Rethinking Agriculture as a Climate Change Solution for Food and Soil Security

Mahdi M. Al-Kaisi is a professor of soil physics (soil management/environment), Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. He received his MS and PhD in soil Physics from North Dakota State University. Professor Al-Kaisi has been on the faculty at Iowa State University since 2000, where his research focuses on the effects of cropping and tillage systems, crop residue management, cover crops, and nitrogen application on soil carbon dynamics and sequestration, greenhouse gas emissions, and other ecosystem services. In addition, he studies the interaction effects of agricultural practices and environmental factors such as, weather variability and landscape spatial variability on soil organic carbon sequestration and systems sustainability and productivity. The focus of his research is to develop sustainable management practices that improve soil health, productivity, and environmental services. As a result of his research, he has developed field calculators to assess soil management practices impacts, such as, tillage systems, crop residue, and crop rotation effects on soil sustainability. Also, he developed soil carbon index for soils in Iowa. Dr. Al-Kaisi is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of American, and Soil and Water Conservation Society.

• Overview of current agriculture and food systems.- Transitioning to regenerative agriculture.- Soil-water-plant-atmosphere relationships and dynamics.- Conservation agriculture systems and soil health.- Agriculture systems and ecosystems services.- Climate change and agriculture.- Climate-smart agriculture technology for climate change solution.- Aligning science and policy for new ag paradigm.- Balancing food security and ecosystem resiliency.