electronic submission system that will speed the handling of your manuscript and allow you to check on its status at any time during the review process. See instructions under “Guidelines for Electronic Manuscript Submission.”

Plant Disease requires that all manuscripts, including Features and Disease Notes, 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. Submission implies nonsubmission elsewhere and (if accepted) no publication elsewhere in the same form without consent.

Procedure. Type http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/plantdisease 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, WordPerfect, Rich Text, or most common word-processing programs. Figures should be submitted in .tif, .eps, or .jpg format. Line drawings and composite figures generated in an MS office program can be submitted in the original format. Detailed instructions are found below.

Technical problems. Assistance with technical difficulties in submission is available from ScholarOne, Inc., the parent company of Manuscript Central. First, however, click the “Get Help Now” button on your screen and consult “FAQs” (frequently asked questions), or contact ScholarOne Customer Support by telephone (+1.434.817.2040 ext. 167); fax (+1.434.817.2020); or e-mail (Support@ScholarOne.com).

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.

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.

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.

Page charges. Because of the high cost of publishing, payment of author page charges is mandatory. Current charges are $50 per printed page for the first six pages and $80 for each page thereafter for members of The American Phytopathological Society and $130 per printed page for nonmembers. In addition, there is a $20 fee charged for each black-and-white figure or line drawing. Color charges are $1,300 for the first figure on the first page, $600 for the first figure on each additional page, and $200 for each additional figure on a page. The charge for single-length Disease Notes is $50 for Society members and $80 for nonmembers. Double-length Notes are available for $100 and $160, respectively. The author is billed after the article is printed in the journal. Page charge rates are subject to change without notice.

Biosecurity policy. The APS biosecurity policy developed by the Publications Board to screen potential articles for research that constitutes a misuse of plant pathological methods or a potential danger to society from the improper application of knowledge in our field is available at: http://www.apsnet.org/
members/ppb/PDFs/BiosecurityAPSPubBoardPolicy.pdf.

For more information contact:

Anthony P. Keinath

Editor-in-Chief, Plant Disease

Clemson University

Coastal R&E Center

2700 Savannah Hwy

Charleston, SC 29414-5332 U.S.A.

E-mail: tknth@clemson.edu

Phone: +1.843.402.5390

Fax: +1.843.571.4654

or the Editorial Office at:

E‑mail: droeder@scisoc.org

Telephone: +1.651.994.3863

Fax: +1.651.454.0766

Plant Disease

3340 Pilot Knob Road

St. Paul, MN 55121, USA

Research Articles. Consult current issues for arrangement of heads and subheads, etc. Follow the guidelines in the accompanying checklist.

Feature Articles. A Feature article is a solicited or contributed narrative summarizing a significant topic in plant pathology for those who are not specialists in the narrative’s subject matter. Feature article manuscripts are peer reviewed in the same manner as research articles, but the nature of the narrative requires different criteria for judging suitability for publication. The format of a Feature article differs significantly from that of a research article, and authors are urged to contact the Feature editor before preparing a manuscript. All Feature article correspondence is with the Feature Editor.

For more information contact:

Terry L. Niblack

Univ of Illinois

AW-101 Turner Hall - Crop Sciences

1102 S Goodwin Ave

Urbana, IL 61801, U.S.A.

E-mail: tniblack@uiuc.edu

Phone: +1.217.333.4424

Fax: +1.217.333.5299

Authors of Feature articles are not assessed page charges. However, color photographs and drawings are an essential aspect of Feature articles. A charge of $600 is assessed for use of color images. Authors should provide publication quality images for all figures.

Special Reports. Significant communications relevant to the mission of the journal but inappropriate for other sections (e.g., techniques or specialized equipment, crop or commodity loss estimates, instructional or extension programs, and descriptions of computer simulations and expert systems) are published as Special Reports. Computer software described in Special Reports or other sections of the journal must be in the public domain or available from a nonprofit organization. Special Reports are subject to peer review. If a computer application is the subject, submit electronic copies of the software and users’ guide to the Editor-in-Chief.

Disease Notes. A Disease Note is a short research paper intended to encourage early reporting of significant outbreaks or significant changes in geographic location of diseases, new hosts, or new physiological races of pathogens. For instructions on preparing and submitting a Note, see “Instructions for Authors of Disease Notes” below.

For reports of new hosts or diseases caused by cultivable pathogens, including previously known diseases new to a country or region, provide completed proof of pathogenicity and identify the causal agent to species. Authors are strongly encouraged to deposit voucher specimens and cultures in a recognized repository and to report the place of deposit.

Interpretive Summaries. To make research published in our journals accessible to people outside the normal readership, Plant Disease publishes interpretive summaries online of articles appearing in the print journal. The intended audience includes farmers, certified crop advisors and pesticide applicators, agricultural chemical and seed dealers, county extension personnel, and scientists outside the discipline of plant pathology. Interpretive summaries are published in electronic format only, in the public-access area of APSnet. They point to the original article, so that readers who want more detailed information will have the citation to the original paper.

An interpretive summary should be the same length as an abstract but differ in content. It should set out the question or problem being investigated and go on to state how the findings of the study can be used to answer the question or solve the problem. It can include a statement as to how the findings in the study help answer a broader question. An interpretive summary should be written in standard English and be comprehensible to readers without specialized knowledge of plant pathology. Avoid using phytopathological terms, such as “inoculum” or “conidia.” For an example of a well written Interpretive Summary, see Anikster et al., 2005 (http://www.apsnet.org/pd/ summaries/dma05sum.asp).

When submitting a manuscript for which you wish to include an interpretive summary, please include the summary with the rest of the manuscript.

Online article enhancements. APS offers cost-effective “e-Xtra” options designed to enhance online articles. Authors may publish figures in color online that appear black-and-white in print ($20 per figure). Up to five external links from the online abstract to public databases, such as GenBank or other approved websites, will be provided free of charge (additional links at $5 per link). Supplemental materials, such as tables or figures, may be linked to the online abstract ($20 per supplement). Supplemental materials are subject to review and must be included in the original submission. Accepted materials can be provided in MS Word, WordPerfect, MS Excel, and .jpg formats. Disease Notes online may contain up to two figures, provided in .jpeg format, with captions of up to 50 words ($20 per figure). Supplemental materials should not be referred to in the text.

Cover submissions. You may submit a color photograph to be considered for the cover of Plant Disease. Either an electronic image or a slide is acceptable, and it can stand alone or accompany your accepted manuscript. It should illustrate a plant host infected by a pathogen, both of which must be identified. Electronic images must be at least 1,500 pixels wide. To submit, attach the image(s) to an e-mail containing the following information: host, disease, scientific name of the pathogen, short description of the disease, and your name and address. If an image is to accompany a manuscript, include the manuscript number. For slides, fill out the form that appears in many issues of Plant Disease. Mail or e-mail the submission to:

Diana Roeder

Plant Disease

3340 Pilot Knob Road

St. Paul, MN 55121, USA

E-mail: droeder@scisoc.org

For more information on electronic images, e-mail: pek@scisoc.org.

Scientific nomenclature and language. Scientific language—measurements, specialized vocabulary, and nomenclature—is always in flux. Nevertheless, a manuscript should be prepared with internal consistency and attention to current standards of usage. Where legitimate differences in language and nomenclature exist, the preferences of authors will be respected. Following is a brief survey of guidelines and references that authors can consult as they prepare their manuscripts, along with any APS Publications Board policies that may apply to usage (a quick guide to APS editorial style is provided below).

For general scientific language, measurements, and standard abbreviations, the ACS Style Guide (9), Publications Handbook and Style Manual by ASA, CSA, and SSA (1), or Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers (8) may be helpful.

Abbreviations. Avoid nonstandard abbreviations in text. These may be used in tables (see below).

Apparatus and materials. Names of unusual proprietary materials and special apparatus should be followed by the manufacturer’s name and address in parentheses (city and state [United States] or country). It is only necessary to cite these materials by specific name if the work cannot otherwise be replicated. Trade names may be used and should be capitalized; trademark symbols should not be used.

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. The Common Names of Plant Diseases (3) can be found in the free public access section of APSnet under Online Resources.

Chemistry terms. The ACS Style Guide (9) should be consulted for conventions in chemistry and biochemistry. The Merck Index (22) and Hawley’s Chemical Dictionary (17) are good sources for checking spellings of chemical terms. List fungicides and other pesticides by their approved common or generic names. Brand names and formulations should be included parenthetically when a pesticide is first mentioned. The current Farm Chemicals Handbook (4) and the most recent edition of Acceptable Common Names and Chemical Names for the Ingredient Statement on Pesticide Labels (10) are good sources. Use the chemical name if a common name is not available.

Enzymes. Use the names recommended in the latest issue of Enzyme Nomenclature (14). Give the number of the enzyme at its first use (e.g., EC 1.1.75.6).

Genetics. Rieger et al. (23), Stenesh (27), and King and Stansfield (16) are good specialized genetics and molecular biology dictionaries.

Names of organisms. Scientific names should be included for all organisms that are subjects of the research. Use the scientific name of the principal host in the introduction and the abstract.

Authorities for Latin binomials. Citation of authorities for Latin binomial names is optional but is appropriate for manuscripts dealing with taxonomy or nomenclature or for unfamiliar binomials. When used, authorities should be provided at first mention of the primary organisms discussed (hosts and pathogens). After first use of binomials, the name can be written by abbreviating the genus, e.g., P. cactorum. For trinomials, the name can be written by abbreviating the genus name and spelling out the specific epithet and subspecific epithet, e.g., P. graminis f. sp. tritici.

Bacteria. Spell per Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology (26) or the Approved List of Bacterial Names (25). Note that per Bergey’s style, groups below the level of subspecies should be italicized. Where applicable, designate strains.

Fungi. The preferred source for common and scientific names and authorities of fungi is Fungi on Plants and Plant Products in the United States (11). Ainsworth and Bisby’s Dictionary of the Fungi (2) is another good reference.

Insects. Common Names of Insects and Related Organisms (6) can be used to verify insect names. Include scientific names for important insect vectors.

Plants. Farr et al. (11) is a good source for spelling of common and scientific names. Other good sources are Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (32), Scientific and Common Names of 7,000 Vascular Plants in the United States (7), and The Plant-Book (18). Regional floras may be used. Use the term “cultivar” for agronomic and horticultural varieties. Identify the source of cultivars and include plant introduction (PI) numbers when appropriate. The name of a cultivar may be preceded by the abbreviation cv. or enclosed in single quotation marks.

Viruses. Guidelines provided in the Seventh Report of the International Committee for the Taxonomy of Viruses (31), as described by Mayo and Horzinek (21) and Van Regenmortel (30), will be followed. 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, e.g., 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.

Software. Software used should be treated as a proprietary material or apparatus. Give the manufacturer or developer name in parentheses with location (city and state or country). Software such as that produced by SAS should not be cited in literature citations.

Statistics. Describe statistical methods with enough detail to enable the reader to verify the reported results. Present results with an appropriate indication of variability or measurement error (e.g., a confidence interval). When means (or medians) are followed by ± x, indicate whether x refers to the standard deviation of error or half the confidence interval. Avoid exclusive reliance on hypothesis testing 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 = 0.03). Give details of randomization and blocking, as well as number of replicates, blocks, or observations. Clearly distinguish between true replications and subsamples within a replication–treatment combination. Always specify the experimental design and indicate whether the design was balanced. Do not refer to sampling as random unless it was done in a statistically acceptable random manner. For example, if plants within a plot were selected arbitrarily for disease assessment, do not refer to these as a random sample. Except for simple procedures (e.g., t tests), cite an appropriate and accessible statistical text and indicate the computer program used, if any. In general, statistical techniques should be described in the Materials and Methods section.

Whenever possible, researchers should consult a statistician before designing an experiment and when analyzing results. For more information see Johnson and Berger (15), Madden et al. (20), Swallow (28), Shah and Madden (24), Madden (19), Garrett et al. (12), and Gilligan (13).

Units of time. Day is never abbreviated. Week (wk), month (mo), and year (yr) are abbreviated only in tables. Second (s), minute (min), and hour (h) are abbreviated if preceded by a numeral.

General editorial style. Most of the style guides mentioned have good discussions of English, grammar, and style. Other good general references are The Chicago Manual of Style (29) and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (32).

Literature cited. References should be called out in text by their numbers in the alphabetized reference list. Always cite the original source of publication, whether print or online. List references in alphabetic order by authors’ surnames. When citing multiple works by the same author, list articles by one author before those by several authors. Determine the sequence by first alphabetizing the first author’s and coauthors’ surnames, then by the year of publication (most recent last), and, if necessary, by the page numbers of articles published in the same journal. Italicize Latin binomials, capitalize German nouns, and insert diacritical marks as needed. List specific pages of books. Refer to the BIOSIS List of Serials (5) for accepted abbreviations of journal names.

Check the accuracy of each citation and that each is cited in text. Only references generally available through libraries should be listed in Literature Cited. If work cited is in preparation, submitted but not accepted for publication, or not readily available in libraries, cite the work parenthetically only in text, e.g., (J. Jones, P. Marx, and W. Wiley, unpublished) or (J. Jones, personal communication). The author must include a letter from the source of a personal communication with the submitted manuscript that gives permission to use the information provided. Avoid excessive reference to unpublished information.

Databases. Accession numbers cited from GenBank, EMBL, and other databases for primary nucleotide or amino acid sequence data should be referenced in text, not in Literature Cited. Provide accession numbers that are part of the research as footnotes on the first page or in text.

Online publications. For literature citations of publications available or referenced online that were originally published in traditional print form, the original printed version should be cited. Materials originally published online by established sources (the Senior Editor will make the assessment of the online source) should be cited as published online. Citation of online material should include author(s), date, title, publication name or sponsoring organization, and publication number or digital object identifier (doi), if any, e.g., Nadeem, A. 1997. Title of article. Mol. Plant Pathol. Online, publication /1997/0612nadeem. Do not reference the electronic address or filename of the material, as electronic addresses and locations are frequently changed. If information used in text can be found online but is not from an established publication, it should be referenced in text as a personal communication (requiring the same verification from the authors as any other personal communication), e.g., (J. Jones, B. Myers, and P. Johnson, personal communication). Online software, programs, models, etc. that are used to analyze data should be cited in text by referencing the sponsoring organization and program, e.g., NIH Image is available online from the National Institutes of Health.

Beginning in 2005, each article appearing in an APS journal has a unique digital object identifier assigned to it, which can be used to search for the online abstract.

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. Nonessential details should be omitted. Numbers should be rounded to significant digits. Ditto marks should not be used. Abbreviations are acceptable; explain any nonstandard abbreviations in footnotes. Footnotes are designated with superscript lowercase letters. Use “a, b,” etc. if mean separation letters do not appear in the data fields; otherwise use letters from the end of the alphabet, and end with “z” for the last footnote. Vertical and horizontal rules and bold type are not allowed in data fields.

Figures. General. Each submitted illustration should be labeled with the figure number, author’s name, and Plant Disease. If the original figure is a hard copy, it must be scanned for submission through Manuscript Central. 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) should be uppercase 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, two, or three columns (55, 117, or 178 mm wide).

Photographs. 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. Poor alignment, blurred lines, or out-of-focus letters and symbols are not acceptable.

Photo composites. Arrange individual photos in a square or rectangle using a program such as Adobe Photoshop, not a word processing program. Any labeling should be set in from the outside edges, to avoid being cut off in print.

Graphs and 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 left and right and top and bottom axes, with lines no less than 0.5 pt in width. Use solid black or white or hatch or stripe patterns in bar graphs (Fig. 1); shaded columns do not reproduce well, either becoming “muddy” and indistinguishable or fading to white. Use solid black or white rules and 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 because others may change in file conversion. Portions of a composite line drawing or graph should be provided as a single illustration.

Fig. 1

• Significance and originality of work are shown.

• Reproducibility of results is illustrated.

• Objectives are clearly stated in 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 are 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.

• Manuscripts are reviewed critically before submission.

• Line-numbered pages 8 1/2 × 11 inches, double-spaced (including tables and figures). Typescript is 12 point.

• First author name, page number, and Plant Disease on the bottom of each page.

• Tables on numbered pages after literature cited section.

• Captions for figures on a separate numbered page following tables.

• Figures. Each illustration is labeled with figure number, first author’s name, and Plant Disease.

• Title. Does not exceed 100 characters and spaces. Includes host, pathogen or disease, and phenomenon, as appropriate. (Do not use both common and scientific names for organisms.)

• Author name(s), affiliations (author titles optional), and addresses given in a separate paragraph.

• Corresponding author name, E-mail address, and Accession numbers (if needed) given before the abstract.

• Abstract. Begins with reference line. Limited to 200 words in one paragraph.

• Additional keywords. Words or phrases that are not in the title or abstract but are in the text and would be useful in index retrieval systems are listed in alphabetical order.

• Organization of text. Major sections after the introductory statements are: Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and Literature Cited. (General techniques and methods are best described in Materials and Methods; brief descriptions of experiments and trials may be given in Results. Subheadings may be used, but avoid excessive fragmentation of the text. Footnotes to the text are not permitted.)

• Acknowledgments and disclaimers are provided after the text.

• Literature citations. References listed in alphabetical order by authors’ surnames. Citations in text given by number.

• Figures are “boxed.” First letter of first word of axis is capitalized.

• Figures are prepared for same-size reproductions (55, 117, or 178 mm). Consistent style and sizing is used for all figures.

• Interpretive summary optional but encouraged. Limited to 200 words in one paragraph.

• Photograph to be considered for cover (optional, submit after manuscript is accepted.)

Supporting material

• Proof of all “in press” citations.

• Copies of personal communication verification.

• Permission granted for copyrighted material.

• Voucher cultures and specimens deposited in recognized collections. Accession numbers obtained for nucleotide sequences.

(see text of Instructions for more complete references)

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

Use units of the Système International d’Unités (SI units).

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).

All taxa are italicized. In trinomials, always spell out species, e.g., X. campestris pv. campestris.

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].

Use (i), (ii), (iii), (iv).

Generally should be closed up (e.g., postinfection, loopsful), even in nonstandard constructions; see dictionary or style manuals for exceptions.

When two words are used as adjectives preceding a noun, as a rule they are hyphenated. If uncertain, consult the dictionary (32) or style manuals.

Consult ACS (9) 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, including at the beginning of sentences.

aa--amino acids
Carborundum--capitalize
Casamino Acids
Celite
CFU--colony-forming units, do not spell out if preceded by a numeral
cheesecloth--one word
chi-square test or _²
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--capitalize
phytoplasma, not MLO or mycoplasmalike organism
potato dextrose agar, no hyphen
ppm--parts per million
R_f --retardation factor
V8 juice agar--no hyphen