Knowledge of moisture content is needed for harvest decisions during haying and silage chopping and for safe storage of grains, hay, and silage. Moisture content is a major factor related to the value, or price, of forages and grain. Every producer should be able to test for moisture.
Several methods are available.
Moisture Meters and Probes Moisture meters usually provide satisfactory estimates of moisture content of grains and oilseeds when moisture content is below 25 percent. However, large errors may occur at higher moistures. The accuracy of these probes is affected greatly by the density of the forage being tested, the source of the moisture in or on the forage, and operator skill and experience. Probe estimates of forage moisture are more reliable when forage is densely packed. This type of forage will be tightly compressed around the probe and much of the probe will be in direct contact with forage.