Editorial quality
and style guide.
List of abbreviations.
A merger of the APS online publications F&N Tests and B&C Tests
PDMR- Plant Disease Management Reports represents the combination of two on-line publications, Fungicide and Nematicide Tests and Biological and Cultural Tests. Whereas reports encompassing conventional fungicides and nematicides were the mainstay to F and N Tests, biological control substances, varieties and cultural techniques used for disease management were the basis for B and C Tests. Inevitably, however, there was some overlap between the missions of these two on-line APS publications. Thus, PDMR was created so that all reports relating to disease management can be found and searched in the same virtual location. This new Journal is hosted on the Plant Management Network, but former users should notice little difference.
Guidelines for Preparing Reports
READ CAREFULLY
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION
AND SUBMISSION OF REPORTS FOR VOLUME 6, First Submission
Brief Preview of Submission Procedures:
Step 1. Upload your report to this URL for assignment and review: www.scientificsocieties.org/aps/pdmr/initialsub/ The intitial upload form and instructions can be found at this address. Authors can be expect to be contacted by the section editor responsible for reviewing their report in a week to ten days. Submission deadline for this step is December 5, 2011. The submission will open October 31, 2011.
Step 2. Upon acceptance of your report for publication, you will receive (from a section editor) a web address and "passcode" for the online submission form. The form gathers information used for the online index, necessary for searching the report documents, and for the materials under trial section. The form will also provide a means to upload your final report document(s) to APS headquarters. Deadline for this step is March 5, 2012.
Step 3. Finally, you will be asked to mail a copy of the final report document (for comparison with your uploaded document); a signed copy of the copyright release form; a filled in order/receipt form; and payment for your report. Final reports and materials must be received by APS headquarters no later than March 12, 2012.
Introduction
Plant Disease Management Reports (PDMR) is an annual publication of The American Phytopathological Society. The objective of PDM Reports is to facilitate rapid dissemination and the storage of information on chemical, biological and cultural control of plant diseases. Data published in PDM Reports must be from replicated plots or observations. Published reports are considered to be progress reports of ongoing research, and manuscripts that incorporate and extend such data are encouraged for submission to APS and other journals. Authors assume full responsibility for content; section editors will assist authors as much as possible but will generally not make editorial changes.
Reports submitted according to the guidelines stated below are accepted regardless of the crop or nationality of the author(s); membership in APS is not mandatory. Authors do not receive galley proofs. Reports with serious errors or omissions, ambiguous data, improper format, or which are otherwise not suitable for publication will be rejected. Revised reports may be resubmitted for inclusion in a later volume. If two or more reports submitted by an author are similar, the section editor may request that these reports be combined.
Please prepare all reports in accordance with the following guidelines and have two colleagues critically review each report submitted to avoid problems and improve the value of this publication.
PDM Reports is published online only and will not be available in print. The publication of PDM Reports on the Internet necessitates changes in submission procedure that are outlined in this document. Please read, and follow, these instructions carefully.
STEP 1: Submission of report for review
- Upload your report no later than December 5, 2011. Report charges and printed materials are not required at this time. Make sure that your report has been reviewed by two colleagues prior to submission to the section editor. For tracking through the review process, it will help to name the report file with the author's last name and the name of your host crop. For instance, "Smith_begonia.doc." If you submit more than one report on the same crop, add a number to the file name, e.g., "Smith_begonia2.doc." A delay in publication may result if authors do not name their files appropriately.
- The section editor will review the report, and notify you by e-mail of acceptance and/or revisions that are needed. Upon final acceptance, your section editor will provide a web address and a "passcode" for Step Two of the submission process.
- Refer to the instructions listed below for preparing your report document.
Editorial Board for PDMR, Volume 6:
Editor-In-Chief
Frank Wong, Bayer Environmental Science, frank.wong@bayer.com
Cereals and Forage Crops
Guy Boyd Padgett, Louisiana State University (Assigning Editor)
Tom Allen, Mississippi State University
Citrus, Tropical, Vegetables, and Miscellaneous Crops
Shaker Kousik, ARS-USDA, Charleston (Assigning Editor)
David Ouimette, Dow AgroSciences
Kenny Seebold, University of Kentucky
Steven Rideout, Virginia Polytechnical Insitute
Andy Wyenandt, Rutgers University
Shane Zhou, Texas A&M
Don Ferrin, Louisiana State University
Akif Eskalen, University of California, Riverside
Field Crops
Alan Henn, Mississipi State University (Assigning Editor)
Kiersten Wise, Purdue University
Martin A. Draper, USDA-NIFA
Mohamed F. R. Khan, North Dakota State University
Alemu Mengistu, USDA-ARS
Nematicides (all crops)
Tamra Jackson, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (Assigning Editor)
Ornamentals and Trees
Colleen Warfield, Ball Horticultural Company (Assigning Editor)
Heather Scheck, County of Santa Barbara, CA
Pome Fruits
Dan Cooley, University of Massachusetts (Assigning Editor)
Kerik Cox, Cornell University
Seed Treatments (all crops)
Robert Kemerait, University of Georgia (Assigning Editor)
Jenny Glass, Washington State University
Small Fruits
Charles Johnson, Virginia Polytechnical Insitute (Assigning Editor)
M. Mahfuzur Rahma, West Virginia University
Stone Fruits and Nuts
Janna Beckerman, Purdue University (Assigning Editor)
Turfgrass
Phillip Harmon, University of Florida (Assigning Editor)
Maria Tomaso-Peterson, Mississippi State
Materials Under Trial
Brian Olson, Dow AgroSciences
Instructions for preparing your report DOCUMENT
Your report should consist of headings, two paragraphs, and a data table. Refer to reports printed in previous volumes of F&N Tests as you read the following descriptions. Follow the instructions as closely as possible.
Reports should be prepared using MS Word or Word Perfect. Reports written in rich text will not be accepted.
One-page reports are preferred. Two pages are permitted when absolutely needed to adequately describe procedures and present results. Use an 8 1/2 x 11 inch page layout. Leave a 1/2 inch margin at the top and 3/4 inch margins at the sides and the bottom. On your printed original, the printed area must be no larger than 7 x 9 3/4 inches. Keep all lines as wide as possible without exceeding the 3/4 inch margins. Do not draw guidelines on your hard copy.
Prepare the report single-spaced (preferably no more than 7 1/2 lines per inch) using the Times New Roman type face. A type size of 9 to 11 pt (or 15 to 18 characters per inch) is recommended.
A sample report is available for download in the pdf format. This sample follows the guidelines for style, type size, table set-up, and margin dimensions. (Click here for sample document in pdf format)
PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING:
- Use formulated (trade name) product name(s) and formulation (50W, 5F, 3E, 18%EC, 75DF, etc.). Avoid use of product common name(s) and expression of quantities as active ingredient and formulation interchangeably within a report. For acceptable designations of recently tested products, click here, or refer to the Materials Under Trial section of previously published volumes.
- Quantities may be expressed using either metric or English units; however, do not use the two systems within a report.
- Be sure to differentiate between dry (oz) and fluid ounces (fl oz) when specifying amounts of products.
- Express dates as day month year, i.e., 10 Aug 02. Check the link below for more specific style information.
Headings
. In the upper left corner, type the common name of the crop in CAPITAL LETTERS, followed by the scientific name and cultivar(s) (if not listed in table) in parentheses. On the next line and indented 1/2 inch, type the disease (approved common name), followed by a semicolon and the pathogen or causal agent; use a new line for each disease-pathogen combination covered in the report. Do not list authorities after host or pathogen names. Refer to the APS List of Common Names (http://www.apsnet.org/online/common/) for the appropriate common and scientific names. Do not use the table function for Headings. If treatments were applied without regard to any particular pathogen, authors should write 'pathogen unknown' or 'growth promotion'.In the upper right corner, type authors' names and mailing address(es). Do not use footnotes or position titles.
Title and Paragraph 1. Type the title in upper and lower case, bold-face (do not underline), followed by a comma and the year the test was conducted, followed by a period. Titles should not exceed 100 characters. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word and the first letter of any proper noun. Add a line space between the title and the first paragraph. No further reference to year is needed except for clarity.
The text of the first paragraph and subsequent paragraphs should be indented 1/2 inch. Describe the experimental procedure and evaluation methods. Include all essential information on dates, experimental design, pesticides used, environmental and meteorological data, application methods, and crop management. State soil type, soil moisture, and soil temperature with soil treatments. Often 250 words or less will be sufficient, but include enough detail that others can interpret the experiment. Do not repeat in the text information that is in the table. Do not give crop management details unless they are unusual or an integral part of the test. One or two germane references (publication, vol:pages) and/or the source (company, city, state) for any unusual or novel materials should be included in this paragraph where appropriate. Include source of biological controls that are not well known.
Paragraph 2. Assess disease severity and the value of the test, and briefly discuss the performance of plant material, products, and techniques tested. Comments on performance of new products, phytotoxicity, and other relevant findings are desirable. Do not repeat data given in the table.
Data table. Connect the treatment and data entry with dot leaders ( . . . . ). Do not use boldface type for column headings. If possible, include all data for each report in one table, but do not exceed 7 inches in width. Split the table into two tables if it is too wide. Divide narrow tables (less than half the line length) in half; place the lower half to the right of the upper half and repeat the headings. Do not use table titles. You may number tables only when there is more than one. Important to note: Using your word processor's table feature rather than tabs and spaces will help preserve the integrity of your data table as it appears in the final report online. Sample table formats for your reference or use are available from the left hand menu area of this page.
Whenever possible, do not use treatment numbers in data tables; instead use trade names or code designations followed by the formulation used. Do not use fractions. For example, "Benlate 50W 1.5 lb/A," not "Benomyl 1 1/2 lb/acre." Where products were used in combination, state the rate immediately after the product name and formulation, then use a "+" and state the second product, etc. Do not use the plural form of pt or lb.
When multiple (more than two) chemical regimes are used per treatment, however, treatment numbers may be used. Place numbers in ascending order to the left of the treatments listed in each table.
For example:
Treatment
1. chem 1 + chem 2 + chem 3
2. chem 1 + chem 2 + chem 4
3. chem 2 + chem 4 + chem 5
In subsequent tables with the same treatments, list treatment numbers and trade names of products; do not include formulations. Refer to the numbers when discussing results in Paragraph 2.
Present information such that different formulations can be compared. Use footnotes to describe
rating systems. Use asterisks for one or two footnotes; use letters of the
alphabet (begin with the lower case "z" and work backwards through the alphabet) for three
or more. Lettered footnote callouts should be formatted as superscript in the table as well as in the footnote itself. Statistical analysis must be done and the test used and
significance level(s) stated in a footnote. For example,
z Footnote 1Footnotes must be stacked. An exception would be when stacking footnotes would cause overlap to another page. In that case, run-in or wrapped footnotes are acceptable.
y Footnote 2
x Footnote 3
Duncan's Multiple Range Test should not be used. Reports without statistically analyzed data will be rejected. Click here to view the sample report (pdf format).
STEP 2: Submission of final report to APS Headquarters.
This step can be accomplished only when the report has been accepted for final publication by your section editor. Steps 2 & 3 constitute final submission.
Online Index form. When your report has been approved for publication you will receive an e-mail from the Section Editor that contains a web address to the online index form, and a passcode for entry. One unique passcode will be issued for each report approved. Fill out the online index form as prompted. As part of the online index form, authors will be asked to fill out the materials under trial section.
The form allows the author to review the data entered. Please check this data carefully.
Upload final report document. The online form will also enable the submitter to upload the final report document to headquarters. This is an extremely important step. Make sure that your report document is accessible to you from your computer and that you know where the document resides. The upload feature will assign a file name for your document automatically. In addition, final submission of your data will be confirmed. It would be very helpful if you send a copy of the confirmation message with the materials you mail to headquarters in Step 3. The deadline for step two is March 5, 2012.
STEP 3: Mail a copy of your report; the copyright agreement form; the order/receipt form; and your payment to APS headquarters. These materials must be received by APS headquarters no later than March 12, 2012.
The copyright agreement form is printed at the bottom of this file, or is available in an rft format (click here) or as a printable pdf file (click here)
Payment:
Payment
for report charges: $40.00, regardless of length. Payments methods
include check, credit card, or purchase order. Checks should be
made payable to The American Phytopathological Society. Method of payment
should be indicated on the order/receipt form. Download the
order/ receipt file (click
here to download). The receipt portion will be signed by
headquarters and returned to the address indicated on the form.
Include a copy of your confirmation page from the index submission process:
This information will help us match your report to the index information you submitted with the online form.
Reference
your mailed materials:
Please reference your materials just below your return address with:
First Author's last name
Name of Section (i.e. Pome Fruits, Forage Crops, etc.)
Include a copy of the confirmation page you received.
Mail your materials in a 9 x 12
envelope to:
APS
Attn: PDMR
3340 Pilot Knob Road
St. Paul, MN 55121-2097
Contacts:
Please contact the editor-in-chief, Frank Wong, if you have questions regarding preparation and
submission of reports.
Phone: (951) 827-2936
Fax: (951) 827-4294
Email: frank.wong@bayer.com
Please contact Brian Simdars at headquarters if you
have questions regarding the online index submission form and/or mailing
of final materials:
Phone: (651) 994-3849
Email: bsimdars@scisoc.org
Review of submission procedures:
Step 1. Initial upload of your report file for review at this url: www.scientificsocieties.org/aps/pdmr/initialsub/ by December 5, 2011.
Step 2. Upon acceptance of your report by your section editor, you will receive a web address for the index submission form and a "passcode." Fill out and submit the online index form that will be made available to you on the web. This form will also facilitate uploading the final report document to APS March 5, 2012.
Step 3. Finally, mail these materials to headquarters no later than March 12, 2012:
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Copy of the final report document (for comparison with your uploaded document) |
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Signed copyright agreement form |
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Order/Receipt form |
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Payment for your report by check, credit card, or purchase order |
Forms and Guides available:
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Copyright Agreement Form web format (below)
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© Copyright 2009-2010 by The American Phytopathological Society