Herbicides allow cereal crops to be grown very efficiently, with virtually no competition from weeds. In Britain, partridge populations have been steadily decreasing since herbicide use became widespread. Some environmentalists claim that these birds, which live in and around cereal crop fields, are being poisoned by the herbicides. However, tests show no more than trace quantities of herbicides in partridges on herbicide-treated land. Ttherefore, something other than herbicide use must be responsible for the population decrease.
The statement 'Birds other than partridges that live in or around cereal crop fields have also been suffering population declines' most seriously weakens the argument about Britain.