Tables for Weights and Measurement: Crops
William J. Murphy
Department of Agronomy
These tables give weights per bushel, weights of grain by volume, moisture conversion and planting rates.
Table 1
Weights per bushel
- Alfalfa
60 pounds per bushel
- Barley
48 pounds per bushel
- Clover, Alsike
60 pounds per bushel
- Clover, Crimson
60 pounds per bushel
- Clover, Ladino
60 pounds per bushel
- Clover, White
60 pounds per bushel
- Clover, Red
60 pounds per bushel
- Clover Sweet
60 pounds per bushel
- Corn, shelled
56 pounds per bushel
- Corn, ear
70 pounds per bushel
- Cotton
32 pounds per bushel
- Cowpeas
60 pounds per bushel
- Flax
60 pounds per bushel
- Grass, Brome (smooth)
14 pounds per bushel
- Grass, Blue
14 pounds per bushel
- Grass, Fescue (tall)
14 pounds per bushel
- Grass, Orchard
14 pounds per bushel
- Grass, Redtop
14 pounds per bushel
- Grass, Timothy
45 pounds per bushel
- Lespedeza
40 to 50 pounds per bushel
- Millet
50 pounds per bushel
- Oats
32 pounds per bushel
- Rape
60 pounds per bushel
- Rye
56 pounds per bushel
- Sorghum, forage
50 pounds per bushel
- Sorghum, grain
56 pounds per bushel
- Soybeans
60 pounds per bushel
- Sudan grass
28 pounds per bushel
- Sunflower (oil type)
24-32 pounds per bushel
- Trefoil, Birdsfoot
60 pounds per bushel
- Vetch
60 pounds per bushel
- Wheat
60 pounds per bushel
Table 2
Calculating approximate weight of grain by volume
| Standard bushel weight |
Pounds per cubic feet |
| 60 pounds |
48.18 |
| 56 pounds |
44.97 |
| 50 pounds |
40.15 |
| 48 pounds |
38.54 |
| 45 pounds |
36.14 |
| 28 pounds |
22.48 |
| 14 pounds |
11.24 |
| 70 pounds (ear corn) |
28.001 |
1 Varies greatly with ear size and moisture content.
Measuring cubic feet
Width in feet multiplied by length in feet multiplied by depth of grain in feet equals cubic feet in square or rectangular enclosures.
Example
10 feet width x 14 feet length x 9 feet grain depth = 1,260 cu. feet
In circular bins, the formula is: pi (3.14) multiplied by the radius squared, multiplied by the depth of grain = cubic feet.
Obtaining total grain weight
Multiply cubic feet of volume by the appropriate figure from Table 2 under pounds per cubic feet.
If actual bushel weight (test weight) is available, multiply actual bushel weight by 0.803. This calculation will give a more accurate figure for pounds per cubic feet than you can get from the table.
Table 3
Moisture conversion for ear and shelled corn
| Moisture in grain |
Harvest weight of ear corn to yield 56 pounds of shelled corn at 15.5 percent moisture1 |
Shelled corn equivalent to 56 pounds of shelled corn at 15.5 percent moisture |
| 10 percent |
63.49 pounds |
52.56 pounds |
| 10.5 percent |
63.86 pounds |
52.87 pounds |
| 11 percent |
64.25 pounds |
53.16 pounds |
| 11.5 percent |
64.65 pounds |
53.46 pounds |
| 12 percent |
65.06 pounds |
53.77 pounds |
| 12.5 percent |
65.60 pounds |
54.08 pounds |
| 13 percent |
65.95 pounds |
54.39 pounds |
| 13.5 percent |
66.42 pounds |
54.70 pounds |
| 14 percent |
66.89 pounds |
55.02 pounds |
| 14.5 percent |
67.39 pounds |
55.34 pounds |
| 15 percent |
67.89 pounds |
55.67 pounds |
| 15.5 percent |
68.40 pounds |
56.00 pounds |
| 16 percent |
68.94 pounds |
56.33 pounds |
| 16.5 percent |
69.51 pounds |
56.67 pounds |
| 17 percent |
70.09 pounds |
57.01 pounds |
| 17.5 percent |
70.69 pounds |
57.35 pounds |
| 18 percent |
71.31 pounds |
57.70 pounds |
| 18.5 percent |
71.95 pounds |
58.06 pounds |
| 19 percent |
72.60 pounds |
58.41 pounds |
| 19.5 percent |
73.27 pounds |
58.78 pounds |
| 20 percent |
73.96 pounds |
59.15 pounds |
| 20.5 percent |
74.60 pounds |
59.52 pounds |
| 21 percent |
75.36 pounds |
59.89 pounds |
| 21.5 percent |
76.07 pounds |
60.28 pounds |
| 22 percent |
76.79 pounds |
60.66 pounds |
| 22.5 percent |
77.53 pounds |
61.05 pounds |
| 23 percent |
78.25 pounds |
61.45 pounds |
| 23.5 percent |
79.01 pounds |
61.85 pounds |
| 24 percent |
79.76 pounds |
62.26 pounds |
| 24.5 percent |
80.50 pounds |
62.67 pounds |
| 25 percent |
81.25 pounds |
63.09 pounds |
| 25.5 percent |
82.03 pounds |
63.51 pounds |
| 26 percent |
82.82 pounds |
63.94 pounds |
| 26.5 percent |
83.50 pounds |
64.38 pounds |
| 27 percent |
84.19 pounds |
64.82 pounds |
| 27.5 percent |
84.90 pounds |
65.26 pounds |
| 28 percent |
85.62 pounds |
65.72 pounds |
| 28.5 percent |
86.32 pounds |
66.18 pounds |
| 29 percent |
87.04 pounds |
66.64 pounds |
| 29.5 percent |
87.76 pounds |
67.12 pounds |
| 30 percent |
88.50 pounds |
67.60 pounds |
| 30.5 percent |
89.22 pounds |
68.08 pounds |
| 31 percent |
89.94 pounds |
68.57 pounds |
| 31.5 percent |
90.67 pounds |
69.08 pounds |
| 32 percent |
91.43 pounds |
69.58 pounds |
| 32.5 percent |
92.13 pounds |
70.10 pounds |
| 33 percent |
92.85 pounds |
70.62 pounds |
| 33.5 percent |
93.55 pounds |
71.15 pounds |
| 34 percent |
94.28 pounds |
71.69 pounds |
| 34.5 percent |
94.98 pounds |
72.24 pounds |
| 35 percent |
95.71 pounds |
72.80 pounds |
1Ear corn values supplied by Dr. Marcus Zuber, MU Agronomy Department. Ear corn values apply with greatest accuracy at harvest because differences in cob and grain moisture will change in storage. Shelled corn figures apply at any time.
Obtaining bushels of grain
Divide total grain weight by appropriate standard bushel weight.
Obtaining number of hundredweights (cwts) of grain
Divide total grain weight by 100.
Table 4
Moisture conversion for soybeans
| Moisture in grain |
Soybeans equivalent to 60 pounds of Soybeans at 13.0 percent Moisture |
| 10 percent |
58.00 pounds |
| 11 percent |
58.65 pounds |
| 12 percent |
59.32 pounds |
| 13 percent |
60.00 pounds |
| 14 percent |
60.70 pounds |
| 15 percent |
61.41 pounds |
| 16 percent |
62.14 pounds |
| 17 percent |
62.89 pounds |
| 18 percent |
63.66 pounds |
| 19 percent |
64.64 pounds |
| 20 percent |
65.25 pounds |
| 21 percent |
66.08 pounds |
| 22 percent |
66.92 pounds |
| 23 percent |
67.79 pounds |
| 24 percent |
68.68 pounds |
| 25 percent |
69.60 pounds |
| 26 percent |
70.54 pounds |
| 27 percent |
71.51 pounds |
| 28 percent |
72.50 pounds |
| 29 percent |
73.52 pounds |
| 30 percent |
74.57 pounds |
Table 5
Moisture conversion for wheat
| Moisture in grain |
Wheat equivalent to 60 pounds of wheat at 13.5 percent moisture |
| 10 percent |
57.67 pounds |
| 11 percent |
58.65 pounds |
| 12 percent |
59.32 pounds |
| 13 percent |
59.66 pounds |
| 13.5 percent |
60.00 pounds |
| 14 percent |
60.35 pounds |
| 15 percent |
61.06 pounds |
| 16 percent |
61.79 pounds |
| 17 percent |
62.53 pounds |
| 18 percent |
63.29 pounds |
| 19 percent |
64.07 pounds |
| 20 percent |
64.88 pounds |
| 21 percent |
65.70 pounds |
| 22 percent |
66.54 pounds |
| 23 percent |
67.40 pounds |
| 24 percent |
68.29 pounds |
| 25 percent |
69.20 pounds |
| 26 percent |
70.14 pounds |
| 27 percent |
71.10 pounds |
| 28 percent |
72.08 pounds |
| 29 percent |
73.10 pounds |
| 30 percent |
74.14 pounds |
Table 6
Moisture conversion for grain sorghum
| Percent moisture in grain |
Grain sorghum equivalent to 56 pounds of grain sorghum at 13 percent moisture |
| 10 percent |
54.13 pounds |
| 11 percent |
54.74 pounds |
| 12 percent |
55.36 pounds |
| 13 percent |
56.00 pounds |
| 14 percent |
56.65 pounds |
| 15 percent |
57.32 pounds |
| 16 percent |
58.00 pounds |
| 17 percent |
58.70 pounds |
| 18 percent |
59.41 pounds |
| 19 percent |
60.15 pounds |
| 20 percent |
60.90 pounds |
| 21 percent |
61.67 pounds |
| 22 percent |
62.46 pounds |
| 23 percent |
63.27 pounds |
| 24 percent |
64.11 pounds |
| 25 percent |
64.96 pounds |
| 26 percent |
65.83 pounds |
| 27 percent |
66.74 pounds |
| 28 percent |
67.67 pounds |
| 29 percent |
68.62 pounds |
| 30 percent |
69.60 pounds |
Calculating other conversion factors
These conversion tables cover the most widely grown crops and the most common moisture contents. When you need other conversions, the calculations are relatively simple.
Use percent dry matter in making conversions because the problem is to obtain the same weight of dry matter as is found in a standard bushel. For example, a standard bushel of wheat contains 60 pounds at 13.5 percent moisture. Thus, 86.5 percent dry matter (100-13.5) x 60 pounds = 51.9 pounds of dry matter.
Example
How many pounds of 20.5 percent moisture wheat is equivalent to a standard bushel?
13.5 percent Standard Moisture Content = 100 - 13.5 = 86.5 percent Dry Matter
20.5 percent Moisture Content = 100 - 20.5 = 79.5 percent Dry Matter
86.5 ÷ 79.5 = 108.8 percent
(108.8 x Standard Bu. Wt. (60 for Wheat)) ÷ 100 = 65.28 pounds equivalent to a standard bushel
To check your answer:
65.28 x 79.5 percent dry matter = 51.9 pounds of dry matter
Table 7
Common measures and approximate metric equivalents
- 1 liquid teaspoon = 5 milliliters
- 3 liquid teaspoons = 1 liquid tablespoon = 15 milliliters
- 2 liquid tablespoons = 1 liquid ounce = 30 milliliters
- 8 liquid ounces = 1 liquid cup = 0.24 liter
- 2 liquid cups = 1 liquid pint = 0.47 liter
- 2 liquid pints = 1 liquid quart = 0.9463 liter
- 4 liquid quarts = 1 liquid gallon (U.S.) = 3.7854 liter
Table 8
Conversion factors for metric and English units
Length
- 1 mile = 1.609 kilometers
- 1 kilometer = 0.621 miles
- 1 yard = 0.914 meters
- 1 meter = 1.094 yards
- 1 inch = 2.54 centimeters
- 1 centimeter = 0.394 inches
Area
- 1 square mile = 2.59 square kilometers
- 1 square kilometer = 0.386 square miles
- 1 acre = 0.00405 square kilometers
- 1 square kilometer = 247.1 acres
- 1 acre = 0.405 hectares
- 1 hectare = 2.471 acres
Volume
- 1 acre-inch = 102.8 cubic meters
- 1 cubic meter = 0.00973 acre-inches
- 1 quart = 0.946 liters
- 1 liter = 1.057 quarts
- 1 bushel = 0.352 hectoliters
- 1 hectoliter = 2.838 bushels
Weight
- 1 pound = 0.454 kilograms
- 1 kilogram = 2.205 pounds
- 1 pound = 0.00454 quintals
- 1 quintal = 220.5 pounds
- 1 ton = 0.9072 metric tons
- 1 metric ton = 1.102 tons
Yield or rate
- 1 pound per acre = 1.121 kilograms per hectare
- 1 kilogram per hectare = 0.892 pounds per acre
- 1 ton per acre = 2.242 tons per hectare
- 1 ton per hectare = 0.446 tons per acre
- 1 bushel per acre = 1.121 quintals per hectare
- 1 quintal per hectare = 0.892 bushel per acre
- 1 bushel per acre (60#) = 0.6726 quintals per hectare
- 1 quintal per hectare = 1.487 (60#) 1 bushel per acre (56#) = 0.6278 quintals per hectare
- 1 quintal per hectare = 1.597 (56#)
Temperature
- To convert Fahrenheit (F) to Celsius (C): 0.555 x (F - 32)
- To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit: (1.8 x C) + 32
Table 9
Mixing small quantities of liquid spray. The first column represents concentration of active ingredient per gallon; the second column provides corresponding amount to mix for 1,000 square feet to get 1 pound per acre of active ingredient
| Concentration of active ingredient per gallon |
Amount to mix for 1000 square feet to get 1 pound per acre of active ingredient |
| 1 pound |
7 tablespoons or 103 milliliters |
| 2 pounds |
3.5 tablespoons or 51.5 milliliters |
| 3 pounds |
2.3 tablespoons or 34.3 milliliters |
| 4 pounds |
1.7 tablespoons or 25.8 milliliters |
Checking planting rate or stand per acre
This table may be useful in checking actual planting rate when planting a crop. It can also be used in obtaining stand counts.
Determine average spacing in inches between seeds (or plants) in the row. Then divide the appropriate figure in the right hand column by this figure to determine planting rate (or stand).
Example
Grain sorghum planted in 30-inch rows is found to average 2.5 inches between seeds.
209,088 ÷ 2.5 = 83,635 seeds being planted per acre.
Or the grain sorghum stand averages 1 plant per 3.5 inches of row. Then 209,088 ÷ 3.5 = 59,379 plants per acre.
You can use this method without the table as long as you remember that there are 43,560 square feet per acre and that 144 square inches = 1 square foot.
43,560 x 144 = 6,272,630 square inches per acre.
Divide 6,272,640 by inches of row width to obtain inches of row per acre (6,272,640 ÷ 30 = 209,088).
| Row spacing |
Inches of row per acre |
| 40 inches |
155,682 |
| 38 inches |
165,069 |
| 36 inches |
174,240 |
| 30 inches |
209,088 |
| 28 inches |
224,023 |
| 24 inches |
261,360 |
| 20 inches |
313,632 |
| 18 inches |
348,480 |
| 15 inches |
418,176 |
| 14 inches |
448,046 |
| 12 inches |
522,720 |
| 10 inches |
627,264 |
| 8 inches |
784,080 |
| 7 inches |
896,091 |
G4020, reviewed October 1993
