Test weight refers to the average weight of a cereal as measured in

pounds per bushel Pound or Pounds may refer to: Units * Pound (currency), a unit of currency * Pound sterling, the official currency of the United Kingdom * Pound (mass), a unit of mass * Pound (force), a unit of force * Rail pound, in rail profile Symbols * Pou ...

(1bu. = 8 gallons or 2150.42 cu. inches). Test weight is an important predictor of

milling yield Milling yield is the percentage of finished product obtained from the milling of a cereal crop. Wheat milling yield is the percent of flour obtained from a given unit of whole wheat kernels (flour yield or flour extraction rate), averaging 70-75% ...

for rice and

flour extraction Flour extraction is the common process of refining Whole Grain Flour first milled from grain or grist by running it through sifting devices, often called flour dressers. Definition For centuries, much of the flour milled for human consumption ...

rate for wheat. USDA’s official weight per bushel for the highest grade for major cereals and oilseeds include: wheat and soybeans (60 lbs./bu.); corn, sorghum, and rye (56 lbs./bu.); barley (48 lbs./bu.); oats (32 lbs./bu.); and rice (45 lbs./bu.). When producers deliver grain that is significantly below the official weights the prices are discounted. Official U.S. Grain Standards (developed and used under authority of the

United States Grain Standards Act The United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA) of 1916 (P.L. 64-190), as amended (7 U.S.C. 71 et seq.), authorizes the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration to establish official marketing standards (not health and safety standar ...

, USGSA) include test weight criteria.

References

*{{CRS, article = Report for Congress: Agriculture: A Glossary of Terms, Programs, and Laws, 2005 Edition, url = http://ncseonline.org/nle/crsreports/05jun/97-905.pdf, author= Jasper Womach United States Department of Agriculture