CALIFORNIA EXPERT

Dave Putnam

Dan Putnam grew up in a small town in Southwestern Ohio, and received his undergraduate degree from Wilmington College in Ohio in 1977, and PhD from University of Massachusetts in Plant & Soil Sciences in 1986.  He worked at the University of Minnesota on new crops before joining the faculty at University of California Davis in 1993 as state-wide Extension Agronomist for Alfalfa and Forage Crops, where he conducts research and extension programs.  He chairs the multi-disciplinary UC Alfalfa Workgroup and the annual California Alfalfa Symposium, and is on the board of the California Alfalfa & Forage Association. Emphasis is on agronomic practices as pertaining to irrigation, water use, forage quality, varieties, alternative forage crops, and other issues related to the production and utilization of forages.  Field research and extension programs are conducted throughout the state in collaboration with colleagues, agencies, and grower groups.