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12 Days of Christmas 2024 - 2025 Competition with $40,000 of Prizes
It is commonly believed that the extensive use of high-tech agricultural machinery is essential for maintaining soil health on large farms. However, evidence suggests that simply adopting no-till farming, which minimizes the disturbance of soil, is sufficient. This conclusion is supported by studies indicating that farms using no-till practices consistently report better soil health.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited?
(A) Many agricultural scientists continue to recommend traditional plowing techniques alongside modern machinery to prevent soil compaction and maintain fertility.
(B) Farms that combine no-till practices with traditional tilling methods report the highest levels of soil fertility and overall health.
(C) Farms using no-till farming often require high-tech agricultural machinery to effectively manage crop residue, which is not removed by tilling.
(D) The studies assessing soil health on farms using no-till practices were funded by manufacturers promoting high-tech farming equipment, potentially biasing the results.
(E) The metrics used to assess soil health in the studies are typically those that favor soils which have been recently tilled or chemically treated.
It is commonly believed that the extensive use of high-tech agricultural machinery is essential for maintaining soil health on large farms. However, evidence suggests that simply adopting no-till farming, which minimizes the disturbance of soil, is sufficient. This conclusion is supported by studies indicating that farms using no-till practices consistently report better soil health.
Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the force of the evidence cited?
(A) Many agricultural scientists continue to recommend traditional plowing techniques alongside modern machinery to prevent soil compaction and maintain fertility.
(B) Farms that combine no-till practices with traditional tilling methods report the highest levels of soil fertility and overall health.
(C) Farms using no-till farming often require high-tech agricultural machinery to effectively manage crop residue, which is not removed by tilling.
(D) The studies assessing soil health on farms using no-till practices were funded by manufacturers promoting high-tech farming equipment, potentially biasing the results.
(E) The metrics used to assess soil health in the studies are typically those that favor soils which have been recently tilled or chemically treated.
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Bunuel
GMAT Club's Official Explanation:
A. Incorrect. It does not challenge the claim that no-till farming alone can be sufficient or its relationship with high-tech machinery. This option is quite irrelevant. Eliminate.
B. Incorrect. This option does not tell us much comparative performance of high-tech farming and no-tilling farming. It tells us that no-tilling can be really good (highest soil health and fertility) if combined with another approach, which would strengthen the argument. Eliminate.
C. Correct Answer. This is the best candidate to weaken the evidence - we are told that while the no-tilling is a great approach, it does require complex machinery to take advantage of. So while you do not need high-tech machinery and use no-tilling farming practices to have high soil quality, those farms that report high soil quality, still utilize high-tech machinery for removing crop residue.
D. Incorrect. This option indicates that the studies might be influenced by interests from high-tech farming equipment manufacturers, who you would expect would argue for more use of high-tech machinery, which would strengthen the argument, not weaken it. Eliminate.
E. Incorrect. This option also strengthens the argument since no-tilling method would be considered more favorably if these were the measurement methods. Eliminate.
General Discussion
19 Dec 2024, 09:12
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Claim: High-tech machinery isn't essential for soil health
Evidence: No-till farming is sufficient
Support: Studies show better soil health with no-till practices
(A) Scientists recommending traditional methods - This actually supports the original argument by suggesting alternatives to high-tech machinery
(B) Combining methods shows best results - This doesn't weaken the argument about no-till being sufficient
(C) Farms using no-till require high-tech machinery - This directly undermines the conclusion by showing that no-till farming actually depends on high-tech machinery. Hence no-till farming is not sufficient. Keep
(D) Studies were funded by machinery manufacturers - While this suggests bias, it would actually bias toward supporting high-tech machinery, not no-till farming
(E) Metrics favor recently tilled soil - This would actually strengthen the case for no-till farming if it still shows better results despite this bias
(C) should be the correct answer
Evidence: No-till farming is sufficient
Support: Studies show better soil health with no-till practices
(A) Scientists recommending traditional methods - This actually supports the original argument by suggesting alternatives to high-tech machinery
(B) Combining methods shows best results - This doesn't weaken the argument about no-till being sufficient
(C) Farms using no-till require high-tech machinery - This directly undermines the conclusion by showing that no-till farming actually depends on high-tech machinery. Hence no-till farming is not sufficient. Keep
(D) Studies were funded by machinery manufacturers - While this suggests bias, it would actually bias toward supporting high-tech machinery, not no-till farming
(E) Metrics favor recently tilled soil - This would actually strengthen the case for no-till farming if it still shows better results despite this bias
(C) should be the correct answer
