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Test weight

78.5 kg/hL

The packing density of the grain — kilograms per hectolitre — measured by load against the receival standard. It is a fast, direct proxy for how well grain filled and for the flour extraction a miller can expect.

Worked example · kg/hL by load · vs milling standard
Receival std 74 77 79 78.5 80 Load 1 Load 2 Avg Load 3
kg/hL by load · vs milling standard
The benchmark

Milling wheat receival standards generally require a minimum test weight around 74 kg/hL; plump, well-filled grain runs higher and mills to more flour with fewer specks.

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What it signals

Low test weight is the visible signature of a stressed finish — a crop pinched by heat, drought or disease during grain-fill. Tracking it by load flags parcels at risk of a grade downgrade before they reach the weighbridge.

Data required to calculate
Test weight by loadkg/hLTonnes per loadt

Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses, and keeps the figure current automatically.

How to improve it
01

Protect grain-fill from heat and moisture stress via sowing date and variety.

02

Keep foliar disease off the flag leaf to sustain filling.

03

Harvest at the right moisture and settings to avoid mechanical damage.

Questions & answers

What is test weight?

The packing density of the grain — kilograms per hectolitre — measured by load against the receival standard. It is a fast, direct proxy for how well grain filled and for the flour extraction a miller can expect.

What data do you need to calculate test weight?

You need: Test weight by load (kg/hL), Tonnes per load (t). Silo pulls each of these from the sources the operation already uses and keeps the figure current automatically.

What is a good test weight benchmark?

Milling wheat receival standards generally require a minimum test weight around 74 kg/hL; plump, well-filled grain runs higher and mills to more flour with fewer specks.

How do you improve test weight?

Protect grain-fill from heat and moisture stress via sowing date and variety. Keep foliar disease off the flag leaf to sustain filling. Harvest at the right moisture and settings to avoid mechanical damage.

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