Students at Leeds University are to grow GM crops

Plans by a university to grow genetically-modified (GM) potatoes have been given the green light by the Government.

The University of Leeds will now go ahead with plans to grow potatoes that are resistant to roundworms.

The application for the research was reviewed by independent expert group the Advisory Committee of Releases to the Environment (Acre) before being approved by Defra.

A Defra spokesman said: "It is satisfied that the proposed trial will not result in any adverse effect on human health or the environment."

He added: "Reflecting Acre's advice, precautionary conditions have been attached to the statutory consent for the trial.

"These aim to ensure that GM potato material does not persist at the trial site. The harvested GM potatoes will not be used for food or animal feed."

The team from the Faculty of Biological Sciences will grow around 1,200 plants in a field at Headley Hall farm, near Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, over three years.

The research will examine ways of limiting the damage that the roundworms, or cyst-nematodes, cause to potatoes. Researchers hope that the results could be of benefit to agriculture across the world.

Potato cyst-nematodes cause extensive agricultural damage by feeding on the roots of the potato, limiting the plant's growth.

In the UK, they cost farmers around £65 million annually in reduced crop yields and pesticide expenses, according to the university.