North Dakota rides soy boom, fueled by biofuels and China

In a small outdoor plot in Fargo, North Dakota, plant breeder Carrie Dottey crouched over ?a tiny flower on a leafy green soybean plant, conducting research that could help ?convert ?the state, known for its wheat, into a soybean powerhouse. No state has increased soybean plantings faster than North Dakota, fueled by booms in Chinese demand and domestic biofuel production. State soybean plantings have more than tripled since 2000, far outpacing a 17% national increase, as advancements such as herbicide-resistant seeds coincided with declining demand for wheat. The northern Plains state, infamous for its brutal cold, has also grown ?substantially…