VOALearningEnglish2012.9.24---Deadly Maize Disease Threatens Food Supplies in Kenya

VOALearningEnglish2012.9.24---Deadly Maize Disease Threatens Food Supplies in Kenya
Deadly Maize Disease Threatens Food Supplies in Kenya
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report, from
Officials in Kenya are fighting a deadly disease attacking maize crops. Some Kenyan farmers say the disease has reduced crop production by as much as 60 percent. Last September, farmers in Bomet reported that a disease was destroying their maize or corn. The disease is called "maize lethal necrosis." It makes the plant turn yellow and dry up. By January, researchers found the disease was spreading across the country's south and into central and eastern Kenya.Paul Omanga is a crop production officer with the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. He says a study in July found that maize lethal necrosis had affected more than 64,000 hectares. Up to 80 of the crop was ruined. The FAO official warned that if the disease is not controlled, it would have a major effect on maize production in Kenya.Muo Kasina is a researcher with the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute. He is working with others to fight the disease. But he says there is no known way to treat it.Muo Kasina says the problem is that Kenyans do not have any experience with the disease. He says he has no idea of what to expect in the future. Researchers are investigating whether maize lethal necrosis is spread by insects or in seeds. When they know that, they may be better able to fight it.There are some things farmers can do. The FAO's Paul Omanga says he and others are telling farmers about the importance of crop rotation. That means planting different crops on the same field from year to year. But he says farmers must take more extreme action if they suspect the disease has infected their crops.Paul Omanga is calling on farmers to destroy all maize plants in fields that are infected. He says farmers can burn the plants or use them as animal feed. He says stems and leaves are all fit for livestock. But he warns that infected plants should not be left in the field because the virus will remain to infect the next crop. Paul Omanga says he is concerned about Kenya's food stability. "This is causing some concern," he says, "because maize is the staple food and any threat to maize production is a threat to food security in Kenya." America's Agency for International Development says the poorest Kenyans spend 28 percent of what they earn on maize. For VOA Learning English, I'm Laurel Bowman. (Adapted from a radio program broadcast 28Aug2012)
致命的玉米疾病的威脅在肯尼亞的糧食供應
在肯尼亞的官員戰鬥攻擊玉米作物的一種致命的疾病。肯尼亞的農民說，疾病減少了高達60％的作物生產。去年9月，農民在博邁特報告，疾病摧毀他們的玉米或玉米。本病被稱為“玉米致命的壞死。”它使植物轉黃而幹起來。一月中，研究人員發現這種疾病的蔓延全國各地的南，和到中部和東部Kenya.Paul Omanga是作物生產人員，聯合國糧食和農業組織。他說，7月的一項研究發現，玉米致命的壞死影響了超過64,000公頃。多達80個的作物被破壞了。聯合國糧農組織官員警告的疾病，如果不加控制，這將有玉米生產中Kenya.Muo Kasina產生重大影響，是肯尼亞農業研究所的研究人員。他與其他人合作來對抗疾病。但是他說，沒有任何已知的方法來治療it.Muo的Kasina說的問題是，肯尼亞人沒有任何經驗與疾病。他說，他不知道什麼樣的期待在未來。研究人員正在調查是否是由昆蟲傳播的，或在種子玉米致命的壞死。當他們知道，他們可能能夠更好地對抗it.There的農民可以做一些事情。糧農組織的保羅Omanga說，他和其他人都在講農民的重要性輪作。這意味著同場每年種植不同的作物上。但他說，農民必須採取更加極端的行動，如果他們懷疑這種疾病已經感染了，他們的crops.Paul Omanga呼籲銷毀所有的玉米植株的農民被感染的領域。他說，農民可以燃燒的植物或作為動物飼料中使用它們。他說，莖，葉都適合牲畜。但他警告說，受感染的植物不應該被留在現場，因為該病毒將繼續感​​染下一茬。保羅Omanga說，他關注肯尼亞的糧食穩定。 “這會引起一些關注，”他說，“因為玉米是主食玉米生產的任何威脅肯尼亞的糧食安全是一個威脅。”美國國際開發署說，最貧困的肯尼亞人花所賺取的金錢對玉米的28％。美國之音學英語，我是鮑曼桂冠。 （改編自一個電台節目中播出28Aug2012