Former MP Tony Marlow abandoned crop trials at Mathry

But Assembly Rural Affairs Minister Carwyn Jones met with Mr Cottle last Friday to press for an end to the trials - two weeks after the seed was planted.

Mr Jones wants to create a "GM-free Wales", which some experts believe could kick-start Wales's flagging farming industry.

Two separate GM trials that were planned at Mathry in Pembrokeshire, west Wales, were called off when landowner Tony Marlow accused the government of providing misleading details on the experiment.

Protesters at Mathry, backed by MP Jackie Lawrence, took their case to Environment Minister Michael Meacher.

Full debate

Now attention has switched to Mr Cottle, who has consistently advocated the benefits of conducting the trials.

The farmer had earlier resisted calls from assembly agriculture committee chairman Glyn Davies to abandon the government-backed scheme.

The assembly has said it wants Mr Cottle to remove the seed from his fields for the time being in order for the GM issue to be fully debated.

North Wales AM Tom Middlehurst has also discussed cancelling the trials with Mr Cottle.

Scientific studies carried out on behalf of the assembly failed to give Welsh Agriculture Minister Carwyn Jones the proof he needed to ban the GM crops.