WASHINGTON (Dow Jones)--Half the cotton grown throughout the world will be genetically modified cottonseed within the next year, which could lead to higher yields and improved quality, according to scientists who shared their findings during the National Cotton Council's (NCC) annual meeting here.

Phillip Wakelyn, senior scientist for environmental health and safety for the NCC, and M. Rafiq Chaudhry of the International Cotton Advisory Committee, told reporters during a briefing that more countries throughout the world are commercializing biotech cotton varieties, which are said to be insect resistant and herbicide tolerant.

In the current 2004-05 season, about 80% of the U.S. cotton crop was grown using biotech cotton while, biotech varieties were planted on 24% of the world's cotton area, accounting for 35% of world production.

But that percentage is moving upward, Wakelyn told Dow Jones Newswires.

"With Brazil, China, India and Pakistan expanding (cotton growing area) over 40% of cotton production right now is biotech cotton and that will soon move to 50%," he said.

Wakelyn and Chaudhry said that number would continue to increase as more countries develop regulations allowing the growth of biotech cotton.

"There is apprehension in some countries," Wakelyn said. However, he noted those countries, such as Brazil, already use about 10% biotech cotton, but have yet to adopt the governmental regulations.

According to a study on biotech cotton, about nine countries representing 60% of the world area have commercialized biotech cotton varieties.

Biotech cotton carries an average increase in cost of about $35-$40 extra per acre versus conventional cotton, however that could also replace some of the costs of insecticides, an NCC official told Dow Jones.

The scientists said no risk to human health has been seen, however they noted that some insects and weeds could develop a tolerance to the biotech cotton.

Wakelyn said biotech cotton is largely beneficial to small farmers in many developing countries who do not always have access to insecticides.

A full report of the study's findings, to which experts from Australia, France, Greece, Pakistan, the U.S. and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications contributed, can be found at www.icac.org.