They go together like chalk and cheese. Like orange and green, they should never be seen together. Genetically modified crops just can't be permitted to contaminate conventional or organic ones.

But judging by farmer experience in the Czech Republic, where 1290ha of GM maize was grown commercially this year, there is no reason why co-existence can't succeed.

Fast-moving Czech policymakers have ensured their country is the first in the EU to enshrine co-existence rules in the law and to have suitable GM varieties approved and grown commercially.

Just over 140 years later Czech farmers like Karel Klaska are reaping the benefits of this latest gene revolution. He has 20ha of commercial insect-tolerant GM maize this year on his 4150ha Bonagro farm outside Brno.

Mr Klaska was one of the 52 Czech farmers who grew 270ha of GM maize last year, and is one of the 85 involved this year.

He is pleased with the way the crop is performing. Instead of struggling to forecast pest attack and having insecticide applied by air to the 1.5m tall crop, maybe twice, Mr Klaska's GM seed has produced pristine, undamaged crops with no further input.

That brings two benefits. First, it protects yield, which he estimates to be 10% higher than conventional varieties. "Even with insecticide or biological control yield can suffer. It is just so difficult to get treatments on at the right time."

Grain quality is also better, the undamaged GM crops carrying almost no mycotoxin-producing fusarium. "Mycotoxins are a real worry. They can depress animal output and buyers monitor for them, too, to protect human health."

The net result is a 10% gross margin benefit, even after the £25/ha price premium charged for GM seed. That gross margin boost can be the difference between profit and loss.

But without co-existence laws to protect him against the risk of GM contamination claims from conventional or organic farming neighbours, Mr Klaska and his fellow GM pioneers would have struggled.

"The co-existence laws save me from worrying about claims from neighbouring farmers, but they also mean a lot of form filling, monitoring and extra farm procedures to avoid GM cross-contamination, as well as labelling products from animals that have been fed with GM maize," notes Mr Klaska.

Are you ready to grow GM crops in the UK? Has enough been done to develop a system to keep GM, conventional and organic crops separate? Have your say on our forums