Passage: It is hard to predict how changes in the climate and the atmosphere's chemistry will affect the prevalence and virulence…

Question

Passage: It is hard to predict how changes in the climate and the atmosphere's chemistry will affect the prevalence and virulence of agricultural diseases. But there is a risk that such changes will make some plant infections more common in all climatic zones, perhaps catastrophically so. Part of the problem is that centuries of selective breeding have refined the genomes of most high-value crops. They are spectacular at growing in today's conditions but genetic variations that are not immediately useful to them have been bred out. This is good for yields but bad for coping with changes. A minor disease or even an unknown one could suddenly rampage through a genetically honed crop.

Which one of the following statements best reflects the central idea conveyed by the passage?

1. A. Global climate change adversely affects the productivity of crops.
2. B. Our total dependence on genetically honed crops entails possible food insecurity. (Correct answer)
3. C. Our food security should not depend on agricultural productivity alone.
4. D. Genetically honed crops should be replaced with their wild varieties in our present cultivation practices.

Correct Answer

Option B — Our total dependence on genetically honed crops entails possible food insecurity.

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Our total dependence on genetically honed crops entails possible food insecurity..

Key Points

• The passage argues that centuries of selective breeding have removed genetic diversity from crops, making them vulnerable to new diseases.
• This means total reliance on genetically refined crops creates food security risk.
• Option B — "Our total dependence on genetically honed crops entails possible food insecurity" — best captures this.
• Option D (replace with wild varieties) is too extreme.