Technological Substitution in Gardening

Steps:

• Recognize the question asks for the factor replacing human labor in garden maintenance.
• Recall economic factors of production: labor, capital, land, and technology.
• Note that advancements reduce manual effort through tools and machines.
• Conclude new technology directly substitutes for labor-intensive methods.

Why D is correct:

• In economics, technology is defined as innovations that improve efficiency, allowing it to replace labor by automating tasks like mowing or watering (per Solow growth model).

Why the others are wrong:

• A: Capital (e.g., tools) enables replacement, but technology specifically drives the innovation, not capital alone.
• B: This contradicts replacement, as more labor-intensive means increased, not reduced, labor use.
• C: Land productivity relates to output per area, not to substituting labor in maintenance.

Final answer: D