Advancing agricultural development and extension, Dr. Ismail has engaged in designing and organizing diagnostic studies to collect baseline data, coordinating training for farmers and agricultural workers in improved materials and methods, and monitoring the socio-economic impact of technology development. He has organized capacity-building training for women, farmers, extension professionals, NGO/CBO workers, and teachers, focusing on human resource and institutional development, participatory team building, and agricultural education in Sindh. His research interests encompass assessing agriculture education and extension programs, building institutional linkages and capacity, impact evaluation, rural communication skills, participatory rural appraisal, climate change, food security, and agricultural marketing analysis. As a development consultant, he has worked with SAFWCO, PFF, NRSP, MDF, MDC, RDF, SEARCH, BEST, and PDI. His notable field surveys include coordinating a community-based surveillance system in Badin, conducting village surveys on socio-economic and environmental aspects of Thar coal mining, and studying the impact of the devolution plan on social services in Sindh, sponsored by Asian Development Bank.