Nationwide, soybean production in 2009 totaled 3.36 billion bushels, up 1 percent from the Nov. 1 forecast and up 13 percent from 2008.U.S. production is the largest on record. The average yield per acre is estimated at a record-high 44 bushels, 0.7 bushel above the Nov. 1 forecast and 4.3 bushels above 2008’s yield.Sequencing of the majority of the soybean genome will provide an unprecedented look into how this important legume crop converts four critical ingredients “sunlight, water, carbon dioxide and nitrogen “into protein and oil, the basic building blocks for many consumer products,” according to scientists.
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