Agricultural Scientist: The new Lumina strain of tomatoes has been genetically modified to produce a natural compound that repels the silverleaf whitefly, a major agricultural pest. In controlled greenhouse trials, Lumina plants suffered 80 percent less whitefly damage than conventional tomato plants. Therefore, transitioning to the Lumina strain in our region's commercial outdoor farms will undoubtedly lead to a significant increase in overall tomato yields.
Which one of the following is an assumption required by the agricultural scientist's argument?
- The natural compound produced by the Lumina strain does not repel the insects that are necessary for pollinating tomatoes in outdoor farms.Cevap
- BThe silverleaf whitefly is the only insect pest that significantly damages commercial tomato crops in the region.
- CThe silverleaf whitefly causes more damage to tomato crops in the region than all other agricultural pests combined.
- DCommercial outdoor farms in the region have environmental conditions that are virtually identical to those in the controlled greenhouse trials.
- EAll commercial outdoor farms in the region currently suffer from severe silverleaf whitefly infestations.
Cevap
The correct answer is the option stating that the natural compound produced by the Lumina strain does not repel the insects necessary for pollinating tomatoes.
This is a required assumption because applying the logical negation technique destroys the argument's conclusion. If we negate this statement to read, 'The natural compound produced by the Lumina strain DOES repel the insects that are necessary for pollinating tomatoes in outdoor farms,' the argument falls apart. If the plants repel the very insects needed to pollinate them, they will not bear fruit, making a 'significant increase in overall tomato yields' impossible. Thus, the scientist must assume the natural pesticide does not have this catastrophic side effect.
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Anahtar Kavram
Applying the Negation Technique to identify necessary assumptions that rule out fatal alternative explanations (Defender Assumptions).