Crop farming · Conversion
Bushels to tonnes.
Convert bushels, tonnes and tons by crop, turn bushels per acre into tonnes per hectare, and price per bushel into price per tonne.
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How to convert bushels to tonnes
A bushel is a volume measure that grain trade converts to weight at a standard number of pounds per bushel, which differs by crop. Metric tonnes = bushels × pounds per bushel × 0.45359237 ÷ 1,000. The University of Georgia planting guide lists 56 lb for field corn, 60 lb for soybeans and wheat, 48 lb for barley, 32 lb for oats, 56 lb for rye and grain sorghum, and 50 lb for canola (rape).
Worked example. 10,000 bushels of corn at 56 lb is 560,000 lb, which is 254.01 metric tonnes or 280 short tons. A yield of 180 bu/ac is 10,080 lb/ac, which is 11.30 t/ha (11,298 kg/ha). A price of $4.50 per bushel is $177.16 per metric tonne or $160.71 per short ton. The same formula gives 36.74 bushels of wheat or soybeans per tonne, and 39.37 bushels of corn per tonne.
Check your buyer's weights. Contracts and some national standards use their own bushel weights, and moisture matters, since the standard weights assume dry grain. If your elevator uses a different weight per bushel for a crop, convert with theirs.
Frequently asked questions
How many bushels of corn are in a tonne?
With the standard 56 lb corn bushel, one metric tonne is 39.37 bushels (1,000 kg divided by 25.4 kg per bushel).
How many bushels of wheat or soybeans are in a tonne?
At 60 lb per bushel, one metric tonne is 36.74 bushels.
How do I convert bushels per acre to tonnes per hectare?
Multiply bushels per acre by the bushel weight in kg and by 2.471 acres per hectare, then divide by 1,000. For corn, 180 bu/ac is 11.30 t/ha.
Why does the bushel weight differ by crop?
Because the bushel is a volume and each grain packs at a different density. Traded bushels are given a standard weight so quantities are comparable.
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Not professional advice
Standard bushel weights are conventions. Use the weights in your contract or your buyer's scale ticket when they differ.