ND spring wheat crop expected to be bigger

North Dakota's spring wheat crop is expected to be 4 percent bigger than last year's, thanks in part to average yields that should equal the 2009 record of 46 bushels per acre.

The Agriculture Department on Thursday estimated the state's spring wheat crop at 301 million bushels, and the durum wheat crop at 66.5 million bushels, slightly more than 5 million bushels larger than last year.

North Dakota's soybean crop is expected to set a record, at 132 million bushels. The previous record was 122 million bushels in 2006.

Other crops expected to increase in size are corn, dry edible beans, sugar beets and alfalfa.

North Dakota's winter wheat, barley and oats crops are forecast to be smaller.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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