Final answer:
Viroids have a significant impact on the agriculture industry by infecting important agricultural crops such as potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, chrysanthemums, avocados, and coconut palms, causing crop failures and economic losses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Viroids can have a severe impact on the agriculture industry. These small, circular RNA molecules are known to cause plant diseases, resulting in significant crop failures and substantial economic losses for farmers. In the context of which industry viroids can have a severe impact, the correct answer is c) agriculture. Viroids have been found to infect a variety of economically important plants such as potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, chrysanthemums, avocados, and coconut palms. Infections by viroids can lead to poor crop yields and quality, and in some cases, the plants may not be marketable at all.