Speaker Bio

David is a molecular biologist conducting research at the Institute for Sustainable Agricultural Research at New Mexico State University and an Adjunct Professor in the Regenerative Agricultural Initiative at California State University, Chico. He works with growers, Arizona State University, Texas A&M, USDA s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Globetrotter Foundation and the Thornburg Foundation exploring paths to improve food security, reduce atmospheric CO2 concentrations, and increase farm and rangeland productivity and profitability through the development of beneficial soil microbial communities.

Regenerating the Diversity of Life in Soils - Hope for Farming, Ranching and Climate!

David's research, in soil microbial community structure and function, has opened a window for viewing the interdependence between plants and soil microbes. Optimization of these plant-microbe associations promotes:

• Restoration of soil fertility,

• Improved growth of crops, and

• Increased efficiencies in plant water use, soil microbial carbon-use efficiency and soil carbon storage capabilities.

These benefits provide a path to significantly increase farm and ranch productivity and profitability while also promoting the market development of a new agricultural commodity (soil carbon). Placing this carbon back into our soils will provide a robust and practical mechanism to reduce atmospheric CO 2 through implementation of regenerative agricultural practices in both farms and ranches.