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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
These days, if we hear about two different plants being combined, the first thing we think of might is modern biotechnology. But the low-technology process of grafting2 remains3 an extremely important form of genetic4 engineering in agriculture.
Grafting still holds an important place even in an age of high-tech5 agriculture
Many kinds of plants are grown not from seeds but from pieces cut from existing plants. Farmers cut branches or buds, young growths, from one plant and place them on a related kind of plant.
The branch or bud that is grafted6 is called a scion7 [pronounced SY-uhn]. The plant that accepts the graft1 is called the root stock.
Over time, the parts from the two plants grow together. The grafted plant begins to produce the leaves and fruit of the scion, not the root stock.
A graft can be cut in several ways. A cleft8 graft, for example, requires a scion with several buds on it. The bottom of the scion is cut in the shape of the letter V. A place is cut in the root stock to accept the scion.
The scion is then securely placed into the cut on the root stock. Material called a growth medium is put on the joint9 to keep it wet and help the growth.
Grafting can join scions10 with desirable qualities to root stock that is strong and resists disease and insects. Smaller trees can be grafted with older scions.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency says producing stronger plants by grafting can reduce the need to use pesticides11.
Agriculture could not exist as we know it without grafting. Many fruits and nuts have been improved through this method. Some common fruit trees such as sweet cherries and McIntosh apples have to be grafted.
Bing cherries, for example, are one of the most popular kinds of cherries. But a Bing cherry tree is not grown from seed. Branches that produce Bing cherries must be grafted onto root stock. All sweet cherries on the market are grown this way.
And then there are seedless fruits like navel oranges and seedless watermelons. Have you ever wondered how farmers grow them? Through grafting.
The grapefruit tree is another plant that depends on grafting to reproduce. Grapes, apples, pears and also flowers can be improved through grafting.
In an age of high-technology agriculture, grafting still holds an important place.
And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Mario Ritter. You can learn more about agriculture, and download MP3 files and transcripts12 of our reports, at www.unsv.com.
These days, if we hear about two different plants being combined, the first thing we think of might is modern biotechnology. But the low-technology process of grafting2 remains3 an extremely important form of genetic4 engineering in agriculture.
Grafting still holds an important place even in an age of high-tech5 agriculture
Many kinds of plants are grown not from seeds but from pieces cut from existing plants. Farmers cut branches or buds, young growths, from one plant and place them on a related kind of plant.
The branch or bud that is grafted6 is called a scion7 [pronounced SY-uhn]. The plant that accepts the graft1 is called the root stock.
Over time, the parts from the two plants grow together. The grafted plant begins to produce the leaves and fruit of the scion, not the root stock.
A graft can be cut in several ways. A cleft8 graft, for example, requires a scion with several buds on it. The bottom of the scion is cut in the shape of the letter V. A place is cut in the root stock to accept the scion.
The scion is then securely placed into the cut on the root stock. Material called a growth medium is put on the joint9 to keep it wet and help the growth.
Grafting can join scions10 with desirable qualities to root stock that is strong and resists disease and insects. Smaller trees can be grafted with older scions.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency says producing stronger plants by grafting can reduce the need to use pesticides11.
Agriculture could not exist as we know it without grafting. Many fruits and nuts have been improved through this method. Some common fruit trees such as sweet cherries and McIntosh apples have to be grafted.
Bing cherries, for example, are one of the most popular kinds of cherries. But a Bing cherry tree is not grown from seed. Branches that produce Bing cherries must be grafted onto root stock. All sweet cherries on the market are grown this way.
And then there are seedless fruits like navel oranges and seedless watermelons. Have you ever wondered how farmers grow them? Through grafting.
The grapefruit tree is another plant that depends on grafting to reproduce. Grapes, apples, pears and also flowers can be improved through grafting.
In an age of high-technology agriculture, grafting still holds an important place.
And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Mario Ritter. You can learn more about agriculture, and download MP3 files and transcripts12 of our reports, at www.unsv.com.
点击收听单词发音
1 graft | |
n.移植,嫁接,艰苦工作,贪污;v.移植,嫁接 | |
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2 grafting | |
嫁接法,移植法 | |
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3 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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4 genetic | |
adj.遗传的,遗传学的 | |
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5 high-tech | |
adj.高科技的 | |
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6 grafted | |
移植( graft的过去式和过去分词 ); 嫁接; 使(思想、制度等)成为(…的一部份); 植根 | |
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7 scion | |
n.嫩芽,子孙 | |
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8 cleft | |
n.裂缝;adj.裂开的 | |
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9 joint | |
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合 | |
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10 scions | |
n.接穗,幼枝( scion的名词复数 );(尤指富家)子孙 | |
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11 pesticides | |
n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 );除害药物 | |
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12 transcripts | |
n.抄本( transcript的名词复数 );转写本;文字本;副本 | |
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