Insect Infestations

[GmatKiss]

Insect Infestations in certain cotton growing regions of the world have caused dramatic increases of cotton on the world market. Knowing that cotton plants mature quickly, many soybean growers in Ortovia plan to cease growing soybeans, the price of which has long been stable and to begin raising cotton instead, thereby taking advantage of the high price of cotton to increase their income significantly over the next several years.
Which of the following, if true, most calls into question the reasoning on which the plan is based?

A. The cost of raising soybeans has increased significantly over the past several years and is expected to continue to climb.
B. Tests of a newly developed, inexpensive pesticide have shown it to be both environmentally safe and effective against the insects that have infected the cotton crops.
C. In the past several years, there has been no sharp increase in the demand for cotton, and for goods made out of cotton.
D. Many consumers consider cotton cloth a necessity rather than a luxury and would be willing to pay significantly higher prices for cotton goods than they are currently paying
E. The species of insect that has infested the cotton plants has never been known to infest soybean plants

OA is given as B, [spoiler]But B does not question the plan! It strengthens the plan[/spoiler].

[killer1387]

Insect Infestations in certain cotton growing regions of the world have caused dramatic increases of cotton on the world market. Knowing that ...........years.

hey is the part in bold correct it seems fishy.Please confirm

thanx

[Gaurav 2013-fall]

Hey Killer,

Insect Infestations in certain cotton growing regions of the world have caused dramatic increases (in cost) of cotton on the world market. In cost was missing.

GMATkiss,

Option B says that now we can kill the insects which have been infecting cotton. so there will be plenty of cotton. Prices of cotton will go down and hence the plan of ceasing to plant soybean and growing cotton will not fetch high price for cotton. So the plan falls flat.

Hope this helps.

[dhonu121]

Insect Infestations in certain cotton growing regions of the world have caused dramatic increases of cotton on the world market. Knowing that cotton plants mature quickly, many soybean growers in Ortovia plan to cease growing soybeans, the price of which has long been stable and to begin raising cotton instead, thereby taking advantage of the high price of cotton to increase their income significantly over the next several years.
Which of the following, if true, most calls into question the reasoning on which the plan is based?

A. The cost of raising soybeans has increased significantly over the past several years and is expected to continue to climb.
B. Tests of a newly developed, inexpensive pesticide have shown it to be both environmentally safe and effective against the insects that have infected the cotton crops.
C. In the past several years, there has been no sharp increase in the demand for cotton, and for goods made out of cotton.
D. Many consumers consider cotton cloth a necessity rather than a luxury and would be willing to pay significantly higher prices for cotton goods than they are currently paying
E. The species of insect that has infested the cotton plants has never been known to infest soybean plants

OA is given as B, [spoiler]But B does not question the plan! It strengthens the plan[/spoiler].

How does B strengthen the plan ?
It is the only option that does not question the fact and that weakens the conclusion.
The conclusion assumes that the cost of cotton will remain high, but B attacks that assumption and hence weakens the argument.

[Gaurav 2013-fall]

Dhonu, Please read my post.