About the Journal

PhytoTalks (Online ISSN: 3049-0677) is a quarterly, peer-reviewed, open-access scholarly journal dedicated to publishing high-quality research in the plant sciences. The journal accepts new research articles, review articles, brief communications, and case reports in key areas of plant science, such as plant classification, structure, function, environment, and related topics.

The journal’s primary aim is to advance scientific understanding of plant form, function, diversity, and interaction with the environment through rigorously peer-reviewed scholarly work. Contributions from researchers worldwide are encouraged.

Aims and Scope

Aims & Scope
PhytoTalks shares research and reviews that have been checked by experts in all fields related to plant sciences and similar biological areas, including plant classification, structure, function, environment, plant chemicals, biotechnology, genetics, and conservation. The journal supports interdisciplinary research that contributes to fundamental botanical knowledge and its application in agriculture, biodiversity management, and plant-based science.

Peer Review Policy

Peer Review Policy
All submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review. Manuscripts are evaluated independently by a minimum of two qualified reviewers selected for their subject expertise. The process includes:

Initial editorial screening for scope, originality, and ethical compliance

External peer review by at least two experts

Editorial decision based on reviewer reports and editorial board assessment

Decisions may include: accept, revise (minor or major), or reject. Reviewers and authors remain anonymous throughout the review process to ensure impartial evaluation.

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief

Prof. (Dr.) Afroz Alam
Professor of Botany
Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology
Banasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, India
Expertise: Bryophytes, Plant Systematics, Plant Physiology, Ecology, Ethnobotany, Biodiversity
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Institutional Profile | ResearchGate | Google Scholar

Editorial Board Members

Editorial Team

Publication Ethics and Malpractice Statement

PhytoTalks adheres to high standards of publication ethics and follows the principles outlined by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).

Ethical Responsibilities

All submissions are screened for plagiarism prior to peer review
Duplicate submission and redundant publication are prohibited
Conflicts of interest must be disclosed by authors, reviewers, and editors
The journal follows transparent procedures for corrections, retractions, and expressions of concern

Ethical misconduct may result in rejection, retraction, or further editorial action.

Retraction and Correction Policy

Articles may be retracted or corrected in cases of plagiarism, data fabrication, ethical misconduct, or significant errors affecting the reliability of the work.

Retracted articles will remain online with a clear retraction notice linked to the original article.

Open Access Policy

PhytoTalks follows a Gold Open Access model, providing immediate and unrestricted access to all published content. Readers are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles without prior permission.

Digital Archiving Policy

To ensure long-term digital preservation and accessibility, all published articles are archived through the following:

Institutional repositories
Journal-maintained digital backups

The journal is committed to permanent availability of its scholarly content.

Copyright and Licensing

Copyright Policy

Authors retain full copyright of their work.

By submitting and publishing in PhytoTalks, authors grant the journal:

The right of first publication
The right to distribute the work under the CC BY 4.0 license

Licensing

All articles published in PhytoTalks are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

This license permits:

Unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium
Commercial use
Adaptation and modification

Conditions: Proper credit must be given to the original author(s) and source.

To view the license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Note on previous issues:
All articles published prior to the June 2026 issue were licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0). From the June 2026 issue onwards, PhytoTalks has adopted the more open CC BY 4.0 license in line with international open access standards.

Article Processing Charges (APC)

PhytoTalks is an open-access journal published by Safavid ePublishers. To support editorial management, peer-review administration, digital archiving, and online hosting, the journal charges a modest article processing charge (APC) for accepted manuscripts.

APC for Authors from India

Authors affiliated with institutions in India are required to pay an Article Processing Charge of INR 3000 per accepted article.

The APC is payable only after the manuscript has been accepted following peer review. There are no submission charges.

APC Waiver for International Authors

To encourage global participation and international collaboration, authors affiliated with institutions outside India will receive a full waiver of the APC for the first two years of the journal’s operation.

This waiver policy is valid until 31 December 2027

This fee covers DOI assignment, High-quality editorial processing, Indexing and metadata curation, OJS maintenance & hosting, and Long-term digital archiving

**What the APC Does Not Influence**

To comply with COPE, DOAJ, and UGC-CARE ethical standards, the APC has no role in editorial decisions.

Manuscripts are evaluated solely on academic merit, originality, and relevance.
Waiver requests do not affect the review outcome.
The decision to accept or reject a manuscript is independent of the authors’ ability to pay.

Waiver & Discount Policy

To promote equitable access to publishing, PhytoTalks offers partial or full APC waivers in the following cases:

Eligibility for Waivers

Students / early-career researchers
Authors without institutional or project funding
Researchers from low-income or lower-middle-income countries
Cases of financial hardship (reviewed confidentially)

How to Apply

Authors may request a waiver at any point before APC payment by emailing the editorial office with the following:

Manuscript ID
Brief justification
Supporting documents (if applicable)

Waiver decisions are fair and confidential and do not affect peer review.

No Hidden Charges

The journal does not charge for:

Submission
Initial review
Resubmission
Color figures
Supplementary files
Editorial correspondence

Only the APC is applicable after acceptance.

Refund Policy

APC is payable only after final acceptance.
Fees are non-refundable once the article enters production.
If withdrawal occurs before acceptance, no APC is charged.

Compliance with International Standards

This APC policy adheres to:

UGC-CARE Guidelines for Transparency in Publishing
DOAJ Best Practices for APC Disclosure
COPE Principles of Transparency and Best Practice in Scholarly Publishing
OASPA Ethical Standards

The policy is reviewed annually to ensure fairness, transparency, and sustainability.

For APC-related queries or waiver requests, authors may write to:
[email protected], [email protected]

Publication Frequency

PhytoTalks is published on a quarterly basis (March, June, September, and December).

Archiving and Preservation

All published content is digitally preserved through the PKP Preservation Network (PKP PN), ensuring long-term accessibility.

Ownership and Governance

PhytoTalks is published by Safavid-e-Publishers, India.

The publisher does not interfere in editorial decision-making. The editorial board independently makes all editorial decisions.

Contact Information

Publisher: Safavid-e-Publishers
Address: 108/387, Talab Gagni Shukul, Lucknow–226001, Uttar Pradesh, India
Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]; Contact no.: 01438-294532