Drying Yard Area & Floor Space To Sun-Dry
Dries paddy
Enter your grain mass, crop bulk density and layer thickness to get the drying floor area, the area per tonne, the tarpaulins needed and the grain volume — so you spread thin enough to dry evenly.
Size your drying yard
Next: spread over ~133 m² (~6 tarpaulins), turn every 1–2 hours, and cover at night/rain to avoid re-wetting.
A clean paved floor or tarpaulin prevents contamination and stones; mechanical/solar dryers save space and weather risk.
Drying yard area — key facts
- Volume
- mass ÷ bulk density
- Floor area
- volume ÷ layer thickness
- Paddy density
- ≈ 575 kg/m³
- Wheat density
- ≈ 780 kg/m³
- Maize density
- ≈ 720 kg/m³
- Thinner layers
- dry faster, need more area
- Floor
- paved or tarpaulin, not bare soil
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
Spread it thin, dry it clean
Sun-drying is the cheapest way to bring grain down to safe storage moisture, but it only works if the grain is spread thin enough to dry evenly. Heap it too deep and the bottom layer stays damp, moulds and heats; spread it across enough floor and the whole batch dries uniformly. The maths is simple — turn the mass into a loose volume using the crop's bulk density, then divide by how deep you spread it to get the floor area you need.
This tool gives the drying floor area in square metres, the area per tonne, the number of tarpaulins needed and the grain volume from your mass, crop and layer thickness. Use it to size a threshing floor or drying patio, work out how much to dry at once, and budget tarpaulins to keep grain off bare soil. Remember to turn the grain regularly and cover it at night or when rain threatens so it does not re-wet. Pair it with the Crop Drying Time and Grain Drying Cost tools for a full drying plan.
Dry evenly
Spread thin enough for the whole batch to dry.
Size the yard
Know the floor space and area per tonne.
Stay clean
Plan tarpaulins to keep grain off bare soil.
Avoid re-wetting
Cover at night and rain to protect the dry.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a drying yard area calculation?+
It works out how much floor you need to spread grain thin enough for even sun-drying. Spread too thick and the bottom layer stays damp and moulds; spread thin on enough area and the whole batch dries uniformly. The tool converts your grain mass into a volume and then into the floor area for your chosen layer thickness.
How is the drying floor area calculated?+
First, volume = mass ÷ bulk density. Then floor area = volume ÷ layer thickness. For example 5 tonnes of paddy at a bulk density of 575 kg/m³ is about 8.7 m³; spread 5 cm (0.05 m) deep that needs roughly 174 m² of floor. The tool does this for your mass, density and depth.
What is bulk density and which value do I use?+
Bulk density is the mass of grain per cubic metre as it sits loosely, including the air gaps. Typical values are paddy around 575, wheat around 780 and maize around 720 kg/m³. Use the figure for your crop — denser grain packs into less volume, so it needs less floor area for the same mass.
How thick should the drying layer be?+
Thinner layers dry faster and more evenly but need more floor area; thicker layers fit in less space but dry slowly and risk uneven moisture. Common practice is a few centimetres for delicate or high-moisture grain. The tool lets you set the layer thickness and shows the area that depth requires.
Why does turning the grain matter?+
Turning or raking the grain every hour or two brings the damp bottom layer to the surface and exposes it to sun and air, so the whole batch dries evenly and faster. Thin layers and regular turning together give the quickest, most uniform dry — turning also stops hot spots and surface case-hardening.
Why use a paved floor or tarpaulin?+
Drying directly on bare soil mixes in stones, dust, soil moisture and contamination, and can re-wet the grain from below. A clean paved floor or a tarpaulin keeps the grain clean, reflects heat, and stops moisture wicking up — protecting both quality and food safety. The tool estimates the tarpaulins you'd need.
How many tarpaulins will I need?+
The tool divides the required floor area by a standard tarpaulin size to estimate how many sheets cover the batch. It rounds up so you have enough to lay the full area in a single thin layer. Buy a little spare for overlaps and to cover the grain at night or when rain threatens.
What if rain or night dew threatens?+
Cover the grain or heap and sheet it before nightfall and at the first sign of rain — re-wetting undoes a day's drying and invites mould. Plan the yard near shelter or have tarpaulins ready to pull over. Drying is fastest in dry, breezy, sunny conditions, so time the batch to the forecast.
What outputs does it give?+
The tool returns the drying floor area in square metres, the area needed per tonne, the number of tarpaulins required and the loose grain volume in cubic metres. Together they let you size a drying yard, plan how much grain to dry at once, and budget for tarpaulins.
Are the figures precise?+
They're solid planning figures. Real area depends on the exact bulk density of your grain, how evenly you can spread it, and how thick you choose to go. Moisture content and weather change drying time, not floor area. Use the tool to size the yard, then adjust on the ground — it is about steering, not exact prediction.