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Water Retention Technology Improves Crop Growth in Africa

时间:2022-11-11 03:24:44

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Water Retention1 Technology Improves Crop Growth in Africa

Increasingly severe droughts in Africa make it very hard to grow food, especially in the dryer2 areas of the continent. But a water system developed in the United States is helping3 improve crop production in drought-affected areas.

The system involves plastic membranes5 that look like clear covers. When put in the ground, they prevent the loss of water and other healthful substances from the soil.

The technology has so far been tested in Zimbabwe and Kenya and has been performing well.

In the village of Ulilinzi of southeastern Kenya, the sandy soil has made it nearly impossible to produce a lot of crops. The problem is made worse by droughts. But the new water retention technology is giving farmers here new hope.

Alvin Smucker is a professor of soil biophysics at Michigan State University. He developed the water system.

"We had a lot of government funding, going into millions and millions of dollars to put all these systems together and then test it in Texas, Arizona, California and Michigan," he said.

"This is not something that we just put a little container in the backyard — my backyard — and now we are saying it is the best in the world. It has been tested," he said.

Shem Kuyah is a researcher at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. He is one of the scientists leading the testing of the technology in Kenya. He said the membranes were tested on farms that grow cowpeas and corn.

"We realized that farms where we had installed these membranes were more productive," he said.

Florence Mutisya is a farmer there. She has tried the technology at her farm.

"I saw the benefits," she said. "And I can say that this technology is working very well because now, I get [a] good harvest."

Ulilinzi farmer Anne Mutunga agrees.

"The technology is very good," she said, adding, "we have vegetables which you can't find anywhere else around here."

Sylvia Nyawira is a researcher at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, one of the organizations leading testing in the sub-Saharan area. She said the retention technology could help crop growth over a long time period.

"If farmers continue to retain their crop residues7 in the soil...there's buildup of organic matter," she said. "So, even in five years to come, the yields that we have been witnessing in plots that have the technology are expected to be much higher."

Apart from improving crop production, experts say the technology can also help reduce the effects of climate change.

"As you increase productivity, the crops are able to take carbon from the atmosphere and fix it into their biomass," Kuyah said. "You are able to lock it into the soil."

However, the new water retention technology has a high cost and requires a lot of labor8. It costs as much as $2,000 to buy the membranes to cover one hectare of land.

Words in This Story

drought — n. a long period of dry weather

membrane4 — n. a thin soft flexible sheet or layer especially of a plant or animal part (as a cell, tissue, or organ)

retention — n. the act of retaining : to keep in possession or use

benefit — n. something that does good to a person or thing

residue6 — n. whatever remains9 after a part is taken, set apart, or lost or after the completion of a process

yield — n. the amount or quantity produced or returned

biomass — n. plant materials and animal waste used especially as a source of fuel


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1 retention HBazK     
n.保留,保持,保持力,记忆力
参考例句:
  • They advocate the retention of our nuclear power plants.他们主张保留我们的核电厂。
  • His retention of energy at this hour is really surprising.人们惊叹他在这个时候还能保持如此旺盛的精力。
2 dryer PrYxf     
n.干衣机,干燥剂
参考例句:
  • He bought a dryer yesterday.他昨天买了一台干燥机。
  • There is a washer and a dryer in the basement.地下室里有洗衣机和烘干机。
3 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
4 membrane H7ez8     
n.薄膜,膜皮,羊皮纸
参考例句:
  • A vibrating membrane in the ear helps to convey sounds to the brain.耳膜的振动帮助声音传送到大脑。
  • A plastic membrane serves as selective diffusion barrier.一层塑料薄膜起着选择性渗透屏障的作用。
5 membranes 93ec26b8b1eb155ef0aeaa845da95972     
n.(动物或植物体内的)薄膜( membrane的名词复数 );隔膜;(可起防水、防风等作用的)膜状物
参考例句:
  • The waste material is placed in cells with permeable membranes. 废液置于有渗透膜的槽中。 来自辞典例句
  • The sarcoplasmic reticulum is a system of intracellular membranes. 肌浆网属于细胞内膜系统。 来自辞典例句
6 residue 6B0z1     
n.残余,剩余,残渣
参考例句:
  • Mary scraped the residue of food from the plates before putting them under water.玛丽在把盘子放入水之前先刮去上面的食物残渣。
  • Pesticide persistence beyond the critical period for control leads to residue problems.农药一旦超过控制的临界期,就会导致残留问题。
7 residues 3e5a3e323766c2626c2be0d6feafa1da     
n.剩余,余渣( residue的名词复数 );剩余财产;剩数
参考例句:
  • pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables 残留在水果和蔬菜中的杀虫剂
  • All organic and metallic residues on the wafers must be removed. 片子上所有的有机和金属残留物均必须清除。 来自辞典例句
8 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
9 remains 1kMzTy     
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹
参考例句:
  • He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
  • The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

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