Across the north-central United States, weeds that resist control efforts are worrying farmers.
在整个美国中北部，失去控制的杂草让农民感到担忧。
This development is the latest sign that weeds are becoming resistant to chemicals faster than major companies can make new weed-fighting products.
这一进展是最新的迹象，表明杂草对化学药品产生抗药性的速度比大公司制造新的除草产品的速度还要快。
Scientists say that some sorts of weeds are developing resistance to chemicals used to destroy them.
科学家说，一些杂草对用来消灭它们的化学药品产生了抗药性。
Reuters news agency recently spoke with more than 20 farmers, scientists, weed specialists and company leaders.
路透社最近采访了20多名农民、科学家、除草专家和公司领导人。
The news agency also studied eight research papers published since 2021.
该通讯社还研究了自2021年以来发表的八篇研究论文。
The studies described how weeds, including kochia, waterhemp, and giant ragweed, are affecting crops in North Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
这些研究描述了包括野草、水麻和巨型豚草在内的杂草是如何影响北达科他州、爱荷华州、威斯康星州和明尼苏达州的作物的。
Over the last 20 years, chemical companies have reduced the percentage of revenue meant for research and development spending.
在过去的20年里，化学公司已经减少了用于研发支出的收入比例。
These companies are also introducing fewer products, says AgbioInvestor, a company based in Britain that studies the agricultural chemical industry.
英国一家研究农业化学工业的公司AgbioInvestor表示，这些公司推出的产品也越来越少。
Farmers say their battle with weeds threatens grain and oilseed harvests at a time when growers face inflation and extreme weather.
农民们说，在种植者面临通货膨胀和极端天气的时候，他们与杂草的斗争威胁着谷物和油籽的收成。
"We're in for big problems over the next 10 years for sure," said Ian Heap of the International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds.
国际抗除草剂杂草调查组织的伊恩·希普说：“未来10年我们肯定会遇到大问题。”
It is a group of international scientists who work with governments and industry. He added, "We are in for a real shake-up." The research group has a database of information on the reduced effectiveness of glyphosate, one of the most common weed-killing chemicals, against 361 weed species, including 180 in the U.S.
它是一群与政府和工业界合作的国际科学家。他补充说，“我们将面临一场真正的变革。”该研究小组拥有一个关于草甘膦对361种杂草有效性降低的信息数据库，其中包括美国的180种杂草。草甘膦是最常见的除草剂之一
These weeds affect corn, soy, sugar beets and other crops.
这些杂草影响玉米、大豆、甜菜和其他作物。
Around the world, 21 weeds globally showed resistance to dicamba, the most recent major U.S. chemical, which launched in 2017.
在全球范围内，全球有21种杂草对麦草畏产生了抗性，麦草畏是美国于2017年推出的最新主要化学品。
Environmental groups argue that farmers should embrace natural weed-control methods instead of chemicals.
环保组织认为，农民应该采用自然的除草方法，而不是化学药品。
One Kochia plant can spread as many as 30,000 seeds.
一株地钱可以传播多达三万颗种子。
It can result in yields reduced by up to 70 percent if nothing is done to stop it.
如果不采取任何措施阻止它，它可能导致产量下降高达70%。
That information comes from Take Action, a farmer resource program of the United Soybean Board.
这些信息来自联合大豆委员会的农民资源项目“采取行动”。
Other issues, including the development of stronger seeds, have pushed overall crop yields higher around the world.
其他问题，包括开发更强壮的种子，已经推动了世界各地农作物的总体产量。
But scientists expect weed problems to worsen.
但科学家预计杂草问题将恶化。
Some weeds are even showing resistance the first time they are treated with chemicals.
一些杂草甚至在第一次用化学物质处理时表现出抗药性。
In Douglas, North Dakota, farmer Bob Finken used dicamba and glyphosate to kill weeds late in the growing season.
在北达科他州的道格拉斯，农民鲍勃·芬肯在生长季节后期使用麦草畏和草甘膦除草。
Neither product completely killed kochia.
这两种产品都没有完全杀死地钱。
"That was really scary," said Finken, age 64. "Each year seems to get a little worse." Finken had to clear the weeds with harvesting equipment, which risks damaging the machinery.
“那真的很可怕，”64岁的芬肯说。“情况似乎一年比一年糟糕。”芬肯不得不用收割设备清除杂草，这可能会损坏机器。
Other farmers are hiring workers to pull weeds by hand, said Sarah Lovas of GK Technology, an agriculture company.
农业公司GK科技的莎拉·洛瓦斯说，其他农民正在雇佣工人手工除草。
North Dakota was the largest spring wheat producing state in 2023 and ninth-biggest soybean grower.
北达科他州是2023年最大的春小麦生产州，也是第九大大豆种植州。
Five of North Dakota's 53 counties have confirmed populations of dicamba-resistant kochia.
北达科他州的53个县中有5个已经确认了对麦草畏耐药的地钱种群。
That is only one year after it was first reported in the state, said Joe Ikley of North Dakota State University.
北达科他州立大学的乔·艾克利说，这距离该州首次报道这一病例只有一年的时间。
"It's just a matter of time before it hits your farm," said 65-year-old Monte Peterson who grows soybeans near Valley City, North Dakota.
“它袭击你的农场只是时间问题，”65岁的蒙特皮特森说，他在北达科他州山谷城附近种植大豆。
Chemical producers Bayer, Corteva and FMC say longer development and government approval processes have limited new products to combat weed resistance.
化学品生产商拜耳、科尔梯瓦和FMC表示，较长的开发和政府审批程序限制了对抗杂草抗性的新产品。
Industry leaders also say officials have become stricter about possible environmental and health effects.
行业领袖还表示，官员们对可能产生的环境和健康影响变得更加严格。
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said standards for approving new herbicides have not changed greatly since 1996.
美国环境保护署(EPA)表示，自1996年以来，批准新除草剂的标准没有太大变化。
However, the EPA said recent efforts to study the effects of new active ingredients on threatened plants and wildlife have delayed some decisions.
然而，美国环保署表示，最近对新活性成分对濒危植物和野生动物影响的研究推迟了一些决定。
The EPA did not estimate the increased processing time.
环境保护署没有估计增加的处理时间。
The agency said it speeds up studies of lower-risk products.
该机构表示，它加快了对低风险产品的研究。
I'm John Russell.
约翰·拉塞尔报道。
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