2022年经济学人 鹰嘴豆即将进行高科技改造（2）

（单词翻译）

In a world where circumstances are changing rapidly, that matters.

在一个环境瞬息万变的世界里，这么做很重要。

A study published in 2016, for example, estimated that shifts in temperature and rainfall patterns could, by 2069, decrease chickpea yield in parts of the world by almost 20%.

例如，2016年发表的一项研究估计，到2069年，气温和降雨模式的变化可能使世界部分地区鹰嘴豆产量下降近20%。

Building on an initial map of more than 28,000 chickpea genes¹, published by ICRISAT in 2013, Dr Varshney's team sequenced 3,171 cultivated chickpeas and 195 wild examples taken from collections around the world.

ICRISAT于2013年公布了一份包含2.8万多个鹰嘴豆基因的初始图谱，瓦尔什尼博士的团队对3171个栽培鹰嘴豆和195个来自世界各地的野生样本进行了测序。

That added 1,582 previously² unknown genes to the list, including ones that encode responses to environmental factors such as cold, acidity³ and oxidative stress.

这就增加了1582个以前未知的基因，包括对寒冷、酸度和氧化应激等环境因素反应的基因进行编码。

The result is the most comprehensive genetic⁴ map of any vegetable species.

结果是所有蔬菜物种中最全面的遗传图谱。

Crucially, the samples came with useful data about the characteristics of the plants they were taken from, known in the argot⁵ as their phenotype.

至关重要的是，这些样本提供了关于它们所采集的植物特征的有用数据，在行业术语中被称为它们的表现型（显型）。

That allowed the team to cross-correlate between genotype and phenotype, identifying which bits of the former appeared responsible for what parts of the latter.

这使得研究小组能够在基因型和表现型之间进行交叉关联，确定前者的哪些部分与后者的哪些部分有关。

As a consequence, they think they have identified 24 haplotypes that do useful things like increasing seed weight, improving yield per plant and reducing the time it takes for a plant to become mature enough to flower.

因此，他们认为他们已经确定了24种单倍型，对增加种子重量、提高单株产量和缩短植物成熟开花所需的时间等有很大帮助。

Looking back at the original collections, they found around 80% of cultivars lacked these beneficial blocks of genes, suggesting there was considerable room for improvement.

回顾最初的收集，他们发现大约80%的品种缺少这些有益的基因块，这表明还有很大的改进空间。

Knowing exactly which genes are involved means the process of breeding in those improvements can be done quickly.

确切地知道哪些基因参与其中意味着可以很快完成这些改进的育种过程。

Instead of waiting for a plant to grow and mature, you can check its genes shortly after it has germinated⁶, and throw it away if you do not want it.

不用等植物生长和成熟，你可以在植物发芽后不久检查它的基因，如果你不想要的话，就把它扔掉。

Upgrades suitably developed, the question will be how to get them into the wider world.

如果育种过程完成升级，那么问题将是如何让它们进入更广阔的世界。

Dr Varshney says that big agricultural and seed companies tend to have limited interest in chickpeas.

瓦尔什尼博士说，大型农业和种子公司对鹰嘴豆的兴趣往往有限。

That means more reliance on smaller firms and co-operatives for distribution.

这意味着更多地依靠小公司和合作社进行分销。

If this can be done, though, the humble⁷ chickpea will join the big boys like rice and soyabeans as crops whose genes have been analysed for the betterment of human nutrition.

不过，如果能做到这一点，不起眼的鹰嘴豆将加入大米和大豆等大的农作物行列。这些经过基因分析的农作物，可以改善人类营养。