WASHINGTON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Growers will plant 255.3
million acres of the eight major U.S. field crops - corn, wheat,
soybeans, rice, upland cotton, sorghum, barley and oats - this
year, the Agriculture Department said on Thursday, down 1
percent from 2012 but slightly more than it projected earlier
this month.
    The USDA made the projection, based on current conditions,
at its annual Outlook Forum.
    Corn plantings would be down slightly from the 75-year high
of 2012, while soybean plantings rise to would match the record
set in 2009, the USDA said. Wheat sowings would rise marginally,
and upland cotton would plunge by 19 percent.
    Following are USDA projections for 2013 plantings, compared
with actual figures for previous crops:
    
                   Plantings of U.S. eight major crops

    Crop             2010   2011   2012  2013  Update
    Corn             88.2   91.9   97.2  96.0   96.5
    Other feed grains N/A    N/A    N/A   N/A   12.9
      Sorghum         5.4    5.5    6.2   7.0    N/A
      Barley          2.9    2.6    3.6   3.4    N/A
      Oats            3.1    2.5    2.8   2.5    N/A
    Wheat            53.6   54.4   55.7  57.5   56.0
    Rice              3.6    2.7    2.7   2.7    2.6
    Up cotton        10.8   14.4   12.1   9.3    9.8 
    Soybeans         77.4   75.0   77.2  76.0   77.5
    Total           245.0  249.0  257.5 254.5  255.3