If you work with grains in any capacity, whether as a farmer, a commodity trader, aggregator, or feed producer, then a grain moisture meter is a piece of equipment you absolutely need. In this article, you’ll learn about grain moisture meters, why you need one, how they work and how to choose the best moisture meter for your operations.
Why you need a grain moisture meter
Grain moisture meters are tools that help you measure the moisture content in different grains, before, during, and after harvest. Measuring the moisture content of your grains helps you know whether your grains are dry enough. Knowing the moisture content of your grains is important because the high moisture content in grains leads to mold growth and aflatoxin contamination which destroy grains.
For farmers, the high moisture content in grains could cause you to lose a big chunk of your harvest – which in itself is a scary thought. Also for commodity traders, many buyers require you to meet certain moisture content standards before they will accept your grain. In addition, many buyers want the moisture content of corn to remain below 13% otherwise they will not buy. Finally, for poultry farmers and feed producers, the high moisture content in grains can affect the quality of your feed and ultimately the productivity of your birds.
While there are ingenious ways to estimate the moisture content in grains, the best way is to use a grain moisture meter. As it offers precise and accurate measurements, letting you know whether your grains are dry enough or if they should be dried some more. Ingenious ways like biting the kernel or tossing a handful of grains to listen for the sound they make do not offer such benefits.
Types of grain moisture meters and how they work
There are different kinds of moisture meters, each with its own principle of operation and underlying technologies.
Probe-type moisture meters like the GrainMate Grain Moisture Meter use a sensor to measure the temperature and humidity of the grains. It also comes along with special mathematical models to tell the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) in a grain sample.
Sesi Technologies GrainMate Grain Moisture Meter
Cup-type meters like the John Deere Moisture Check Plus SW08120 use a high frequency capacitive circuit to measure the moisture content in a small gain sample.
John Deere Moisture Check Plus SW0812
Other types of moisture meters like the AgraTronix 08201, GMT-Grind Portable Grain Moisture Meter use a grinder to grind a small sample of the grain in order to measure the in the sample.
Thank you for allowing Accurate Weighing Scales (U) Ltd the privilege to serve you in advance.
For inquiries on deliveries contact us
Office +256 (0) 705 577 823, +256 (0) 775 259 917
Address: Wandegeya KCCA Market South Wing, 2nd Floor Room SSF 036
Comments