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Calculator · commodity

Moisture content converter

Converts a moisture content between the wet basis and the dry basis, and reports the dry matter that goes with it.

A bare percentage carries no basis. Take it from the method or contract that produced the figure.

Result

Choose the moisture basis your figures are denominated on. 20% wet basis and 20% dry basis are different quantities.

Formula & assumptions

Moisture: wet basis → dry basis

formula v1.0.0 · calc v1 · reviewed 2026-07-16

M_db = M_wb ÷ (100 − M_wb) × 100

Applies to: Any commodity whose moisture is reported on a stated basis.

Assumptions

  • Water and dry matter are the only components; nothing else is present or is being tracked.

Limitations

  • A conversion between two denominators. It does not tell you which basis your own figure used — that must come from the method or contract that produced it.
  • Dry basis has no upper bound: a lot with more water than solids exceeds 100% dry basis, which is arithmetically correct rather than an error.

Scope

Arithmetic on the numbers entered. It does not replace representative sampling or a calibrated, correctly-referenced moisture meter, and it cannot detect that an input was wrong.

Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (opens in a new tab), USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) (opens in a new tab)

Moisture: dry basis → wet basis

formula v1.0.0 · calc v1 · reviewed 2026-07-16

M_wb = M_db ÷ (100 + M_db) × 100

Applies to: Any commodity whose moisture is reported on a stated basis.

Assumptions

  • Water and dry matter are the only components; nothing else is present or is being tracked.

Limitations

  • A conversion between two denominators, not a measurement.
  • The result approaches but never reaches 100%, which is the definitional ceiling of wet basis.

Scope

Arithmetic on the numbers entered. It does not replace representative sampling or a calibrated, correctly-referenced moisture meter, and it cannot detect that an input was wrong.

Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (opens in a new tab), USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) (opens in a new tab)

Dry-matter content from wet-basis moisture

formula v1.0.0 · calc v1 · reviewed 2026-07-16

DM% = 100 − M_wb

Applies to: Any commodity reported on a wet basis.

Assumptions

  • Dry matter and water together account for the whole mass.

Limitations

  • Dry matter here means everything that is not water — it says nothing about composition, quality, or what fraction is usable.

Scope

Arithmetic on the numbers entered. It does not replace representative sampling or a calibrated, correctly-referenced moisture meter, and it cannot detect that an input was wrong.

Sources: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (opens in a new tab), Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) (opens in a new tab)

About this tool

  • Converts between two denominators. It does not identify which basis your own figure used.
  • The two bases have different ceilings, so each has its own input: a wet-basis figure at or above 100% describes a lot with no dry matter and is rejected, while a dry-basis figure above 100% is ordinary.

Educational reference — not a prescription

Not a substitute for representative sampling or a calibrated, correctly-referenced moisture meter. It converts the figures entered and cannot detect that one of them was wrong, or was read on a different basis than the one stated.

  • These calculators are for education and reference. The quality of any result depends entirely on the accuracy of the values you enter.
  • Local agronomic conditions, legal requirements, product labels, and professional advice may override a general calculation.
  • Results are not pesticide, fertilizer, irrigation, or veterinary prescriptions, and are not a substitute for advice from a qualified agronomist or your local extension service.