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AGRICULTURE REPORT - Who Needs Seeds? The Secret of Seedless Fruits
By Mario Ritter
Broadcast: Tuesday, August 09, 2005
I'm Faith Lapidus with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
We often think of agriculture as planting seeds and harvesting crops. But many crops do not come from seeds. Many kinds of trees and plants are grown from pieces cut from existing trees and plants. This is called grafting2.
Farmers cut branches or young growths, called buds, from one plant and place them on a related kind of plant. The branch or bud that is grafted3 is called a scion4 (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 cleft5 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 joint6 to keep it wet and help the growth.
Grafting can join scions7 with desirable qualities to root stock that is strong and resists disease and insects. Smaller trees can be grafted with older scions. The American Environmental Protection Agency says grafting can reduce the need to use pesticides8 on crops. The E.P.A. found that grafting stronger plants cost less than using chemicals. Also, poisons can be dangerous to people and the environment.
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? The answer is: 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 is a low-technology method that remains9 extremely important.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. Our reports are on the Web at www.unsv.com. I'm Faith Lapidus.
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 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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4 scion | |
n.嫩芽,子孙 | |
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5 cleft | |
n.裂缝;adj.裂开的 | |
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6 joint | |
adj.联合的,共同的;n.关节,接合处;v.连接,贴合 | |
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7 scions | |
n.接穗,幼枝( scion的名词复数 );(尤指富家)子孙 | |
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8 pesticides | |
n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 );除害药物 | |
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9 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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