Question

Assertion (A): Biofertilizers can be used to avoid soil and water pollution
Reason (R): By intensive tree plantation nutrients can be recycled

• A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation to (A)
• B. Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is not correct explanation for (A)
• C. (A) is correct (R) is wrong
• D. (A) is wrong (R) is correct

Hint:

When dealing with Assertion-Reason questions, read both statements independently first.
If the reason statement is factually incorrect or lacks physiological accuracy, you can immediately select option (C).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Test the Assertion on its own merit.
Biofertilizers are living organisms such as Rhizobium, Azotobacter and mycorrhizal fungi that enrich soil naturally, so farmers using them cut down on chemical fertilizer runoff that would otherwise pollute soil and water bodies. The Assertion stands correct.
Step 2: Test the Reason on its own merit.
Intensive tree plantation is not the mechanism by which biofertilizers recycle nutrients, it is a separate land use practice, and treating it as the reason nutrients get recycled through biofertilizer action is not an accurate biological statement here.
Step 3: Compare the two.
Since the Assertion describes a real, well documented benefit of biofertilizers while the Reason brings in an unrelated and inaccurate claim about tree plantation, the Reason does not hold up.
Final answer: Option 3, Assertion is correct and the Reason is wrong.