Shelved plans

Environmental campaigners criticised the government's decision to go ahead with the plans.

BASF was also given permission in December for similar tests in Cambridgeshire and Derbyshire.

However, it later shelved its Derbyshire plans over fears for the farmer's safety following anti-GM protests.

Planting of GM potatoes has already started in Cambridgeshire.

The BASF spokeswoman said the harvested potatoes would not be used for food or animal feed.

Potato blight

She said: "We have already done trials in the Netherlands and Sweden to see if the potato is resistant to potato blight. We are just testing it in the UK to see if the resistance works in the UK climate."

She added that independent experts at the Advisory Committee of Releases to the Environment evaluated the company's application for the Hedon site.

Friends of the Earth's GM campaigner, Clare Oxborrow, said: "The government has given the go-ahead to this GM potato trial despite widespread local opposition and fears about the impact on neighbouring borage farmers.

"We are pleased that the trial is not going ahead this year because concerns about the impact on local farmers have not been resolved.

"But the best solution would be to abandon the trial completely."