Editorial
Without the expertise and hard work of the Associate Editors, and the Deputy Editor, in ensuring the publication of high-quality papers on all aspects of grassland and rangeland management, it would not be possible to produce a high-quality international journal such as Grass and Forage Science. After many years of service, Ms C.A. Marriott, Dr N.J. Hutchings and Dr J.S. Rowarth have retired as Associate Editors of the journal. Dr B. Dumont has also resigned due to pressure of work having taken on a new job. I would like to thank them for their sound scientific judgement, expertise and commitment to the journal. I would also like to thank the 110 referees from 25 countries who in the last year have ensured that the peer-review process has continued to work well for the journal.
The current Associate Editors, Dr D.P. Belesky (USA), Dr R.P. Collins (UK), Dr G.R. Edwards (New Zealand) Professor A. Elgersma (The Netherlands), Dr J.M. Moorby (UK) and Dr P. O’Kiely (Ireland) have been joined by Dr C.P. Ferris (UK), Professor D.R. Kemp (Australia), Professor N.M. Holden (Ireland), Dr S. Prache (France) and Dr C. Porqueddu (Italy). These Associate Editors have expertise in temperate, Mediterranean, tropical and semi-arid grasslands and rangelands and their fields include the use of legumes, silage production, plant breeding, foraging ecology, grassland biodiversity, modelling, agronomy, ruminant nutrition, plant–soil interactions and multi-objective grassland systems. The ever-increasing number of papers submitted to the journal which relate to inter-disciplinary research, modelling and other non-classical experimental approaches, as well as classical experimental approaches, will ensure that their expertise is fully utilized.
Along with 11 Associate Editors the journal has 16 Advisory Editors, who are experts in their field and have undertaken research in all the climatic zones that grasslands and rangelands are found. A number of new Advisory Editors have been appointed and the names of all the Advisory Editors can be found on the inside cover of the journal. Their main role is to advise the Editor on the direction that the journal should take. As a result of a recent consultation with the Advisory Editors, a number of changes to the journal are envisaged in the next year in order that a better service can be provided to authors and readers. The most immediate changes that authors and readers will see is an increase in the number of papers published to ensure that papers are published as soon as possible after they have been accepted. Also, once the corrected proofs of a paper have been finalized, papers will be published on line immediately and thus prior to appearing in the pages of the journal.
The journal will have a stand at the International Grassland and Rangeland Congresses which are being held in Hohhot, China from 30 June to 5 July 2008. I would be pleased to meet authors and potential authors at the Congress to discuss how the journal can continue to best meet the needs of authors. My next Editorial will review the state of grassland and rangeland science on the basis of the papers presented at the Congresses.
