The MARTINZ Critical Review - Ep#49 - The critical importance of soil health and exploring beneficial agricultural practices - with Dr Mahdi Al-Kaisi, PhD

In today’s episode we continue our investigation into soil health and beneficial agricultural practices, and why these are so important for soils, the environment, and all of human life. Joining us today is Dr Mahdi Al-Kaisi a professor of soil physics, Department of Agronomy, at Iowa State University. 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 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. To learn more about Dr. Al-Kaisi and his work please visit: http://www.agronext.iastate.edu/smse/