(NaturalNews) Chemical farming is the norm, but it does not have to be. There are now more options than ever before that will allow farmers a higher yield without having to lace the soil with chemicals and then treat the crops as well. Knowing about these options can make a world of difference and can help farmers and consumers alike to get a healthier and safer product overall.

Chemical- and antibiotic-laced farming has certainly become the norm over the past few decades, and decreasing soil quality has forced farmers and large companies to find other ways to produce a large crop yield. That being said, it does not have to be the norm any longer. The South Australian agriculture minister, Leon Bignell cites a yield increase of up to 300%, a very impressive boast, without the use of GMOs, an even more impressive claim.

The program

The program is set to improve the quality of the soil without the use of chemicals. If this is possible, the produce that is being put out for the public would be healthier and safer, and more abundant according to the study. The main change in the program is of course to improve the quality of the land and also to provide seeds that have not been genetically modified so that the end product is more pure.

The program is set to help improve the quality of soil by using more of the soil that we have been given. Instead of using the top 5 to 15 centimeters, a common practice in most farms and farming operations, you would instead use over 50 centimeters of the soil, aerating, adding clay and adding organic matter as it is needed. So far, the trials have produced great yields, which is promising for the program overall. Though there are still more trials to be completed, the current information that has been collected is very promising.

The scientist behind the program, like many, is not totally convinced that the GM technology that is currently being used the world over is really safe. Though there have been plenty of studies that show it is not all together harmful, there have not been enough to rule out all the ill effects that GM enhanced crops may have on their consumers. Mr. Bignell hopes that the overall success of the New Horizons program, the name that it has been given, will be able to be reproduced in grain growing areas.

Since grains are much more demanding on the soil, this program would greatly help improve the overall quality of the soil and would also help reduce the amount of stress that the crops put on the soil.

Sources:

http://www.abc.net.au