(Corrects headline to remove extraneous word)
    * Soybeans slide as traders ready for USDA report
    * Corn drops for second straight session
    * Wheat firms as Australia trims production estimate

    By Colin Packham
    SYDNEY, Sept 10 (Reuters) - U.S. soybeans fell on Tuesday,
extending their losses this week to more than 1.5 percent, as
traders squared positions ahead of the next U.S. Department of
Agriculture production forecast.
    Corn dropped, while wheat edged marginally higher, drawing
support from a cut to Australia's official output forecast for
the grain.
    Chicago Board of Trade November soybeans fell 0.74
	

		

			
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percent to $13.46-1/2 a bushel, having closed down 0.82 percent
on Monday.
    "We are looking at pre-positioning ahead of the USDA report
on Thursday so we are likely to see price fluctuations in the
next few days," said Luke Mathews, commodities strategist at the
Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
    The USDA is expected to trim its September soybean yield
estimate to 41.2 bushels per acre from 42.6 bushels in August,
according to a Reuters poll. 
    Soybean prices were also hurt as the USDA reported damage to
the oilseed as a result of hot, dry weather last week was
slightly less than expected. 
    The USDA pegged the soybean crop as 52 percent good to
excellent as of Sept. 8, down 2 percentage points from a week
earlier. 
    Analysts had expected soybeans to be rated 51 percent good
to excellent, according to the average of 11 estimates in a
Reuters poll. 
    Further unfavorable weather is expected, meteorologists
said. 
    No widespread rains are expected in dry areas of the Midwest
for the next 10 days, Global Weather Monitoring said on Monday.
 
    December corn fell 0.38 percent to $4.61-3/4 a bushel,
having closed down 1 percent.
    Fears that the dry weather last week had damaged corn more
	

		

			
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than market expectations were allayed when the USDA said the
grain was 54 percent good to excellent, down from 56 percent a
week ago but in line with expectations.
    December wheat rose 0.12 percent to $6.42 a bushel,
having closed down 1 percent on Monday.
    Wheat drew support after Australia, the world's second
largest exporter, trimmed its projections for 2013/14 output.
    Australia cut its forecast wheat production by more than 3
percent after dry weather across key growing states, but output
is still expected to be its sixth largest on record.
 
    
    
  Grains prices at  0304 GMT
  Contract        Last    Change  Pct chg  Two-day chg MA 30   RSI 
  CBOT wheat     642.00     0.75  +0.12%    -0.89%     653.42   37
  CBOT corn      461.75    -1.75  -0.38%    -1.39%     469.65   32
  CBOT soy      1346.50   -10.00  -0.74%    -1.55%    1281.05   47
  CBOT rice      $15.27   -$0.07  -0.49%    -0.94%     $15.35   33
  WTI crude     $108.63   -$0.89  -0.81%    -1.72%    $106.83   54
  Currencies                                                
  Euro/dlr       $1.326   $0.000  +0.02%    +0.59%
  USD/AUD         0.926    0.004  +0.38%    +0.87%
  Most active contracts
  Wheat, corn and soy US cents/bushel. Rice: USD per hundredweight
  RSI 14, exponential
 
 (Editing by Joseph Radford)