VOA慢速英语:Feed the Soil, Feed the Crops

Studies show farmland in Africa is often lacking in important nutrients. But researchers say a combination of farming methods may help.
研究表明，非洲的农田往往缺乏重要营养成分。但研究人员称，结合耕作方式有助于改善这种情况。

Since the world food crisis several years ago, researchers have directed more of their attention to small farms. Most farms in areas south of the Sahara Desert are only about one or two hectares. One of the goals is to increase production without necessarily clearing more land to grow additional crops.
自从几年前世界粮食危机以来，研究人员将更多的注意力放在小型农场上。在撒哈拉大沙漠以南地区的大多数农场是只有一，两公顷。其目的之一就是在不必开垦更多土地或种植其他作物的情况下达到增产。

American researchers say that can happen with greater use of an agricultural system called perenniation. It mixes food crops with trees and perennial plants – those that return year after year.
美国研究人员称，应用更为广泛使用的农业系统，或称为perenniation，可以达到该目标。它将粮食作物与树木和多年生的植物相结合—那样就可以年复一年的收获。

Soil scientist John Reganold is with Washington State University.
土壤科学家John Reganold就职于华盛顿州立大学。

JOHN REGANOLD: “One of the major problems (is that the) soils are fairly poor in most of the regions. So how do you grow food on poor soils? There have to be food production systems that can build the soil and improve the yield.”
JOHN REGANOLD: “主要问题之一是大多数地区的土壤比较贫瘠。你如何在贫瘠的土地上种植食物呢？已有的粮食生产系统可以培养土壤和提高产量。”

Mr. Reganold says poor soil may have resulted from years of weathering that washed away many nutrients. He says some farmers may have done more harm than good.
Reganold先生称，土壤贫瘠可能是因为多年的风化，冲走了许多营养物质。他说，一些农民可能也做过弊多利少的事情。

JOHN REGANOLD: “They have been actually using farming practices where they’re not putting in organic matter. They’re not putting in fertilizers. They can’t afford those things. And it just runs the soil down. So they’re worsening the situation.”
JOHN REGANOLD: “他们实际的耕作方式是不投放有机物，不施肥。他们买不起这些东西。而这让土壤更加贫瘠。因此，他们是在让情况恶化。.”

He estimates that up to two billion dollars worth of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium is lost from African soil each year.
据他估计，每年有价值两亿美元的氮，磷，钾在非洲土壤中流失。

The scientist says the word perenniation defines three systems that are already used in Africa. The oldest of the three is called evergreen agriculture. This is where farmers plant trees with their crops. John Reganold says farmers in Africa have been doing this for sixty years, but it seems to be growing in popularity.
科学家称，perenniation定义三种系统已经在非洲使用。三种之中最古老的称为常绿农业。这种是农民将树与庄稼种植在一起。John Reganold称，非洲农民使用这种方法种植已有六十年，而且似乎越来越受欢迎。

The method is gaining widespread use in countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, Malawi and Zambia. The trees are planted among maize, millet or sorghum crops. They not only add nitrogen to the soil through their roots, but also through their leaves when they fall off and break down. At other times of the year, the trees can protect plants from strong sunlight.
这种方法在像尼日尔，布基纳法索，马拉维和赞比亚这样的国家被广泛使用。树木被种植在玉米，小米或高粱作物之间。他们不仅会通过根部增加土壤中的氮。而且他们的叶子脱落后会分解。在其他时候，树木可以保护作物免受强烈阳光的照射。

John Reganold says he knows of one woman who has had great success with perenniation.
John Reganold称，他认识一个通过perenniation已经取得巨大成功的妇女。

JOHN REGANOLD: “She’s a grandmother in her fifties. Her name is Rhoda Mang’yana and she started using this system about twenty years ago. And her yields initially were about a ton of maize. Now with a good year she gets four tons per hectare. Four times what she was getting.”
JOHN REGANOLD: “她是一个五十多岁的奶奶。她的名字是Rhoda Mang’yana，她大约20年前开始使用该系统。最初的产量约有1吨玉米。而现在在好的年份，她能在一公顷地收获4吨玉米。是以前的4倍之多。”

Mr. Reganold was one of three researchers who wrote a report about perenniation. It was published in the journal Nature.
Reganold先生撰写关于perenniation系统报告的三名研究员之一。他的文章发表在《自然》杂志上。