The USDA's latest estimate that farmers will plant 94 million acres this year seems "reasonable" for now, but that number could grow with an early spring, says Jim Borel, DuPont's executive VP over its agriculture business.

"If we have some moisture and a nice open spring, that could favor more corn," he says in an interview.

He notes that farmers last fall applied a lot of nitrogen, which is used to fertilize corn, and that all things being equal, farmers in the Midwest "kind of like to plant corn." But weather or a shift in corn and soybean prices could still alter plans in the next few weeks, he says.

• Talk: 'Not looking good'
  
• Also: Moisture extremes stress corn country
  
• Read more: 95 million acres? Informa says so
  

(ian.berry@dowjones.com)
Call us at (212) 416-3100 or email patrick.sullivan@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 13, 2012 14:59 ET (18:59 GMT)
DJ MARKET TALK: Corn Acreage Could Grow With Early Spring->copyright