Final answer:
The US industrial farming system and eastern Asia's rice-based polyculture differ significantly in methods but share an emphasis on maximizing land use efficiency.
Step-by-step explanation:
Comparing and contrasting the US industrial farming system and the rice-based polyculture in eastern Asia, we find notable differences. The US industrial farming system is characterized by large-scale farms, high reliance on technological innovation, heavy mechanization, and the extensive use of pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides. In contrast, rice-based polyculture in eastern Asia focuses on wet rice cultivation which is labor-intensive, relies on manual labor for planting, weeding, and harvesting, and uses traditional methods of water management.
The most striking similarity between the two systems is B) Emphasis on maximizing land use efficiency. Both systems strive to produce the maximum yield from the available land. The US industrial farming achieves this through technological advancements and monoculture, while eastern Asia's rice-based polyculture optimizes land use through intensive labor and perennial cultivation, which doesn't require fields to lie fallow.