Grain Conversion Calculator: Bushels to Pounds to Kilograms

A grain conversion calculator converts a quantity of grain between bushels, pounds, and kilograms. Because different grains pack to different densities, each one has its own standard weight per bushel, so an accurate conversion has to know which grain is involved. This calculator covers eight grains: wheat, soybeans, corn, sorghum, rye, barley, oats, and rice.

How to Calculate Grain Conversions

A bushel is a unit of volume, not weight. In United States agriculture, though, a bushel of each grain is assigned a fixed weight in pounds, called its test weight. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sets these standard weights so that buyers and sellers agree on what a "bushel" means for each crop.

Bushels to Pounds

$\text{Pounds} = \text{Bushels} \times \text{test weight (lb per bushel)}$

Pounds to Kilograms

$\text{Kilograms} = \text{Pounds} \times 0.45359237$

The figure 0.45359237 is the exact, internationally agreed pound-to-kilogram factor.

Bushels to Kilograms

Combine both steps:

$\text{Kilograms} = \text{Bushels} \times \text{test weight} \times 0.45359237$

For wheat, whose test weight is 60 pounds, this becomes:

$\text{Kilograms} = \text{Bushels} \times 27.2155422$

To convert the other way, for example kilograms to bushels, divide instead of multiply.

Standard Bushel Weights by Grain Type

Each grain's test weight comes from USDA regulations (7 CFR Part 810) and matches figures published by university extension services.

Wheat and soybeans are the heaviest per bushel. Oats are the lightest, because oat kernels are bulky and still carry a loose hull, so a given volume holds less mass.

How to Use the Grain Conversion Calculator

1. Enter a quantity in the input field.
2. Choose a grain from the "Grain Type" dropdown (wheat, soybeans, corn, sorghum, rye, barley, oats, or rice).
3. Choose the starting unit under "From Unit" and the target unit under "To Unit" (bushel, pound, or kilogram).
4. Read the result, which updates automatically as the quantity or the units change.
5. Select "Copy" to copy the result.

The calculator always applies the test weight for the grain selected, so switching from wheat to corn changes the bushel-based result without any extra steps.

Example: Converting Grain Units

Wheat, bushels to pounds. 10 bushels of wheat: 10 × 60 = 600 pounds.

Wheat, pounds to kilograms. 500 pounds of wheat: 500 × 0.45359237 = 226.80 kilograms.

Corn, bushels to kilograms. 100 bushels of corn. Corn's test weight is 56 pounds per bushel, so 100 × 56 = 5,600 pounds, and 5,600 × 0.45359237 ≈ 2,540.12 kilograms. Selecting "Corn" and "Bushel to Kilogram" in the calculator gives this result in one step.

Converting a price quote. A buyer quotes wheat at $6.50 per bushel. One metric ton is 1,000 kilograms, and one bushel of wheat is 27.2155422 kilograms, so a metric ton holds 1,000 ÷ 27.2155422 ≈ 36.74 bushels. That makes$6.50 per bushel equal to about $6.50 × 36.74 ≈$238.83 per metric ton.

Why Bushel Weights Differ by Grain

The bushel began as a volume measurement in medieval England, originally 8 gallons, or about 35.24 liters. The word comes from the Old French "boissel," meaning a box, since grain was once measured in a box-shaped container.

Measuring grain by volume caused problems, because the same volume of grain weighs differently depending on moisture and how tightly it settles. A bushel of wet, loosely poured grain weighs less than a bushel of dry, settled grain of the same crop. To fix this, agricultural regulators assigned each grain a standard weight per bushel based on typical moisture and packing, which is why wheat, corn, and oats each have a different figure even though "bushel" is the same word.

Most of the world measures grain by mass in metric tons or kilograms. U.S. farm equipment, grain elevators, and futures contracts still use bushels, so trading between the two systems requires a conversion.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a bushel of grain? A bushel is officially a measure of volume, but in grain trading it is used as a fixed weight, standardized separately for each crop by the USDA.

How many pounds are in a bushel of wheat? 60 pounds. This is the standard test weight used on commodity exchanges and grain elevator receipts across the United States.

Why does a bushel of corn weigh less than a bushel of wheat? Corn kernels are larger and do not pack as tightly as wheat kernels, so the same volume holds less mass. Corn's test weight is 56 pounds per bushel, compared with 60 pounds for wheat.

Does this calculator work for grains other than wheat? Yes. A "Grain Type" dropdown lets a user choose wheat, soybeans, corn, sorghum, rye, barley, oats, or rice, and the calculator applies that grain's test weight automatically for any bushel conversion.

Does moisture content affect the conversion? The standard test weights assume a set moisture level, 13.5% for wheat. A bushel of wheat is still treated as 60 pounds regardless of its actual moisture, but grain elevators often adjust the price they pay based on real moisture readings.

How do I convert metric tons to bushels? Multiply the number of metric tons by 1,000 to get kilograms, then divide by the grain's weight per bushel in kilograms. For wheat, 10 metric tons is 10,000 kilograms, and 10,000 ÷ 27.2155422 ≈ 367.44 bushels.

References

1. United States Department of Agriculture. "Weights, Measures, and Conversion Factors for Agricultural Commodities and Their Products." Agricultural Handbook Number 697, 1992.
2. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 7, Part 810 (Official United States Standards for Grain).
3. National Institute of Standards and Technology. "Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements for Weighing and Measuring Devices." NIST Handbook 44, 2020.
4. Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. "Grain, Weight, Moisture Conversions." Extension Fact Sheet AGF-503.