Test Equipment and Measurement Instrument Blog

Sesame is very likely one of the oldest cultivated crops in the world. For thousands of years, it has been grown for use in oil and other applications, such as sesame meal and sesame flour. Records of sesame crops date back as far as 1600 B.C. in the Tigris and Euphrates valley regions. In some cases, it is even used in all-natural beauty products because of its antioxidant properties.

Oats are a dietary staple in many areas of the world. We consume them in foods like oatmeal and oat flour, and even in baked goods such as cookies, granola bars, and bread. 

Peanuts are a popular food across the country. Used in a variety of recipes and the primary ingredient in peanut butter, the United States produced around 6.13 billion pounds of peanuts in 2020 alone. Many of these peanuts went into the processing of peanut butter. Peanuts are versatile. They go into sandwiches, entrees, and even baked goods. It’s estimated that around 300 million Americans eat peanut butter, while only about 32 million do not. 

For quite some time, wheat farmers would take their freshly harvested crops to market instead of drying and storing them. This is largely because it takes quite a bit of time to properly dry and manage wheat for long-term storage, and if there’s one thing that farmers have in short supply, it’s time.

In 2019 and 2020, the United States was, by far, the largest producer of corn across the globe, reaching an astonishing 345 million metric tons of corn in one year alone, or over one-third of the whole global corn production.

Have you heard about the acronym FAT TOM? It’s shorthand for those in the food production and food-grade crop industries and refers to the factors and conditions that allow bacteria and other contaminants to grow, which can lead to food spoilage.

Soybean crops typically begin to reach their full maturity in late September as the seasons start to change. When the days get shorter and temperatures start to cool, leaves on soybean plants slowly turn yellow. By mid-October and November, these leaves turn brown and fall off, leaving the mature soybean pods behind, ready for harvest. 

While most growers understand that in an ideal world, corn crops would all be harvested when they reach the standard moisture level of 15.5 percent, these same growers would be quick to tell you that when it comes to farming, there is no “ideal world,” and that each growing season brings it's own unique set of challenges. 

What would you do with a compass that didn’t point toward true north? Or a watch that never told the correct time? Or a car speedometer that told you that you were driving faster or slower than you actually were?

No matter how high caliber your moisture meter (or composition meter) is, an instrument is only as strong as its calibrations. There’s a lot riding on getting a correct reading: Concrete foundations can crumble, stored grain harvests can spoil, pharmaceuticals can degrade or become toxic.

We live in a world where we are increasingly surrounded by "smart" technology. From smartwatches and other wearable devices to virtual assistants and even smart lawnmowers, and ceiling fans, smart technology is all around us.