评论
打印
Could the key to securing the world's food supply for the future be hidden in the DNA of wild crops?
确保未来世界粮食供应的关键是否隐藏在野生作物的DNA中？
Scientists in Israel are creating a gene bank from the seeds of local wild crops.
以色列科学家正在利用当地野生作物的种子创建基因库。
Some of these crops have survived for thousands of years since the birth of agriculture.
自农业诞生以来，其中一些作物已经存活了数千年。
The seeds may help farmers deal with a severe climate in the coming years.
这些种子可能会帮助农民应对未来几年的恶劣气候。
Alon Singer, a plant expert, recently collected seeds from several plants discovered near a new building project.
植物专家阿隆·辛格最近从一个新建筑项目附近发现的一些植物上收集了种子。
The seeds, including different kinds of water mint, will be frozen and stored at a gene bank of the Volcani Institute.
这些种子，其中包括不同种类的水薄荷在内的种子，将被冷冻并储存在Volcani农业研究所的基因库中。
It is the national agricultural research and development center in Israel.
它是以色列的国家农业研发中心。
Singer and several other people are now exploring the country in search of wheat, barley and other wild crops.
辛格和其他几个人现在正在这个国家寻找小麦、大麦和其他野生作物。
The goal is to save and study their genetic makeup before the crops are lost to growing deserts and more buildings.
目标是在这些作物被沙漠和更多建筑物淹没之前保存和研究它们的基因构成。
Singer said, "The plants here are very unique. They are the ancestors of many of the cultivated plants used today."
辛格说：“这里的植物非常独特。它们是今天使用的许多栽培植物的祖先。”
Information from the wild crops could be used to genetically modify farmed crops so they can better deal with disease or lack of water.
来自野生作物的信息可用于对种植的作物进行基因改造，从而使它们能够更好地应对疾病或缺水。
Tens of thousands of different kinds of seeds are stored in Israel’s gene bank.
数以万计的不同种类植物的种子储存在以色列的基因库中。
It may be smaller than some collections elsewhere in the world but the gene pool here is one of a kind.
它可能会比世界其他地方的一些基因库要小，但这里的基因库是独一无二的。
The crops come from an area known as the birthplace of crop cultivation.
这些作物来自一个被称为作物种植发源地的地区。
"This is where agriculture started about 10,000 years ago," said Einav Mayzlish-Gati, director of the gene bank.
基因库主任Einav Mayzlish-Gati说：“这里是大约1万年前农业开始的地方。”
"Species that were domesticated here are still in the wild adapting along the years to the changes in the environment."
“多年来，在这里被驯化的物种仍在野外适应环境的变化。”
The research has already brought good results.
研究已经取得了良好的效果。
For example, scientists have engineered different kinds of wheat with a very short life.
例如，科学家已经培育出寿命非常短的不同品种的小麦。
It may not be able to compete today, but it could be helpful in a hotter climate with reduced growing seasons.
如今它可能无法参与竞争，但在气候更热、生长季变短的情况下，它可能会有所帮助。
The World Bank warns that climate change will likely harm worldwide agriculture.
世界银行警告称，气候变化可能会损害全球农业。
Harmful effects, it says, are already being felt with hotter temperatures, more frequent extreme weather events, and invasive crops and pests.
它表示，有害影响已经体现在更高的气温、更频繁的极端天气事件以及入侵的作物和害虫上。
I’m John Russell.
约翰·拉塞尔为您播报。
译文为可可英语翻译，未经授权请勿转载！
