AGRICULTURE REPORT - Sharpshooters

AGRICULTURE REPORT
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February 12, 2002: Sharpshooters

By George Grow

This is the VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT.

Farmers in the American state of California are guarding against an insect called the glassy-winged sharpshooter.
It carries Pierce’s disease, a bacterial¹ disease that attacks grape plants and other crops. Government and industry
are working to fight the sharpshooter and the deadly disease.

California is a leading producer of wine, the alcoholic² drink made from grapes. The California wine industry
provides thirty-three-thousand-million dollars for the state’
s economy.

For more than a century, California grape growers have battled Pierce ’s disease. It
has caused major damage to Los Angeles area farmers several times.

A new, more threatening glassy-winged sharpshooter arrived in southern California
twelve years ago. Scientists believe this insect came from the southern United
States. Officials estimate it has caused fourteen-million dollars in damage over the
past several years. Experts say it is now ready to attack other parts of California.

The glassy-winged sharpshooter feeds on hundreds of different kinds of plants. The
small insect spreads Pierce’s disease as it moves from plant to plant. The bacterial
disease slowly kills the plants. There is no known treatment. In addition, the insect

carries diseases that can harm peaches, oranges and other crops.

American scientists are studying ways to stop the sharpshooter. One method involves covering grapevines with
particles of kaolin, a fine white clay. The particles stick to the insects when they land on treated grapevines. The
insects do not eat the plants, and are unlikely to leave their eggs there. A similar treatment has successfully
protected other kinds of fruit from insects.

Other scientists are studying ways to safely kill sharpshooters. They found that some chemicals were very
effective. Some of the chemicals were still killing³ sharpshooters four weeks after the plants were treated.

However, scientists want to guarantee that the chemicals do not kill helpful insects, such as egg parasitoids. They
are a leading natural enemy of sharpshooters. Scientists have already released one kind of egg parasitoid in
California. Other scientists are studying parasitoids that eat the eggs of a native South American sharpshooter.

This VOA Special English AGRICULTURE REPORT was written by George Grow.

Glassy-winged sharpshooter
on a grape leaf
(Photo -Peggy Greb)
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1 bacterial   

a.细菌的

参考例句：

• Bacterial reproduction is accelerated in weightless space. 在失重的空间，细菌繁殖加快了。
• Brain lesions can be caused by bacterial infections. 大脑损伤可能由细菌感染引起。

2 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。