BEIJING, Jan. 6 -- Shanghai will build its first outdoor experimental farm to test security procedures for growing genetically modified plants and crops, a key official told Shanghai Daily Thursday.

    The new farm, to be completed by the end of the year in Qingpu District, will become a major base for tests on locally developed GM plants and food crops, including corn and fruit.

    The genes of these agricultural products are being altered to help them grow more quickly and make them more resistant to pests and saline soil, among other refinements.

    The farm will be isolated from other crop areas to prevent pollen or seeds from being introduced into the food chain, researchers said. No other crops will be allowed to be grown near the facility.

    Researchers said security measures ¡ª including the isolated location and offsite monitors ¡ª are needed to ensure the city's genetic research takes place in a controlled environment.

    "As the city's first outdoor experimental farm for GM food, it will advance local agricultural development in a safe way," said Wu Aizhong, president of the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, which oversees the project.

    He said the farm will be built in Baihe Town at the northern tip of suburban Qingpu District.

    The Shanghai Science and Technology Commission and other government departments have appropriated 4 million yuan (US$500,000) to support the project, he said.

    The effort was endorsed earlier by the Ministry of Agriculture and is considered a key project by the city government, Wu said.

    The city is already running an indoor experimental farm for GM food, but the outdoor facility will provide more valid information because its crops will be exposed to nature.

    The security test period could last from one to several years.

    "We need to carefully supervise the entire process of growing GM plants in case it causes any negative side-effects," Wu said.

    The chief fear is that GM plants from the facility might affect vegetation outside.

    "If a high-yield-related gene accidentally entered weeds or other plants outside, the consequences could be very serious," Wu said.

    Chen Zhu, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said at a recent seminar: "We must realize the importance of maintaining security in the development of GM crops in China."

    (Source: Shanghai Daily)