* Rain forecasted in Russia pushes wheat futures down
* Soybean futures rise on oilseed worker strikes in Argentina and rising meal prices
* Corn ticked lower on spillover weakness from wheat
(New throughout, updates prices, market activity and comments, new byline, changes dateline, previous HAMBURG)
CHICAGO, April 29 (Reuters) - Chicago benchmark wheat futures fell nearly 3% on Monday, snapping a seven-session rally as the crop outlook in Russia improved on forecasts for rain, analysts said.
The Chicago Board of Trade's most active wheat contract was down 18-1/4 cents at $5.85 a bushel by 1600 GMT. On Friday, it hit its highest since Dec. 29, supported by concern that adverse weather in exporters Russia, Europe and the U.S. could stress crops.
"That little indication of possible rain in Russia after a rally was enough to spook people," Brian Basting, an analyst at Advance Trading, said.
Despite the tumble, Chicago wheat futures remain above the 100-day moving average, while Kansas City wheat futures were little changed as a weekly report showed more of top wheat growing state Kansas in drought, supporting hard red winter wheat prices.
Soybean futures gained support from a strike by oilseed workers in Argentina, while corn futures ticked down on spillover weakness from wheat.
Soybeans rose 3-1/2 cents to 11.63 a bushel and corn fell 2-1/2 cents to $4.37-1/2.
Traders liquidating positions ahead of the notice day for the May contract also adds downward pressure to the market, analysts said.
The oilseed workers' union at one of Argentina's largest agro-export ports said in the short term that it would begin an indefinite strike from Monday to protest against proposed government reforms.
"Argentina has been producing extra meal and aggressively discounting that to the world, which is undercutting the U.S., Randy Place, analyst with Hightower Report, said. "The strike limits the export potential for the next several days, which gives us the chance to get more export business."
Place noted that concerns around the bird flu potentially resulting in cattle culling is hanging over corn futures.
"It's a cloud over the market that's there every time we hear another state getting affected," Place said (Reporting by Heather Schlitz in Chicago. Additional reporting by Michael Hogan in Hamburg and Peter Hobson in Canberra. Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala, David Goodman and David Gregorio)
