"It's unlikely that we'll make 2003 based on all we have to do," Pilacinski said during the Wheat Quality Council's annual meeting in Kansas City.

Monsanto, the maker of the popular Roundup Ready herbicide, intends to introduce the GM strain in top spring wheat growing states in the U.S. and is also conducting field trials across Western Canada.

While Monsanto has completed a raft of studies on product characterization, food and feed safety, product performance and ecological impact, it is just now preparing a series of required submissions for regulatory approval by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said Pilacinski.

The company will also file for regulatory approval in Canada, Japan and the European Union in 2002, and submit applications for approval in other major wheat importers in late 2002 and 2003, Pilacinski said.

The prospect of GM wheat has been contentious, with many international wheat importers warning they would shun the biotech offering. Consequently, some growers have expressed concerns commercialization of GM wheat would hurt their ability to sell wheat.

Monsanto has been working hard to win over the grain industry. Pilacinski said Monsanto is working to develop grain handling techniques to aid the industry in segregating GM wheat from non-GM wheat. It has also created a Wheat Industry Advisory Committee to seek input from farmers, state wheat growers organizations and others.

Still, Pilacinski admits the real challenge will come from consumers. European and Asian governments have demanded GM crops be stored, shipped and processed separately from their traditional counterparts and are seeking more tests on how GM grains affect human health and the environment.

"We haven't had much to tell them so far," Pilacinski admitted. "We only recently got results from the safety studies. Now that we have the data, we have something to tell people."

BASF, Europe's largest chemicals group, may avoid some of that controversy with the introduction of its herbicide tolerant - but not genetically modified - wheat seed by autumn 2002.

The company is working with AgriPro, the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation and General Mills to develop its "Clearfield" seeds, which are resistant to BASF's "Beyond" herbicide and were developed using traditional plant breeding techniques.

But that doesn't mean BASF is opposed to GM crops and won't introduce such products in the future, said Bruce Cranfill, the product's marketing manager, said.