The two companies categorically said the field tests at 40 centres across India (11 in Andhra Pradesh) were on genetically improved Bollgard cotton crops and complied with statutory requirements. Chief Secretaries of respective states and district collectors were informed about this, they said.

Speaking to mediapersons, Monsanto communication manager Meena Vaidyanathan said the terminator gene did not ``exist in reality''. The US Department of Agriculture and US-based Delta & Pine Land have only applied for a `prophetic (conceptual) patent'.

Any new technology from Monsato would be monitored and supported by the government regulatorybodies, Vaidyanathan added.

The Monsanto-Delta & Pine Land deal has not come through, she said adding, ``I cannot say whether Monsanto would introduce the terminator technology once Delta is acquired as it would lead to legal implications''.

Mahyco general manager (production) M K Sharma said that the trial tests were being conducted on ``Bollgard'' cotton seeds. ``Bacterium from the soil called BT (bacillus thuringiensis), to protect the cotton boll from bollworm was only used in the tests''.

According to him, Monsanto and Mahyco's joint venture firm -- Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (India) Pvt Ltd -- of which he was the managing director -- had imported 100 gram seed with the permission of Department of Biotechnology in 1994.

The preliminary tests were conducted in greenhouse and later it was spread out to open fields. ``If the government gives us permission we would go for large scale trial tests and in all probability bollgard seeds would be available in the Indian market by 2000 A.D,'' heinformed.

Grilled about the terminated gene, Sharma said that the company would not allow any seeds that would affect the interests of the farmers. However, he was evasive when asked about the possible pressure of Monsanto, which has 26 per cent stake in Mahyco, to introduce terminator gene seeds.

According to the list released by him, field trials and demonstrations were being carried out at seven locations while replicated research and experimental trials were being held at four locations in the State.

Places where field trials were being conducted are: Rentachintala (Guntur dist), Manganur (Mahboobnagar), Dendukur (Khammam), Nagatur (Kurnool), Vururgonda (Warangal), Kothagadi (Rangareddy) and Ponnari (Adilabad). The places where replicated research and experimental trials were being conducted are: Gopalapuram (Prakasam), Pushpanagar (Karimnagar) and Medchal and Shamshabad (Rangareddy).