Question

slavery began to develop in the americas during the age of exploration because
plantation owners could no longer afford to pay workers to farm.
work on plantations was difficult and needed large numbers of workers.
new plantations grew cotton and workers were injured during picking.
plantation owners feared contracting diseases if they worked themselves.

Explanation:

During the age of exploration, large-scale plantation agriculture (like sugar, tobacco, later cotton) in the Americas required a massive, forced labor force. The work was physically grueling, and European colonists sought a cheap, controllable labor source to meet the high demand for labor-intensive cash crops. Other options are incorrect: plantation owners initially used indentured servants they could pay (or not pay with passage), cotton became dominant later in the era, and disease fear was not the core driver.

Answer:

work on plantations was difficult and needed large numbers of workers.