英语翻译
"Salty"RicePlantBoostsHarvests
Britishscientistsarebreedinganewgenerationofriceplantsthatwillbeabletogrowinsoilcontainingsaltwater.Theirworkmayenableabandonedfarmstobecomeproductiveoncemore.
TimFlowersandTonyYeo,fromSussexUniversity’sSchoolofBiologicalSciences,havespentseveralyearsresearchinghowcrops,suchasrice,couldbemadetogrowinwaterthathasbecomesalty.
Thepairhaverecentlybegunathree-yearprogramme,fundedbytheBiotechnologyandBiologicalSciencesResearchCouncil,toestablishwhichgenesenablesomeplantstosurvivesaltyconditions.Theaimistobreedthiscapabilityintocrops,startingwithrice.
Itisestimatedthateachyearmorethan100hectares(公顷)ofagriculturallandarelostbecausesaltgetsintothesoilandstunts(妨碍生长)plants.Theproblemiscausedbyseveralfactors.Inthetropics,mangroves(红树林)thatcreateswamps(沼泽)andtraditionallyformedbarrierstoseawaterhavebeencutdown.IntheMediterranean,aseriesofdroughtshavecausedthewatertabletodrop,allowingseawatertoseep(渗透)in.inLatinAmerica,irrigationoftencausesproblemswhenwaterisevaporated(蒸发)bytheheat,leavingsaltdepositsbehind.
Excesssaltthenenterstheplantsandpreventsthemfunctioningnormally.Heavyconcentrationsofmineralsintheplantsstopthemdrawingupthewatertheyneedtosurvive.
Toovercometheseproblems,FlowersandYeodecidedtobreedriceplantsthattakeinverylittlesaltandstorewhattheydoabsorbincellsthatdonotaffecttheplants’growth.Theyhavestartedtobreedthesecharacteristicsintoanewricecrop,butitwilltakeabouteightharvestsbeforetheresultingseedsarereadytobeconsideredforcommercialuse.
Oncethecharacteristicsforsurvivingsaltysoilareknown,FlowersandYeowilltrytobreedtheappropriategenesintoallmannersofcropsandplants.Landthathasbeenabandonedtonaturewillthenbeabletobloomagain,providingmuchneededfoodinthepoorercountriesoftheworld.