Thursday,  August 9, 2012 • Vol. 13--No. 026 • 15 of 30 •  Other Editions

(Continued from page 14)

Unmanned aircraft flights to monitor erosion

• LOWER BRULE, S.D. (AP) -- The U.S. Geological Survey and the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe will be using unmanned aircraft to take another look at Missouri River bank erosion on the reservation.
• The first round of flights along the seven-mile stretch was conducted in August 2011. Results from the Aug 21-23 flights can be directly compared to the 2011 flight results to monitor changes along the bank.
• USGS scientist Kathy Neitzert says results will be analyzed to investigate the location and severity of erosion, and the lasting impacts of cultural and environmental

losses.
• The tribe estimates that the reservation is losing about eight feet of shoreline per year in some locations. It will use the results to gather highly accurate baseline data on the shoreline.

Seeking hardier breeds for drought, climate change
DAVID PITT,Associated Press

• DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- Cattle are being bred with genes from their African cousins who are accustomed to hot weather. New corn varieties are emerging with larger roots for gathering water in a drought. Someday, the plants may even be able to "resurrect" themselves after a long dry spell, recovering quickly when rain returns.
• Across American agriculture, farmers and crop scientists have concluded that it's too late to fight climate change. They need to adapt to it with a new generation of hardier animals and plants specially engineered to survive, and even thrive, in intense heat, with little rain.
• "The single largest limitation for agriculture worldwide is drought," said Andrew Wood, a professor of plant physiology and molecular biology at Southern Illinois University.
• On his Kansas farm, Clay Scott is testing a new kind of corn called Droughtguard as his region suffers through a second consecutive growing season with painfully scarce precipitation.
• "These are products I really need," Scott said. "I couldn't be any happier that they are working on these products."
• The urgency is also evident in Texas, where rainfall has been below normal since 1996. Crops and pastures were decimated in 2011 by a searing drought, and

(Continued on page 16)

© 2012 Groton Daily Independent • To send correspondence, click here.