BEIJING (Reuters) — China published draft rules Dec. 3 that outline registration requirements for herbicides used on genetically modified crops. The move is seen as another sign that Beijing is gearing up to allow greater use of GM technology in agriculture.
The rules include guidelines on efficacy trials for herbicides used on herbicide-tolerant corn and soybeans, according to a statement on the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs’ website.
China currently does not permit planting of any GM varieties of major feed or food crops, though most of its cotton is genetically modified.
Last month it drafted new rules that lay out requirements for integrating a GM trait into conventional seed varieties, seen by the industry as a major step toward commercial production.
