China is considering whether to allow farmers to plant rice seed born of biotechnology, modified by scientists in the laboratory.

If China decides to go forward, it would become the first nation to commercialize the genetically engineered staple on a major scale. It also would mark a watershed in the history of a food synonymous with Asia's culture, potentially opening the floodgates for such crops across the region.

But China's relatively swift march toward government approval has slowed in recent months amid concerns that genetically engineered rice could cause environmental damage or meet resistance from consumers.