Moisture Equipment
The Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) uses the Unified Grain Moisture Algorithm (UGMA) to achieve its primary objective under the U.S. Grain Standards Act to 'certify the quality of grain as accurately as practical' as well as provide accurate information on storability, economic value and product yield. (7 U.S.C. Sec. 74(b)(2) and (b)(3)(B), (C), and (E)). Moisture meters are used to determine the amount of moisture within grain presented for sale, a critical assessment of quality that affects the value and storability of the grain.
GIPSA has provided some Frequently Asked Questions about the UGMA-Compatible moisture meters. (Updated 04/23/2015) (PDF; 62Kb)
Official Moisture Meters for All Officially-Inspected Grains and Commodities
- DICKEY-JOHN GAC 2500-UGMA
- Perten AM 5200-A
Official Moisture Calibrations
- Official Moisture Calibration Directive (08/01/16) (PDF; 98Kb)
- Download all official moisture calibration files for DICKEY-JOHN GAC 2500-UGMA (07/29/2016) (ZIP; 831Kb)
- Official calibration installation instructions for DICKEY-JOHN GAC 2500-UGMA (07/29/2016) (PDF; 1,199Kb)
- Download all official moisture calibration files for Perten AM 5200-A (07/29/2016) (ZIP; 11Kb)
- Official calibration installation instructions for Perten AM 5200-A (07/29/2016) (PDF; 523Kb)
- Plots and statistics
- UGMA moisture meter accuracy for officially inspected grains and commodities (07/29/2016) (PDF; 227Kb)
- Explanatory Notes for August 1, 2016 Official Moisture Calibration Updates (PDF; 104Kb)
Official Moisture Meter Checktest Procedures
- UGMA-Compatible Moisture Meter Checktesting Procedures (07/29/2016) (PDF; 219KB)
- UGMA-Compatible Moisture Checktesting Form (07/29/2016) (XLS; 114KB)
- Equipment Capability Testing (ECT) Checktesting Procedure (07/29/2016) (XLS; 114KB)"New"
Moisture Seminar
In June 2015, GIPSA held an outreach seminar at the Northern Crops Institute in Fargo, North Dakota, about moisture measurement technology, capabilities, and performance. The presenters included personnel from GIPSA’s Technology and Science Division and Quality Assurance and Compliance Division along with representatives from DICKEY-john Corporation, Perten Instruments, Inc., and Grain Quality Analytics, LLC. The presentations covered the following topics:
- Introduction (PDF; 99KB)
- Moisture Measurement Technology (PDF; 3940KB)
- UGMA Achievements (PDF; 472KB)
- UGMA Approval (PDF; 789Kb)
- UGMA Calibration and Standardization (PDF; 81KB)
- Performance Expectations and GIPSA Tolerances(PDF; 157KB)
- Grain Handling and Meter Optimization (PDF; 256KB)
- Perten AM5200-Operation and Maintenance (PDF; 820KB)
- Moisture Meter Seminar - DICKEY-john(PDF; 540KB)
- 2015 FGIS Calibration Changes (PDF; 746KB)
Technical Reference Materials
- UGMA Criteria Document (PDF; 127KB)
- UGMA Criteria Attachment A (PDF; 149KB)
- UGMA Recipe Book (Updated 07-28-2015) (PDF; 932KB)
- UGMA Technology Overview - NAEGA-GIPSA Regional Meeting 4-24-2012 (PDF; 514Kb)
- Scientific Publications
- UGMA First Research Report (GIPSA 2001) (PDF; 2070KB)
- UGMA Development Overview (IQGC 2004)(PDF; 587KB)
- UGMA Unified Parameter Development (IQGC 2004) (PDF; 3765KB)
- UGMA Development Report 2006 (MST 2006) (PDF; 1234KB)
- UGMA Effects of Test Cell Loading Methods (ISEMA 2011)(PDF; 2542KB)
- UGMA Secondary Density Correction (ISEMA 2011) (PDF; 264KB)