Agronomist: 'Soil salinization poses a dire threat to arid agricultural valleys. Desalination irrigation systems, while effective, are prohibitively expensive for smallholder farmers. Thus, introducing salt-tolerant gene variants into staple crop cultivars offers the most viable long-term economic path to sustained crop yields in these regions.'

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the agronomist's argument?

Answer and explanation

Correct answer: D. Cultivating salt-tolerant crops does not halt continuous salt accumulation in the soil, which eventually exceeds the physiological tolerance of even modified cultivars

  1. Step 1: Identify the agronomist's thesis: genetic modification to introduce salt-tolerant traits offers the most viable long-term economic solution to maintaining crop yields in salinized soils.
  2. Step 2: To weaken this assertion, demonstrate that salt-tolerant crops do not provide a viable long-term remedy for ongoing soil salinization.
  3. Step 3: If growing salt-tolerant crops does nothing to halt the progressive accumulation of soil salt, salinity levels will eventually exceed the physiological tolerance of even engineered crops, leading to eventual failure.
Answer
Cultivating salt-tolerant crops does not halt continuous salt accumulation in the soil, which eventually exceeds the physiological tolerance of even modified cultivars.

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