CR: Heavy rains during Centralia's corn planting season

[khoad93]

Which of the following most logically completes the passage below?

Heavy rains during Centralia's corn planting season prevented some farmers there from planting corn. It is now the planting season for soybeans, another of Centralia's principal crops, and those fields originally intended for corn are dry enough for planting. Nonetheless, even though soybean prices are unusually high at present, the farmers will leave most of these fields empty rather than plant them with soybeans, since___________.

A. the extensive rains have led to an increase in the price of corn
B. some Centralian farmers anticipate serious financial losses due to the extremely wet spring planting season
C. chemicals that were used to prepare the fields for corn planting would stunt the growth of soybeans
D. the majority of Centralia's corn farmers were able to plant corn as they had intended, despite the wet planting season
E. many Centralian farmers grow both corn and soybeans

Source: GMAT prep

Dear instructors,
For this question, I understand the reason why (C) is the answer. The problem is I could not eliminate answer choice (D), I knew there was something wrong with that choice, but I could not figure it out. Is it against the premise that heavy rains keep some farmers from planting corn? I remember reading one instructor saying that the answer choices would never go against the premise. Is it the exception in this question?

Thank you for your help!

[esledge]

This is an interesting question. At first glance, the "Which of the following most logically completes the passage" makes this look like a Draw a Conclusion question. Then, the "since _________" would typically suggest that we are looking for a reason/support, so often this indicates a Strengthen question. But this question is neither type!

It's actually an Explain a Discrepancy: Some farmers couldn't plant corn due to rain, but now it's time to plant soybeans and the fields are dry enough to do so. And, they could get a high price for soy! But farmers will leave the fields empty, and will not plant soybeans, since ____________.

On Explain a Discrepancy question, expect new info: Some (previously unmentioned) reason that the farmers with empty fields can't or don't want to plant soybeans. You said you see how choice (C) does that.

So (D) is wrong because it doesn't explain the behavior/decision of the farmers with empty fields; it only talks about other farmers who aren't facing this decision at all, because they were able to plant corn as planned.

[JbhB682]

Is this how to eliminate A specifically ?

A is telling me a good reason to grow corn in the empty corn fields but it is not telling me a BAD reason about why farmers should not grow Soy in the empty corn fields specifically ...If corn prices have gone up, well so have Soy prices -- Both have gone up !

Given there is nothing NEGATIVE about growing soy in the empty corn fields specifically, I don't know why shouldn't farmers go ahead and plant soy (from option A)

Is this the way to eliminate A ?

[esledge]

I agree with this:

A is telling me a good reason to grow corn in the empty corn fields but it is not telling me a BAD reason about why farmers should not grow Soy in the empty corn fields specifically

And you do know this....

...If corn prices have gone up, well so have Soy prices -- Both have gone up !

...from the "increase in the price of corn" from (A) and the "soybean prices are unusually high at present" from the passage.

So yes, I think this is the right way to eliminate:

Is this how to eliminate A specifically ?
...
Given there is nothing NEGATIVE about growing soy in the empty corn fields specifically, I don't know why shouldn't farmers go ahead and plant soy (from option A)

Is this the way to eliminate A ?

Alternatively, even though (A) suggests that planting corn would be a good idea, the passage already says that farmers "will leave most of these fields empty," and (A) fails to explain the decision to not grow anything!