AGRICULTURE REPORT - Risk to a Popular Banana Shows Need to
AGRICULTURE REPORT - Risk to a Popular Banana Shows Need to Grow Other Kinds
By Mario Ritter
Broadcast: Tuesday, September 20, 2005
I'm Doug Johnson with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
In recent years, some concerns have been raised about the health of the world's banana plants. A number of media reports have said that bananas may completely disappear. Some claimed that this could happen in as little as ten years. Such fears are disputed 1, however.
Bananas are one of the world's most important food crops. They are also one of the most valuable exports. Bananas do not grow from seeds. Instead, they grow from existing plants. Bananas are threatened by disease 2 because all the plants on a farm are copies of each other. They all share the same genetic 3 weaknesses.
For example, the Cavendish banana is most popular in North American and European markets. However, some kinds of fungus 4 organisms 5 easily infect the Cavendish. Black Sigatoka disease affects the leaves of Cavendish banana plants. The disease is controlled on large farms by putting chemicals on the plant's leaves. Farmers put anti-fungal chemicals on their crops up to once a week.
Another fungal disease is more serious. Panama disease attacks the roots of the banana plant. There is no chemical treatment for this disease. Infected plants must be destroyed. Panama disease has affected 6 crops in Southeast Asia, Australia and South Africa. There is concern that it may spread to bananas grown in the Americas. This could threaten an important export product for Central and South America.
The International Network for the Improvement 7 of Banana and Plantain supports research on bananas. The group has headquarters 8 in France and other offices in the major banana-growing areas of the world. The group says that more research must be done to develop improved kinds of bananas.
The group says that fungal diseases 9 mainly affect only one kind of banana. In fact, there are five hundred different kinds of bananas. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization has said that the Cavendish banana represents only ten percent of world production.
The U.N. agency 10 says farmers should grow different kinds of bananas. This protects against diseases that affect only one kind. Experts warn that disease may cause the Cavendish banana to disappear. This happened earlier to another popular banana because of its genetic weakness against disease.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. I'm Doug Johnson.
- They disputed over how to get the best results. 他们争论着如何能得到最好的结果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The soldiers disputed every inch of ground when the enemy attacked. 敌人进犯，战士们寸土必争。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
- The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
- He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。
- It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
- Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
- Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
- This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。
- The organisms can be divided into discrete categories. 有机体可分为许多互不相联的种类。
- The cell is the unit of which all living organisms are composed. 细胞是构成一切生物的单位。
- She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
- His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
- The doctor noticed a gradual improvement in his patient.医生注意到病人在逐渐恢复健康。
- I can detect signs of improvement in your thinking.我可以察觉出你思考问题方面的进步。
- Several great guns from the headquarters are coming to see us today.总部的几个大人物今天要来看我们。
- The bank has its headquarters in Pairs.这家银行的总行在巴黎。
- Smoking is a causative factor in several major diseases. 抽烟是引起几种严重疾病的病因。
- The illness frequently coexists with other chronic diseases. 这种病往往与其他慢性病同时存在。