New Agriculture in Oregon, US: Reading Answers for IELTS 2025

Did you know? IELTS Academic Reading passages often come from real publications like The Economist or New Scientist, not textbooks.

In the event that you are studying towards the IELTS Reading section, the text entitled New Agriculture in Oregon, US is one of the typical Academic texts. It examines sustainable agricultural practices in the state of Oregon. It covers some subjects such as integrated pest management, less usage of chemicals, and food production developments. This text challenges you to skim read, scan, and locate certain items within this complicated scientific and ecology text.

The British Council reckons that the number of IELTS candidates is over 3.5 million a year, with reading as one of the most misunderstood parts of the test, since it has subtle question traps and information-heavy passages.

The types of questions (True/False/Not Given, Matching, etc.), their correct answers, explanations, and recommendations on how to have a higher score are clearly outlined by this blog. This passage structure can assist with improving confidence and accuracy, especially when you are targeting an IELTS band score (6.5 to 7).

What is the New Agriculture in Oregon, US IELTS passage all about?

The IELTS academic reading passage titled New Agriculture in Oregon, US discusses the changing behaviour of farmers in Oregon towards a more environmentally friendly and sustainable practice. It also points to the fact that conventional farming in the region is giving way to such innovations as organic moves, the safeguarding of biodiversity, and climate-smart practices. The text is scientific and descriptive, and one needs a good comprehension and inference to understand the text.

And, just so you can get an idea of the main themes in the passage:

Topic	Details
Farming Techniques	Shift from conventional to organic and sustainable methods
Environmental Focus	Reducing chemical use, improving soil health, and protecting biodiversity
Innovation in Agriculture	Use of modern, eco-friendly tools and techniques
Local Market Trends	Emphasis on farm-to-table and locally sourced produce
Climate Adaptation	Strategies to deal with changing weather patterns

Also Read: IELTS Reading Band Score Guide

What is the New Agriculture in Oregon, US Reading Passage?.

New Agriculture in Oregon, US is a Reading passage that follows a dominant model of writing, i.e., each paragraph brings another continuation of the general idea, i.e., one is a modification of farming in Oregon. 

Here is a paragraph-by-paragraph breakdown so you have a sense of what momentum is, and so you will be ready when you get to the matching/description questions under headings:

New Agriculture in Oregon, US: IELTS Reading Passage

A Onion growers in eastern Oregon are adopting a system that saves water and keeps topsoil in place while producing the highest quality “super-colossal” onions. Pear growers in southern Oregon have reduced their use of some of the most toxic pesticides by up to two-thirds, and are still producing top-quality pears. Range managers throughout the state have controlled the poisonous weed tansy ragwort with insect predators and saved the Oregon livestock industry up to $4.8 million a year.

B These are some of the results Oregon growers have achieved in collaboration with Oregon State University (OSU) researchers as they test new farming methods, including integrated pest management (IPM). Nationwide, however, IPM has not delivered results comparable to those in Oregon. A recent U.S General Accounting Office (GAO) report indicates that while integrated pest management can result in dramatically reduced pesticide use, the federal government has been lacking in effectively promoting that goal and implementing IPM. Farmers also blame the government for not making the new options of pest management attractive. “Wholesale changes in the way that farmers control the pests on their farms are an expensive business.” Tony Brown, of the National Farmers Association, says. “If the farmers are given tax breaks to offset the expenditure, then they would willingly accept the new practices.” The report goes on to note that even though the use of the riskiest pesticides has declined nationwide, they still make up more than 40 percent of all pesticides used today, and national pesticide use has risen by 40 million kilograms since 1992. “Our food supply remains the safest and highest quality on Earth, but we continue to overdose our farmland with powerful and toxic pesticides and to under-use the safe and effective alternatives,” charged Patrick Leahy, who commissioned the report. Green action groups disagree about the safety issue. “There is no way that habitual consumption of foodstuffs grown using toxic chemicals of the nature found on today’s farms can be healthy for consumers,” noted Bill Bowler, spokesman for Green Action, one of many lobbyists interested in this issue.

C The GAO report singles out Oregon’s apple and pear producers who have used the new IPM techniques with growing success. Although Oregon is ahead of the nation, scientists at OSU are taking the Government Accounting Office's criticisms seriously. “We must continue to develop effective alternative practices that will reduce environmental hazards and produce high-quality products,” said Paul Jepson, a professor of entomology at OSU and the new director of

D OSU’s Integrated Plant Protection Centre (IPPC). The IPPC brings together scientists from OSU’s Agricultural Experiment Station, OSU Extension Service, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Oregon farmers to help develop agricultural systems that will save water and soil and reduce pesticides. In response to the GAO report, the Centre is putting even more emphasis on integrating research and farming practices to improve Oregon agriculture environmentally and economically.

E “The GAO report criticizes agencies for not communicating the goals of IPM,” said Jepson. “Our challenge is to greatly improve the communication to and from growers, to learn what works and what doesn’t. The work coming from OSU researchers must be adopted in the field and not simply languish in scientific journals.”

F In Oregon, growers and scientists are working together to instigate new practices. For example, a few years ago, scientists at OSU’s Malheur Experiment Station began testing a new drip irrigation system to replace old ditches that wasted water and washed soil and fertilizer into streams. The new system cut water and fertilizer use by half, kept topsoil in place, and protected water quality.

G In addition, the new system produced crops of very large onions, rated “super-colossal” and highly valued by the restaurant industry and food processors. Art Pimms, one of the researchers at Malheu, comments: “Growers are finding that when they adopt more environmentally benign practices, they can have excellent results. The new practices benefit the environment and give the growers their success.”

H OSU researcher in Malheur next tested straw mulch and found that it successfully held soil in place and kept the ground moist with less irrigation. In addition, and unexpectedly, the scientists found that the mulched soil created a home for beneficial beetles and spiders that prey on onion thrips – a notorious pest in commercial onion fields – a discovery that could reduce the need for pesticides. “I would never have believed that we could replace the artificial pest controls that we had before and still keep our good results,” commented Steve Black, a commercial onion farmer in Oregon, “but instead we have surpassed expectations.”

I OSU researchers throughout the state have been working to reduce dependence on broad-spectrum chemical sprays that are toxic to many kinds of organisms, including humans. “Consumers are rightly putting more and more pressure on the industry to change its reliance on chemical pesticides, but they still want a picture-perfect product,” said Rick Hilton, an entomologist at OSU’s Southern Oregon Research and Extension Centre, where researchers help pear growers reduce the need for highly toxic pesticides. Picture-perfect pears are an important product in Oregon, and traditionally, they have required lots of chemicals. In recent years, the industry has faced stiff competition from overseas producers, so any new methods that growers adopt must make sense economically as well as environmentally. Hilton is testing a growth regulator that interferes with the molting of codling moth larvae. Another study used pheromone dispensers to disrupt codling moth mating. These and other methods of integrated pest management have allowed pear growers to reduce their use of organophosphates by two-thirds and reduce all other synthetic pesticides by even more and still produce top-quality pears. These and other studies around the state are part of the effort of the IPPC to find alternative farming practices that benefit both the economy and the environment.

Check out: IELTS Reading (Academic) Sample Test (Free PDF)

What types of IELTS Reading questions are asked in the ‘New Agriculture in Oregon’ passage?

There are several different IELTS question types featured in this passage, which you are likely to encounter in the real test. Below are some examples in a breakdown:

What are the True/False/Not Given questions in this passage?

Format tip: You'll see a factual statement based on the passage.
You must decide:

• TRUE – if the statement agrees with the passage
• FALSE – if it contradicts the passage
• NOT GIVEN – if there's no clear information

How to avoid traps:
Be wary of terms such as always, never, only or all. This is what are usually red flags. Look to see whether the passage introduces an argument that can confirm or disprove the claim.

Questions 1–5
Do the following statements agree with the information in the reading passage?
Write TRUE, FALSE, or NOT GIVEN.

1. Farmers in Oregon have completely stopped using pesticides.
2. Integrated pest management (IPM) is widely adopted across the United States.
3. The GAO report criticised Oregon’s pear farmers for using toxic chemicals.
4. The new irrigation system reduced both water and fertiliser use.
5. Straw mulch helped reduce the presence of harmful pests.

Which paragraphs match the correct headings?

What this means:
You will be presented with a series of potential headings. You have the task of linking up each of the headings with the paragraph that it most represents.

Strategy tip:
Read the contents of each paragraph, not every detail. Seek out topic sentences as well as themes repeated.

Questions 6–9
Choose the correct heading for each of the following paragraphs from the list below.
There are more headings than you need.
Write the correct letter A–G next to questions 6–9.

List of Headings:
A. Financial burden of switching farming practices
B. Role of the IPPC in Oregon agriculture
C. Impact of new irrigation on crop quality
D. National concerns around pesticide use
E. Unexpected benefits of straw mulch
F. Lack of government support for farmers
G. The goals of Oregon State University researchers

1. Paragraph C
2. Paragraph D
3. Paragraph G
4. Paragraph H

How to complete sentence questions correctly in this passage?

Format tip:
You’ll see incomplete sentences based on the passage.
Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the text to complete each blank.

Strategy:
Bring meaning into focus. Check that the grammatically correct sentence in your own words is relevant.

Questions 10–13
Complete the sentences below.
Use NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

1. The _________ helped reduce the need for chemical fertilisers and saved water.
2. Beetles and spiders were found to be effective _________ for onion thrips.
3. Oregon’s pear industry had to compete with _________ producers.
4. Consumers still expect fruit that is _________ despite demanding fewer chemicals.

What are the answers for the New Agriculture in Oregon, US passage?

In case you have tried the passage and want to see how you scored, this is a complete answer key with short explanations. These answers coincide with common types of questions in IELTS, such as True/False/Not Given, Matching Headings, and Sentence Completion. Do not just use this table to see how you scored, but determine why an answer is right, which is critical to future test accuracy.

And here is a quick-reference answer table with short explanations so you can look up what you know and what your reasoning is.

Question Number	Correct Answer	Short Explanation
1	FALSE	The passage doesn’t claim all pesticides were stopped, only reduced.
2	NOT GIVEN	No specific info about IPM adoption across the US is mentioned.
3	TRUE	GAO did criticise Oregon’s pear farmers for toxic chemical use.
4	TRUE	New irrigation saved water and reduced fertiliser use.
5	TRUE	Straw mulch effectively reduced harmful pests.
6	D	Paragraph C discusses national concerns about pesticide use.
7	G	Paragraph D highlights the research goals of Oregon State University.
8	E	Paragraph G focuses on the unexpected pest control benefits of straw mulch.
9	A	Paragraph H covers the financial burden of changing farming methods.
10	Irrigation system	It helped reduce fertiliser use and water waste.
11	Natural predators	Beetles and spiders were used to control pests like onion thrips.
12	Foreign	Oregon’s pear growers were struggling with cheaper foreign competition.
13	Blemish-free	Consumers still expect unblemished fruit despite wanting less chemical use.

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How should I prepare for agriculture-related IELTS Reading passages?

The IELTS academic reading exam will have more agriculture-related passages than you might believe. They might sound off at first glance like subjects that are niche, such as New Agriculture in Oregon, but they are all either intended to challenge your reading logic or, in the case of New Agriculture in Oregon, challenge your knowledge of agriculture. So this is how to address them like a pro:

1. Learn the Terms

There is a lot of jargon in textbooks on agriculture. There are frequently appropriated words of environmental sciences, biology, and economics.

Word Categories to Know:

• Farming techniques: crop rotation, irrigation, monoculture, vertical farming, tilling
• Environmental terms: biodiversity, soil erosion, sustainability, greenhouse gases
• Technology & policy: biotech, GMOs, agricultural subsidies, organic certification

2. Learn to be familiar with the structure.

Agricultural discussions tend to go in a problem-solution-cause-effect mode:

• Paragraph A-B: presents the conventional practices or issues
• Middle paragraphs: Show the current changes/research/government policies
• Concluding paragraphs: Discourse's findings, discussions, or professional ratings

3. Train the Types of Right Questions

You can anticipate 2- 3 of such formats:

• TF/NG: Utterances of environmental statements or changes of the past.
• Corresponding Headings: Paragraphs on certain changes in the trends in farming.
• Sentence/Summary Completion: Missing information with words/phrases retrieved directly out of the text, in most cases regarding cause and effect.
• Yes/No and Multiple Choice Questions: Rare, possible evidence of other opinions of the author, or comparisons.

4. Develop Reading Speed and Pattern

• Skim to organise: Titles, initial lines of paragraphs, and transitional words will reveal much.
• Search by keywords: Crop names, year, places, such as Oregon or the Pacific Northwest.
• Highlight along the way: Identify areas of major concepts, where you will save time finding a response.

5. Study with Authentic Sources of Practice

• IELTS Cambridge books: Have passages called GM Crops or Soil Science.
• Journals & Articles: Scan headlines within FAO, National Geographic or the climate change reports by the USDA.

Conclusion

The New Agriculture in Oregon passage is one of the most illustrative examples of how strong reading skills are tested in IELTS based on academic texts and their capacity to give you an insight into the perception of real-world problem-solving abilities. That does not mean rote learning; it means identifying main ideas, going with the arguments, and managing the pressure of time.

Be it following the headings or solving True/False/Not Given questions, the only way of learning, in general, is to practice frequently on the same specific topic. Concentrate on the strategy, widen your vocabulary, and become accustomed to scientific reading styles.

If you want more help with IELTS Reading Answers or need extra practice, book a free counseling session with upGrad and seek professional guidance! 

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