Climate-resilient crops help NC farmers beat weather stress
HAWAII IN THE FIRST PLACE.
THIS TAKES EFFECT JANUARY.
1ST.
>> CLIMATE EXTREMES ARE
SQUEEZING FARMERS LAST HERE IN
NORTH CAROLINA, IN ABUNDANCE
OF RAIN FROM HELENE AND MONTHS
OF DROUGHT, DEVASTATED CROPS.
LIZ MCLAUGHLIN SHOWS US HOW
SCIENTISTS ARE ACTUALLY
BREEDING PLANS FOR ROLLER
COASTER WEATHER.
>> ACROSS THE STATE, BREWERS
ARE HOPING TO BOUNCE BACK FROM
LAST YEAR'S LOSSES. DEFINITELY
STRESSES THE CROWDS OUT BY
HAVING ALL THE WAYS OF EXTREMES
FROM ALL THIS RAIN TO NO RAIN,
RESEARCHERS ARE TARGETING THAT
STRESS BY DEVELOPING NEW PLANT
VARIETIES. IT'S A VERY LARGE
GENOMES. SO THERE'S A LOT OF
DIVERSITY.
>> CHRISTOPHER PIERCE'S TEAM
HAS SPENT MORE THAN 2 DECADES
BREEDING RESILIENCE INTO THE
HATE CRIME AS DROUGHT AND HEAT
HAVE HAMMERED YIELDS
NATIONWIDE.
>> HAVING A NATURAL PLANT LIKE
ALFALFA THAT PROVIDES THAT
NUTRITIONAL FACTOR THAT
DARIENNE LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS
NEED IS IS VERY CRITICAL FOR
OUR ENTIRE FOOD SYSTEM. HIS
LATEST TRIAL SHOW VARIETIES CAN
LINGER THROUGH DRY SPELLS AND
SPRING BACK. ONCE THE WATER
RETURNS.
>> THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE,
TRINA ALLOWS THE PLAN TO GO
DORMANT DURING HARSH
CONDITIONS. SO THESE PLANTS
ACTUALLY LOOKED DEAD JUST A
FEW WEEKS AGO. BUT NOW THE
FIELDS ARE LUSH AND GREEN.
>> READERS THEN PUSHED ONLY THE
TOUGHEST SURVIVORS FORWARD WITH
ADVANCED MARKER TECHNOLOGY.
NO NEW GENES ADDED IN. THESE
ARE TRANSGENIC THERE. JUST THE
GENES THAT ARE ALREADY IN THE
POPULATIONS AND WE'RE MAKING
SURE THAT WE SELECT.
>> AS MANY INDIVIDUALS THAT
HAVE A TREAT THAT WE WANT.
>> WITH 3 DROUGHT, TOLERANT,
ALFALFA LINE SET TO RELEASE
NEXT YEAR. CLIMATE, RESILIENT.
HEY, COULD ANCHOR SMARTER
FARMING AND HELP KEEP LIVESTOCK
AND DINNER PLATES FULL LIZ
MCLAUGHLIN, WRAL NEWS.
>> THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
REMOVED USDA IS CLIMATE DATA
BUT A LAWSUIT FORCED ITS
RESTORATION. GETTING FARMERS
BACK THE INFORMATION. THEY SAY