The government of the south Indian Karnataka state has set up an expert panel to find out details about the field trials being conducted by an American company for genetic cotton seeds.

The move comes after a militant farmers' organisation threatened to destroy the fields of the bio-technology firm, Monsanto, if the government did not stop the trials.

The President of the organisation M.D.Nanjundasamy says genetic Bollgard cotton seeds would pollute and destroy other crops and hence are a threat to Indian food security.