North Dakota farmers, like their counterparts around the country, are expected to plant a huge corn crop this year. Soybeans, sunflowers and wheat are expected to feel the effects.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday projected the state's corn crop at 2.6 million acres, up 54 percent from last year and the largest crop since record-keeping began in 1929.

High demand from the ethanol industry and strong export sales are fueling the increase in corn acres. Nationwide, acres are pegged at 90.5 million, up 15 percent from 2006, according to USDA's planting report.

"It's pure economics," said Larimore farmer Jay Nissen, president of the North Dakota Corn Growers Association. "Producers saw an opportunity … for corn. It excited them more than some of the other crops, and that's where you saw the acreage shift."

North Dakota's soybean crop was projected at 3.1 million acres, down 21 percent from last year's record high. Emerado farmer Jared Hagert, past-president of the North Dakota Soybean Growers Association, said acres of the crop will be lost not only to corn but to canola as well.

Canola can be used to make biodiesel fuel, and several such production plants are in the works in northern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota. USDA projected this year's North Dakota canola crop at 1.05 million acres, up 12 percent from a year ago.

North Dakota's spring wheat crop was projected Friday to be 6.8 million acres, down 7 percent from last year. The North Dakota durum crop was expected to increase 8 percent to 1.4 million acres.

Jim Peterson, the North Dakota Wheat Commission's marketing director, said some spring wheat acres likely will be lost to corn. Early predictions were that spring wheat acres would fall by as much as three times what USDA predicted Friday.

"There was a lot of shifting out of spring wheat to corn as well, but more out of soybeans than originally thought and less from wheat," Peterson said.

He said acres of durum, a wheat variety used to make pasta, are expected to be up because the crop is bringing about $1 more per bushel than spring wheat. That has more farmers willing to take a chance on the crop, which is much more susceptible to scab disease than is spring wheat.

North Dakota winter wheat plantings last fall for harvest this year totaled 370,000 acres, up from 200,000 acres a year ago and the highest winter wheat acreage since 1986, when 520,000 acres were planted, USDA said.

North Dakota oil sunflower acreage this year is projected at 740,000 acres, down 4 percent from last year. Nationwide, oil sunflower acreage is expected to be 1.5 million acres, down 12 percent from 2006.

Most oil sunflowers planted now are NuSun, a variety that produces oil with less saturated fat and no trans fat. The Frito-Lay snack food company is now using NuSun oil to cook its major brands of potato chips, and the National Sunflower Association said recently that oil sunflower plantings would need to rise by 600,000 acres this year to meet the new demand for NuSun.

Larry Kleingartner, executive director of the sunflower group, said Friday that if the USDA projection holds true, "we'll either give up some customers here or import oil."

Kleingartner said many sunflower acres will be turned to corn. "Everybody's got ethanol on their breath right now," he said.

The estimates in the report were based on a survey of about 3,100 North Dakota farmers during the first two weeks of March.

Kleingartner and Peterson said much can change between survey time and when farmers make their final planting decisions. Many farmers wait for the March report before firming up their plans.

"The final numbers in June obviously have a much bigger bearing (on the market), and of course Mother Nature through the growing season," Peterson said.

USDA releases its planted acres report on June 29.

Other North Dakota planting estimates released Friday:

3 Oats, 530,000 acres, up 26 percent.

3 Barley, 1.3 million acres, up 18 percent from last year's record-low acreage.

3 Flaxseed, 350,000 acres, down 53 percent.

3 Dry edible beans, 660,000 acres, down 1 percent.

3 Dry edible peas, 520,000 acres, down 15 percent from last year's record high.

3 Lentils, 130,000 acres, down 19 percent from last year's record high.

3 Non-oil sunflowers, 170,000 acres, up 31 percent.

3 Sugar beets, 257,000 acres, down 2 percent.

North Dakota farmers and ranchers intend to harvest 2.85 million acres of hay, up 5 percent from last year, the report said.