India Approves Field Trials for GM Maize, Cotton, and Pigeon Pea

JULY 31, 2025

India’s Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has granted Bayer Crop Science approval to conduct separate confined field trials for glyphosate tolerant maize NK603 and insect resistant maize MON89034 in various State Agricultural Universities and Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) institutes across India. The trials will aim, amongst other objectives, to test the weed control of NK603 with application of Glyphosate potassium salt, study the efficacy of the MON89034 hybrid against target lepidopteran pests, and observe the effect of the transgenic hybrids on beneficial insects and insect pests.

The GEAC has also granted approval for Ravi Seeds to trial transgenic cotton RIRC304 and RIRC-304xMON15985, and for the ICAR-National Institute for Plant Biotechnology to trial four transgenic pigeon pea varieties with pod borer resistance.