小小芒草：偽裝的超級能源草

（1）Myscanthus： Surprising Energy Provider in Disguise

The grassy banks of the river Barrow in Ireland may look unproductive， but to scientists involved in a European research project， this land and its 2）vegetation may hold the key to an energy revolution.

John Finnan （Crop Researcher at Teagasc Oak Park）： Myscanthus is a good candidate energy crop because not only does it produce high 3）biomass yields but it has， eh， mechanisms which mean that it’s quite 4）thrifty in the way it uses both nutrients and water. So it produces a high yield of biomass or energy for a low input of energy. Crops like myscanthus grew quite well on some marginal sites. In fact they grew so well that they grew better and produced higher yields than corresponding yields on good agricultural soils.

Scientists monitor 5）photosynthesis activity to evaluate the ideal 6）ambient conditions for growing biomass. Myscanthus is mainly native to Asia and Africa and its cultivation in Europe faces a number of climatic challenges.

Manfred Klaas （Plant Molecular Biologist）：（via translator） The cold conditions during spring and autumn， especially here in the northern parts of Europe， can limit photosynthesis. That’s why we’re trying to find new 7）genotypes， which can better photosynthesize under such conditions.

Liquid nitrogen is also key to this quest for maximum energy-efficient grass. Scientists use it to study the genetic secrets of different grass varieties and to identify the ones best adapted to extreme weather， flooding or drought.

Thibauld Michel （Biotechnologist）： （via translator） We 8）grind the plants. Then we extract the DNA using 9）chloroform. So， on the one hand， we’ll have all the plant’s tissues and proteins and， on the other hand， the DNA molecules. Then we treat these molecules to read the DNA code， the small letters that compose that DNA. That will help us select the plants we’re interested in.

The ultimate aim， the scientists say， is to come up with clear cropping patterns that can help European growers bring these grasses to the energy market， particularly for heating systems.

Susanne Barth （Project Coordinator）： （via translator） We’ve also optimized the cultivation methods of the biomass-grass in terms of practical agriculture. And we’ve developed a method of drying this biomass-grass more efficiently. This had been a big problem in the production line.

And while trying to transform these grasses into a 10）viable energy solution， researchers also point out at a potential added value they think they have； these marginal species absorb huge quantities of CO2 and could help fight climate change.

Michael Jones （Professor， Trinity College Dublin）： One of the things that’s happening when these plants are growing is that they are building up the store of carbon in the soil. Erm， and this is a way of 11）sequestering carbon that’s coming from the atmosphere.

愛爾蘭巴羅河長滿草的河岸看起來似乎毫無價值，然而對參與一個歐洲研究項目的科學家們來說，這片土地及其植被意義重大，它們可能是能源革命的關鍵所在。

約翰·芬南（愛爾蘭農(nóng)業(yè)與食品發(fā)展局作物研究員）：芒草之所以能成為優(yōu)良的能源作物候選品種不僅是因為它的生物質(zhì)產(chǎn)量高，還得益于它自身能夠高效利用養(yǎng)分和水的，呃，生長機制。就是說，芒草只需消耗少量能源就能實現(xiàn)生物量或者能源的高產(chǎn)出。芒草這類作物在邊緣地帶也能生長得相當繁茂。事實上，與在農(nóng)業(yè)肥沃土壤上的長勢相比，邊緣地帶上的芒草生長得更為茁壯，生物質(zhì)產(chǎn)量也更高。

通過監(jiān)測其光合作用，科學家試圖找出適宜芒草生長的最佳外界環(huán)境。芒草的原生地主要分布在亞非兩洲。要想實現(xiàn)芒草在歐洲的種植還得克服一些氣候上的挑戰(zhàn)。

曼弗雷德·克拉斯（植物分子生物學家）：（通過翻譯）春秋兩季的低溫環(huán)境——尤其是北歐這兒的低溫——會限制光合作用。正是出于這一原因，我們一直盡力尋找一種能夠在這種環(huán)境下更好地進行光合作用的新基因型。

液氮也是發(fā)掘高節(jié)能草類的關鍵。科學家利用液氮來研究不同草種的基因秘密，希望找出能夠適應洪澇或干旱等極端天氣的最佳草種。

蒂博·米歇爾（生物技術專家）：（通過翻譯）我們把草碾碎，然后用三氯甲烷提取它們的DNA。用此方式，我們不僅能獲取全部的植物組織和蛋白質(zhì)，還能獲得它們的DNA分子。……