Though the boll weevil infestation of the early 1900s had a number of damaging effects on the state of Georgia, it played an important role in
Group of answer choices
increasing government regulation of the agriculture industry.
starting the environmental conservation movement.
the growth of cities as people left farms in search of work.
opening of rural lands throughout the state for settlement.
Answers
Explanation:
The boll
weevil greatly affected Georgia's long history of cotton production between 1915, when the insect was introduced to Georgia, and the early 1990s, when it was eliminated as an economic pest. Yield losses associated with the boll weevil reduced cotton acreage from a historical high of 5.2 million acres during 1914 to 2.6 million acres in 1923. Although insecticides provided temporary relief, the cotton industry remained unprofitable, and planted acreage continued to decline, to a low of 115,000 acres in 1983. The boll weevil's decimation of the cotton industry in the South had implications for the entire region. The pest was a driving force behind the "great migration" of poor tenant farmers into northern cities, and the state's dependence on cash-crop production left its soil depleted and prone to erosion.
In 1987 Georgia growers began participating in a program to eradicate the boll weevil. Over a period of years the program proved successful, and Georgia producers have increased cotton acreage and yields significantly while reducing their dependence on insecticides.