Use of genetically modified crops has been suggested as a possible so…

The correct answer is Option (4) → Both (1) and (2)

Farmers want the highest yield from their fields, but heavy use of fertilisers and chemicals harms the environment. NCERT suggests GM crops as a way to meet both needs: crops that give more yield and need fewer chemicals.

Option (1) Obtaining maximum yield from the fields — Correct statement, but it is only one of the correct points, so on its own it is not the answer. GM plants have been useful in increasing crop yields, so they help farmers obtain the maximum yield from their fields.

Option (2) Minimising the use of chemicals so that their harmful effects on the environment are reduced — Correct statement, but it is only one of the correct points, so on its own it is not the answer. NCERT asks whether there is a way to minimise the use of fertilisers and chemicals so that their harmful effects on the environment are reduced, and gives GM crops as a possible solution. Pest-resistant GM crops, for example, reduce the reliance on chemical pesticides.

Option (3) Recovering virus-free plants from virus-infected plants — Incorrect. Virus-free plants are recovered by meristem culture, a tissue culture method: the meristem of an infected plant is free of virus and is grown in vitro. Genetic modification is not needed for this.

NCERT Extract:
Biotechnological Applications in Agriculture – “… Is there any alternative path that our understanding of genetics can show so that farmers may obtain maximum yield from their fields? Is there a way to minimise the use of fertilisers and chemicals so that their harmful effects on the environment are reduced? Use of genetically modified crops is a possible solution.”
Biotechnological Applications in Agriculture – “… Even if the plant is infected with a virus, the meristem (apical and axillary) is free of virus. Hence, one can remove the meristem and grow it in vitro to obtain virus-free plants.”
Summary – “… GM plants have been useful in increasing crop yields, reduce postharvest losses and make crops more tolerant of stresses. There are several GM crop plants with improved nutritional value of foods and reduced the reliance on chemical pesticides (pest-resistant crops).”