AGRICULTURE REPORT - Asian Soybean Rust Found in Several U.S

AGRICULTURE REPORT - Asian Soybean Rust¹ Found in Several U.S. States
By Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Tuesday, December 07, 2004

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Asian soybean rust has been found in a number of American states. The first report of the plant disease came on November tenth in the state of Louisiana. There were later reports from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and South Carolina. All these states are in the South. The presence of soybean rust was also confirmed in Missouri, in the Midwest.

Asian soybean rust is a fungus² that can sharply³ reduce harvests. A fungus is a simple organism. It cannot make its own food. So it takes nutrients⁴ from material living or dead. Asian soybean rust can infect several other kinds of bean plants, as well as kudzu, an invasive plant. The fungus does not harm animals or people.

It was first discovered in Japan just over a century ago. It has spread to Africa and, most recently, to South America. Scientists believe it moved north to the United States on the winds of a severe storm, Hurricane Ivan, in September.

The rust is light brown or red in color. It grows on leaves, which develop growths. These growths break open and release a powder of reproductive material. Scientists say winds can carry the fungus spores⁵ for thousands of kilometers.

Over the years, the disease has caused major damage in Asia. Australia has also experienced damage. Outbreaks in Africa over the last several years have reduced soy harvests by over fifty percent in some areas. The disease arrived in Brazil in two thousand one. The United States Agriculture Department says soybean rust took only one year to spread to sixty percent of the soybean fields in Brazil.

Still, the Brazilian government says it expects a record harvest this year. Brazil recently passed the United States as the biggest exporter of soybeans in the world.

The United States is the biggest producer. In nineteen ninety-four, Asian soybean rust appeared in Hawaii. But until now, it was never found on the mainland.

The discovery comes at the end of the growing season in the United States. Officials say the fungus did not affect this year's harvest. But it could return next year.

Agricultural officials say farmers have time to start planning ways to control the disease for the next planting season. A number of chemicals can be used to treat fields. But they are costly⁶.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. I'm Gwen Outen.

1 rust   

n.锈；v.生锈；(脑子)衰退

参考例句：

• She scraped the rust off the kitchen knife.她擦掉了菜刀上的锈。
• The rain will rust the iron roof.雨水会使铁皮屋顶生锈。

2 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• 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。

3 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

4 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 spores   

n.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的名词复数 )v.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Ferns, mosses and fungi spread by means of spores. 蕨类植物、苔藓和真菌通过孢子传播蔓生。
• Spores form a lipid membrane during the process of reproducing. 孢于在生殖过程中形成类脂膜。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。