The local agricultural official gave the fruit growers

[crejoc]

The local agricultural official gave the fruit growers of the District 10 Farmers Cooperative a new pesticide that they applied for a period of three years to their pear orchards in place of the pesticide they had formerly applied. During those three years, the proportion of pears lost to insects was significantly less than it had been during the previous three-year period. On the basis of these results, the official concluded that the new pesticide was more effective than the old pesticide, at least in the short term, in limiting the loss of certain fruit to insects.

Each of the following, if true, weakens the official’s argument EXCEPT:
(A) The amount of fruit that an orchard can potentially produce depends in part on how many mature trees it contains, and the number of mature pear trees in District 10 has declined steadily over the past eight years.
(B) During the past five years, the farmers of the District 10 Farmers’ Cooperative have been gradually implementing a variety of insect-abatement programs, and some of these programs have proven successful.
(C) Over the past five years, one of the several species of birds that typically prey on the insects that feed on pears has gradually shifted its migratory patterns, spending more and more months each year in the region that contains District 10.
(D) Some of the species of insects in District 10 that infest pear trees are water breeders, and the reservoirs and marshlands in this district have been shrinking rapidly over the past three years.
(E) The effects of certain pesticides, including the pesticide that had formerly been used in District 10, are cumulative and persist for several years after the pesticide is no longer applied.

OA : A

[sasen]

A should be the option
It doesnot state anithug to weaken the argument about "new pesticide" effectiveness.

[graghukalyan]

(A) The amount of fruit that an orchard can potentially produce depends in part on how many mature trees it contains, and the number of mature pear trees in District 10 has declined steadily over the past eight years.
This states that decrease in the number of spoilt fruits is not on account of the pesticided but overall production itself. Hence weakens
(B) During the past five years, the farmers of the District 10 Farmers’ Cooperative have been gradually implementing a variety of insect-abatement programs, and some of these programs have proven successful.
Again attributes the increase in good fruits to the abatement programs rather than pesticide. Hence weakens
(C) Over the past five years, one of the several species of birds that typically prey on the insects that feed on pears has gradually shifted its migratory patterns, spending more and more months each year in the region that contains District 10.
(D) Some of the species of insects in District 10 that infest pear trees are water breeders, and the reservoirs and marshlands in this district have been shrinking rapidly over the past three years.
For reasons similar to A and B Hence weakens

(E) The effects of certain pesticides, including the pesticide that had formerly been used in District 10, are cumulative and persist for several years after the pesticide is no longer applied. IMHO - E is the answer

Pls publish OA

[rahulg83]

Yes A for me too

[hetavdave]

IMO-A.

I choose A by POE.

Options B,C,D and E are actually weakening the argument.
And nice explanation by graghukalyan

What's OA?

[crejoc]

IMO-A.

I choose A by POE.

Options B,C,D and E are actually strengthening the argument.
And nice explanation by graghukalyan

What's OA?

OA is "A"

The question is "Each of the following, if true, weakens the official’s argument EXCEPT:" - that is what option doesnt weaken the argument. So all other options must weaken the argument. And how options B,C,D and E strengthen the argument?? as you say.

Actually options B,C,D and E are weakening the argument and option A neither weakens or strengthens the argument , so A is the answer.

[crejoc]

A should be the option
It doesnot state anithug to weaken the argument about "new pesticide" effectiveness.

nice explanation.

[ssmiles08]

I got (A) as well. This one was very clear.

[DeepakR]

The conclusion - New pesticides are more effective in limiting the loss of fruits from insects.

If I had to weaken this conclusion I need to state something like,

- Something else was more effective than new pesticides and it resulted in limiting the loss of fruits or the new pesticide was not much effective than something in controlling this.

(B) During the past five years, the farmers of the District 10 Farmers’ Cooperative have been gradually implementing a variety of insect-abatement programs, and some of these programs have proven successful.

Weakens
[b]- states that some new variety of insect - abatement programs were the reason behind limiting the loss of fruits.[/b]

(C) Over the past five years, one of the several species of birds that typically prey on the insects that feed on pears has gradually shifted its migratory patterns, spending more and more months each year in the region that contains District 10.

Weakens
[b]- states that some birds preyed these insects and as a result it resulted in fewer or no insects and hence limited the loss of fruits[/b]

(D) Some of the species of insects in District 10 that infest pear trees are water breeders, and the reservoirs and marshlands in this district have been shrinking rapidly over the past three years.

Weakens
[b]- water was shrinking and hence insects were unable to survive and subsequently this led to limiting the fruit loss[/b]

(E) The effects of certain pesticides, including the pesticide that had formerly been used in District 10, are cumulative and persist for several years after the pesticide is no longer applied.

Weakens
[b]- formerly used pesticides are effective for several years since applied. So if those old pesticides were applied just before then new pesticides were applied then probably the older ones would have contributed in limiting the insects and the loss of fruits.[/b]

(A) The amount of fruit that an orchard can potentially produce depends in part on how many mature trees it contains, and the number of mature pear trees in District 10 has declined steadily over the past eight years.

Does not weakens
- states that the production was less because of declining pear trees.
We are not concerned about the fruit production but we are more concerned about fruit loss by insects.

-Deepak

[ketkoag]

A does not weaken the argument and hence is the right option..

[micheal_kr]

I am leaning more towards A, but I'm not sure about it.