Crop Diseases and Pests Move to Higher Latitudes

农作物病虫害向高纬度地区迁移

From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

Insects and diseases that attack food crops are moving as risen temperatures bring changes to the environment. Plant diseases alone destroy an estimated 10 to 16 percent of the world's crops in the field, experts say, plant diseases destroy another 6 to 12 percent after harvest.

随着气温上升给环境带来变化，粮食作物病虫害也在迁移。光植物病害就给全球田间作物造成了预计10%到16%的损失。专家表示，植物病害还在收获后造成了6%到12%的损失。

A new study examines the movement of crop pests and diseases,and how it will effect agricultural production worldwide.

一项新研究调查了农作物病虫害的迁移，以及它将如何影响全球农业生产。

Dan Bebber is a senior research fellow at the University of Exeter in Britain. He says research has shown that wild plants and animals are moving toward Earth's North and South poles as the planet warms.

丹·贝伯（Dan Bebber）是英国埃克塞特大学的高级研究员。他表示，研究已经证实，随着地球变暖，野生动植物正向地球南北极迁移。

Mr Bebber wanted to know if the samething was happening with organisms that attack agricultural crops. He examined reports of first sightings of new insects and diseases around the world. The records came from CABI - the Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International. He says the group began collecting information from developing and industrialized countries years ago.

贝伯希望弄清楚，攻击农作物的生物体是否也发生了类似的情况。他研究了世界各地新病虫害的第一目击报告。这些记录出自国际应用生物科学中心（CABI）。他表示，该中心多年前就开始收集来自发展中国家和工业化国家的信息。

Dan Bebber and his research team studied 612 different organisms - from viruses and bacteria to insects like beetles and butterflies. They found that since 1960, crop pests and diseases have been moving toward the poles at an average rate of about 3 kilometers each year. Mr Bebber says this puts the most productive farmland in the world in danger.

贝伯和他的研究小组研究了612种不同的生物体，从病毒、细菌到甲虫和蝴蝶之类的昆虫。他们发现，自1960年以来，农作物病虫害一直以平均每年3公里的速度向地球两极迁移。贝伯先生表示，这把全球最富饶多产的耕地置入了危险中。

"As new species of pests and diseases evolve and potentially the environment for them becomes more amenable at higher latitudes, the pressure on the breadbaskets of the world is going to increase."

他说，“随着病虫害新物种的进化，以及它们生存的环境更顺应于高纬度地区，世界粮食产区的压力将逐步增大。”

Farmers face other threats. Invasive species passed through trade are also causing problems. Gene Kritsky is an Entomologist at the College of Mount St. Joseph in Ohio. He specialises in the study of insects. He says climate change may improve conditions for some invasive species.

农民们还面临着其它威胁。通过贸易传入的入侵物种也造成问题。吉恩·克利兹基（Gene Kritsky）是俄亥俄州圣约瑟夫山学院的昆虫学家。他专门研究昆虫。他表示，气候变化可能会改善一些入侵物种的生存环境。

"It means that species in other parts of the world that might do well in warmer temperatures can now do well in the breadbasket of America."

他说，“这意味着世界其它地区可能适应在温暖气候生存的物种现在也能适应在美国粮食产区生存。”

Another Entomologist Christian Krupke of Purdue University says the effects of these changes will depend very much on the crop, the insect and the disease. But he says the research is a warning sign that people should care about climate change and do something about it.

另一位普渡大学的昆虫学家克里斯汀·克拉基（Christian Krupke）表示，这些变化的影响很大程度上取决于农作物、昆虫和病害。但他表示，该研究是一个警告信号，提醒人们应该关注气候变化并就此做些什么。