Dr. Seyyedmajid Alimagham

I am an agricultural scientist dedicated to addressing the intersecting challenges of crop responses to climatic conditions, resilient farming, and global food security. I recently completed a four-year postdoctoral fellowship at Wageningen University & Research, where my research focused on sustainable agriculture and large-scale agricultural systems analysis. My research centers on the application of crop simulation models to address a wide range of agricultural challenges. During my PhD, I used these models to design crop ideotypes adapted to different climatic conditions. Since then, I have applied them to assess crop responses to climate change, investigate the interactions and trade-offs among water, energy, land, and fertilizer use, and develop large-scale decision-support systems for agricultural planning and policy. More broadly, I use crop models and quantitative data analysis to better understand and improve agricultural production systems under diverse environmental and management conditions. This work has given me the opportunity to gain extensive research experience across diverse agroecosystems in Africa, Europe, India, and West Asia. 

I am always open to new research collaborations and enjoy mentoring students and early-career researchers interested in crop modelling, agricultural systems, and sustainable food production. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time outdoors, whether walking, cycling, or hiking. After five years in the beautifully flat landscapes of the Netherlands, I look forward to exploring mountainous trails again whenever the opportunity arises.

1.    Martin K. van Ittersum, Seyyedmajid Alimagham, João Vasco Silva, Samuel Adjei-Nsiah, Frederick P. Baijukya, Bala Abdullahi, Regis Chikowo, Hugo L.E. de Groot, Aphrodis Nshizirungu, Godfrey Taulya, Abdelkader Mahamane Soulé, Timothy B. Sulser, Kindie Tesfaye, Shen Yuan, Marloes P. van Loon. 2025. Prospects for cereal self-sufficiency in sub-Saharan Africa. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2423669122

2.    Alimagham, S., van Loon. M.P., Ramirez-Villegas, J., Berghuijs, H.N.C., Rosenstock., T.S., van Ittersum, M.K. 2025. Integrating crop models and machine learning for projecting climate change impacts on crops in data limited environment. Agricultural Systems. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2025.104367

3.    Alimagham, S. Marloes P. van Loon, Julian Ramirez-Villegas, Samuel Adjei-Nsiah, Freddy Baijukya, Abdullahi Bala, Regis Chikowo, João Vasco Silva, Abdelkader Mahamane Soulé, Godfrey Taulya, Fatima Amor Tenorio, Kindie Tesfaye, Martin K. van Ittersum. 2024. Climate change impact and adaptation of rainfed cereal crops in sub-Saharan Africa. European Journal of Agronomy. 155: 127137 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.2024.127137

4.    van Loon, M.P. Alimagham, S. Pronk, A. Fodor, N. Ion, V. Kryvoshein, O. Kryvobok, O. Marrou, H. Mihail, R. Mínguez, M.I. and Pulina, A. 2023. Grain legume production in Europe for food, feed and meat-substitution. Global Food Security, 39, p.100723. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2023.100723

5.    Soltani, A. Alimagham, S. Nehbandani, A. Torabi, B. Zeinali, E. Zand, E. Vadez, V. van Loon, M.P. and van Ittersum, M.K. 2020. Future food self-sufficiency in Iran: A model-based analysis. Global Food Security, 24, p.100351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100351

6.   Soltani, A. Alimagham, S. Nehbandani, A. Torabi, B. Zeinali, E. Dadrasi, A. Zand, E. Ghassemi, S. Pourshirazi, S. Alasti, O. and Hosseini, R.S. 2020. SSM-iCrop2: A simple model for diverse crop species over large areas. Agricultural Systems, 182, p.102855. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2020.102855