Final answer:
The correct answer is option d. The question lists various agricultural practices, among which 'using chemical fertilizers' is indicative of conventional agriculture. Sustainable agriculture favors practices like crop rotation to enhance soil fertility and reduce pest cycles organically. Technological advances have made modern farming more efficient and productive.
Step-by-step explanation:
Conventional vs. Sustainable Agriculture
The various options given in the assignment pertain to different agricultural practices that have been developed over time. For example, plowing fields has been a crucial part of agriculture since ancient times to prepare the soil for planting crops. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, plowing with machines, such as tractors, has become a common method which increases efficiency and productivity on a farm.
Irrigating with drip systems is a modern, water-efficient method that ensures the delivery of water directly to the plant roots, thereby reducing wastage. Aquaculture farms represent a modern approach to farming aquatic organisms such as fish, which is separate from traditional crop cultivation but still falls under the umbrella of agriculture. The use of chemical fertilizers is a hallmark of conventional agriculture designed to enhance crop yield and soil fertility.
Item E., 'Soil tilling', is synonymous with plowing fields and therefore cannot be the correct choice as the exception. However, in question 10, which queries about a practice indicative of conventional agriculture, the correct answer would be 'using chemical fertilizers' since it is not related to sustainable agriculture which favors methods that minimize environmental impact.
In terms of improving soil fertility and reducing pesticide costs, crop rotation (mentioned in question 9) is a sustainable agricultural practice that involves planting different types of crops in succession to break the cycle of pests and replenish soil nutrients.