Which option best explains why the cotton stopped growing in the following scenario? After realizing that cotton was his only crop that yielded a profit, a farmer decided to plant and harvest only cotton in his fields. Over a five-year consecutive planting of cotton, the yields steadily declined. The farmer did not provide any soil amendments.
Answer
A
The pests had become accustomed to the type of pesticide that the farmer was using.
B
The soil was depleted of its nutrients because the farmer did not replenish the land.
C
The farmer stopped watering the plants because he relied too much on rainfall.
D
The rain was tainted from pollution and other harmful effects of global warming.
Explanation
Growing the same crop in the same fields year after year can use up the nutrients that crop needs. Since the farmer planted only cotton for five years and did not add soil amendments to replace nutrients, the soil became depleted and cotton yields declined. This makes “The soil was depleted of its nutrients because the farmer did not replenish the land” the best explanation.
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