VOA慢速英语2009年-Agriculture Report - Some Crops (Like Some

This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Companion planting is the idea that when some crops are planted together, they help each other grow. These compatible plants generally have similar needs for nutrients¹, soil and moisture.

Advice for companion plantings is sometimes based more on tradition than proof. But Fabian Fernandez at the University of Illinois says there is evidence for some combinations. These can lead to better crops, reduce disease and help with pest control by attracting helpful insects.

For example, some kinds of soil bacteria take nitrogen from the air and make a form that plants can use. The plants keep the nitrogen in their roots. Legumes are especially good at this. Any crops sharing the same space can get the nitrogen as the roots decompose².

Crops like beans and potatoes can also share territory well because their roots reach different levels in the soil. Deep-rooted vegetables get nutrients and moisture from lower down, so they do not compete with shallower plants.

But some plants placed together may harm each other's development. For example, tomatoes do not like wet soil but watercress does, as the name suggests. So you would probably not want to put them together.

Even after harvest, some kinds of produce should be kept apart. Apples, for example, release ethylene gas, a plant hormone³. It can cause other foods to ripen⁴ too quickly.

Fruits that release a lot of ethylene also include apricots, melons and tomatoes. Vegetables easily affected⁵ by ethylene include asparagus, broccoli⁶, cabbage and cucumbers.

Markets often separate high ethylene-producing foods from those that are sensitive to the gas.

But sometimes you might want them together. For example, if you put an apple in a bag with an green banana, the banana will be ready to eat sooner.

Now what about peaches, plums and nectarines that are too firm to eat? Growers in California answer this question at eatcaliforniafruit.com. They say an apple, banana or a riper piece of fruit is not needed. The peaches, plums and nectarines themselves release enough of the gas to ripen successfully.

Their advice: Place the fruit in a fruit bowl or in a paper bag with the top folded over. Keep the fruit at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. When the fruit is soft enough to your liking⁷, either use it or place it in a refrigerator to stop further ripening⁸.

And that’s the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, written by Jerilyn Watson. Transcripts⁹, podcasts and archives are at voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Mario Ritter.

1 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》

2 decompose   

vi.分解；vt.（使）腐败，（使）腐烂

参考例句：

• The eggs began to decompose after a day in the sun.鸡蛋在太阳下放了一天后开始变坏。
• Most animals decompose very quickly after death.大多数动物死后很快腐烂。

3 hormone   

n.荷尔蒙，激素，内分泌

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。

4 ripen   

vt.使成熟；vi.成熟

参考例句：

• I'm waiting for the apples to ripen.我正在等待苹果成熟。
• You can ripen the tomatoes on a sunny windowsill.把西红柿放在有阳光的窗台上可以让它们成熟。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 broccoli   

n.绿菜花，花椰菜

参考例句：

• She grew all the broccoli plants from seed.这些花椰菜都是她用种子培育出来的。
• They think broccoli is only green and cauliflower is only white.他们认为西兰花只有绿色的，而菜花都是白色的。

7 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

8 ripening   

v.成熟，使熟( ripen的现在分词 )；熟化；熟成

参考例句：

• The corn is blossoming [ripening]. 玉米正在开花[成熟]。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• When the summer crop is ripening, the autumn crop has to be sowed. 夏季作物成熟时，就得播种秋季作物。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句