The answer is E. Scientists have made genetic modifications to cotton to increase its resistance to insect pests. According to farmers’ reports, the amount of insecticide needed per acre to control insect pests was only slightly lower for those who tried the modified seed than for those who did not. Therefore, since the modified seed costs more than ordinary seed without producing yields of higher market value, switching to the modified seed would be unlikely to benefit most cotton farmers economically. E. Whether most of the farmers who tried the modified seed did so because they had previously had to use exceptionally large quantities of insecticide If the answer to E is yes, then the amount of the insecticide needed by the modified cotton is exceptionally larger than that needed by normal cotton widely used by other farmers, because the farmers who participated in the experiment used exceptionally large ( means larger than normal) quantities of insecticide. So there is no reason for other farmers to switch to the modified cotton seed, since the seed costs more and more pesticide than previously must be used for the modified cotton. |