Grain Conversion Calculator

56 pounds. Shelled corn has a USDA official test weight of 56 lb per bushel, so 100 bushels of corn weigh 5,600 lb, which is 2,540.12 kg or 2.5401 metric tons. This 56 lb/bu figure is the standard conversion used by elevators, futures contracts, and USDA statistics.

A bushel is a unit of volume, not weight — every grain fills the same 1.244456 cubic feet. The weight depends on the grain's density, called test weight: wheat packs 60 lb per bushel while oats pack only 32 lb per bushel. So 100 bushels of wheat (6,000 lb) weighs nearly twice as much as 100 bushels of oats (3,200 lb) even though the volume is identical.

Test weight is the weight of grain that fills a standard Winchester bushel (2,150.42 cubic inches), expressed in pounds per bushel. The USDA's official weights for the highest grade are: wheat and soybeans 60 lb/bu; corn, grain sorghum, and rye 56 lb/bu; rice 45 lb/bu; barley 48 lb/bu; oats 32 lb/bu; sunflower seed 25 lb/bu. Test weight measures grain density and is a key grading factor.

A bushel is legally a unit of volume: 1 US bushel = 2,150.42 cubic inches (1.244456 cubic feet, about 35.24 liters). But grain is bought and sold by weight, so the trade uses a standard weight per bushel for each crop (test weight) — for example 56 lb for corn. The actual weight of a bushel of your grain may differ if its test weight differs from the standard.

93.33 bushels of wheat. Cross-grain conversion goes through weight: 100 bu of corn = 100 x 56 = 5,600 lb, and 5,600 / 60 = 93.33 bu of wheat. Similarly, 100 bu of oats (3,200 lb) equals 66.67 bu of barley (48 lb/bu). This calculator does the conversion for any of the 10 supported grains.

Divide the per-bushel price by the crop's pounds per bushel, then multiply by 2,204.62 (pounds per metric ton). Example: corn at $5.00/bu = 5 / 56 x 2,204.62 = $196.84 per metric ton, which is also $0.0893/lb, $0.1968/kg, and $178.57 per short ton. For soybeans at $12.50/bu the equivalent is $459.30 per metric ton.

Moisture shrink is the weight lost when grain is dried from harvest moisture down to market moisture. The standard extension formula is: shrink% = (initial moisture - final moisture) / (100 - final moisture) x 100. Drying corn from 25% to 15% moisture gives (25-15)/(100-15) x 100 = 11.76% water-weight loss. Elevators also apply an invisible (handling) loss, typically 0.2% per moisture point, so total shrink for corn 25% to 15.5% is about 13.14% — 1,000 wet bushels become 868.6 dry bushels.

Invisible loss is the dry-matter and handling weight lost during drying that is not water — broken kernels, fines, and dust from augers and dryers. It is hard to predict and varies by elevator, but is typically under 1% of total weight loss. Many elevators quote a total shrink factor of about 1.3-1.4% per moisture point, which includes both water loss (~1.18% per point at 15.5% final moisture) and this handling loss. This calculator defaults to 0.2% per point and lets you adjust it.

The published figures (corn 56, wheat 60, oats 32 lb/bu) are the official standards for the highest grade. Real grain varies with variety, growing-season weather, harvest moisture, kernel size, and foreign material. Grain delivered significantly below the official weight is discounted by buyers. Always use your scale ticket's actual weight for settlement, and the standard test weight only for planning conversions.

No — 50 lb/bu for canola is a widely used trade convention (it gives exactly 44.09 bushels per metric ton), but the USDA's grain standards state that test weight per bushel is not an official grading factor for canola. This calculator includes canola at 50 lb/bu for practical conversion and clearly labels it as a trade convention rather than an official standard.

Common market/delivery moisture standards are: corn 15.5%, wheat 13.5%, soybeans 13.0%, grain sorghum 14.0%, barley 14.5%, oats 14.0%, rice 14.0%, sunflower seed 10.0%, and canola 10.0%. These match USDA loan baselines and university extension guidance. Individual elevators may set their own targets, so confirm the final moisture with your buyer before calculating shrink.

39.37 bushels. One metric ton is 2,204.62 lb, divided by corn's 56 lb/bu test weight = 39.37 bu. For other grains: wheat and soybeans 36.74 bu per metric ton, barley 45.93, oats 68.89, rice 48.99, sunflower seed 88.18, and canola 44.09 bu per metric ton.