Agriculture companies are using new methods to change the genes of plants to produce more productive crops.

农业公司正在使用新方法改变植物的基因，以生产更高产的作物。

The process of gene-editing is gaining attention from people interested in agriculture.

基因编辑过程正在引起对农业感兴趣的人们的关注。

It makes changes to the existing genes of a plant, such as wheat.

它改变植物（例如小麦）的现有基因。

That is different from genetic modification, which produces what are known as genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.

这与基因改造不同，后者会产生所谓的转基因生物体（GMO）。

That process introduces completely new DNA to a plant's genetic information.

该过程将全新的DNA引入植物的遗传信息中。

Regulators and scientists believe gene-editing is less risky than genetic modification.

监管机构和科学家认为，基因编辑比转基因风险更小。

They say it is closer to traditional methods of plant breeding.

他们说这更接近传统的植物育种方法。

The process permits scientists to target several genes for editing.

该过程允许科学家针对多个基因进行编辑。

A state-run company in Australia is preparing for a major trial of gene-edited wheat.

澳大利亚一家国有公司正在为基因编辑小麦的重大试验做准备。

Australian seed breeder InterGrain recently imported thousands of wheat seeds created by the American agricultural technology company Inari.

澳大利亚种子育种商InterGrain最近进口了数千颗由美国农业技术公司Inari培育的小麦种子。

InterGrain chief Tress Walmsely said the wheat imports included hundreds of new genetic variations.

InterGrain首席执行官特雷斯·沃姆斯利表示，进口的小麦包括数百种新的遗传变异。

Walmsley said the seeds are growing in a testing greenhouse in the state of Queensland.

沃姆斯利说，这些种子正在昆士兰州的一个测试温室中生长。

The plan is to create more seeds which can be planted across Australia in 2025.

该计划是在2025年培育更多可在澳大利亚各地种植的种子。

"Our job is to work out which gene combination gives the best results.

“我们的工作是找出哪种基因组合能产生最好的结果。

Our goal is at least 10 percent yield improvement.

我们的目标是至少提高10%的产量。

These seeds have the potential to achieve that," she said.

这些种子有潜力实现这一目标，”她说。

The company believes it could be selling seeds to Australian farmers starting in 2028.

该公司认为可以从2028年开始向澳大利亚农民出售种子。

Inari uses artificial intelligence (AI) to consider a huge number of possible edits and then uses the CRISPR gene-editing tool to change more than one gene at a time.

Inari使用人工智能（AI）考虑大量可能的编辑，然后使用CRISPR基因编辑工具一次改变多个基因。

InterGrain and Inari believe the program could result in stronger wheat and bigger crops with a process 10 to 15 times faster than traditional plant breeding.

InterGrain和Inari认为，该计划可以使小麦更结实，作物更大，其过程比传统植物育种快10到15倍。

Plant breeding happens when scientists mate two plants with desirable characteristics.

当科学家将两种具有理想特征的植物交配时，植物育种就会发生。

It can take years for the best version of a plant to arrive.

植物的最佳版本可能需要数年时间才能到达。

Some gene-edited crops already exist.

一些基因编辑作物已经存在。

Most of them offer small nutritional improvements or have an increased ability to resist disease.

它们中的大多数提供了微小的营养改善，或者具有增强的抵抗疾病的能力。

The new wheat plants in Australia will have many of those qualities.

澳大利亚的新小麦植物将具有其中许多品质。

"We want to solve food security, climate change and farm profitability at the same time," said Inari's chief Ponsi Trivisvavet.

Inari首席执行官蓬西·特瑞维斯法夫特表示：“我们希望同时解决粮食安全、气候变化和农场盈利能力问题。”

Australia is working to ensure that it can export the gene-edited wheat.

澳大利亚正在努力确保能够出口经过基因编辑的小麦。

Some countries, such as the U.S. and Japan, have already said they believe gene-editing is not very different from plant breeding.

一些国家，例如美国和日本，已经表示，他们相信基因编辑与植物育种没有太大区别。

Officials in those countries will be more likely to approve the Australian wheat.

这些国家的官员更有可能批准澳大利亚小麦。

Inari said it is working with agriculture companies in the U.S. on a gene-edited soybean that will produce larger crop yields.

Inari表示，该公司正在与美国的农业公司合作开发一种基因编辑大豆，该大豆将产生更大的作物产量。

Many countries have already accepted genetically modified soybeans because they are mostly used to feed animals.

许多国家已经接受转基因大豆，因为它们主要用于喂养动物。

Officials, however, have been slower to approve the modification of wheat because much of it is used in products made for humans.

然而，官员们批准小麦转基因的速度较慢，因为其中大部分用于人类生产的产品。

I'm Dan Friedell.

丹·弗里德尔为您播报。