Land & Area Calculators
Measure a plot, convert acre ↔ hectare ↔ bigha ↔ guntha ↔ cent, and turn your spacing into plants per acre — then lay out orchards, trellises and windbreaks on the land.
Almost every farm decision starts with one question: how big is the land, and how many plants will fit on it? One acre is exactly 0.40468564 hectare = 4,046.86 m², and the plants it holds follow a single rule — plants per acre = 4,046.86 ÷ (row spacing × plant spacing in metres). These 15 tools convert any unit (acre, hectare, bigha, guntha, cent, kanal), turn spacing into population and seed, and lay out orchards, trellises, alleys and windbreaks so the whole plot is used well.
Key land & area facts
- 1 acre
- = 0.40468564 hectare = 4,046.86 m² = 43,560 ft²
- 1 hectare
- = 2.47105 acres = 10,000 m² = 100 ares
- 1 bigha (pucca, common)
- ≈ 1,618.74 m² ≈ 0.40 acre (regional — varies by state)
- 1 guntha / 1 cent
- = 101.17 m² (1/40 acre) / 40.47 m² (1/100 acre)
- Plants per acre
- = 4,046.86 ÷ (row × plant spacing, m)
- Plants per hectare
- = 10,000 ÷ (row × plant spacing, m)
- Triangular vs square
- ≈ 15.5% more plants at the same plant-to-plant distance
- Windbreak shelter
- ≈ 10–15× tree height of downwind protection
Area Measurement & Unit Conversion
Measure a plot and convert it cleanly between acre, hectare, square metre, bigha, guntha and cent.
Land Area Calculator & Converter
Compute a plot's area from its shape, then convert instantly between acre, hectare, m², ft², bigha, guntha, cent and more.
Open toolTank Command Area Calculator
Work out the irrigable command area a tank or storage can serve from its capacity and the crop's water depth.
Open toolPlant Spacing & Population
Turn row × plant spacing into plants per acre/hectare, seed to buy and the stand you actually establish.
Plant Spacing & Population
Plants per acre/hectare and seeds to buy from your row and plant spacing — rectangular or triangular.
Open toolPlant Stand Count Calculator
Scale a field stand count up to plants per acre and hectare, and compare it to your target to catch a thin stand early.
Open toolPlant Population Yield Response
Yield percent of potential from how far your stand sits off the optimum — too thin or thick both cost yield.
Open toolTriangular Planting Density
Plants per hectare and the ~15.5% extra over a square layout from triangular (hexagonal) spacing.
Open toolPaired-Row Planting Calculator
Plant population for twin rows — plants per hectare, per m² and rows per metre from pair, walkway and plant spacing.
Open toolHigh-Density Planting Calculator
Plants per acre under high-density planting (HDP) vs conventional spacing for mango, guava and other orchards.
Open toolOrchard & Plantation Geometry
Lay out trees and fill gaps — tree counts, spacing systems, shade overstorey and replacement plants.
Orchard Tree Spacing Calculator
Trees per acre and hectare from your area and row × plant spacing, with square vs triangular layout and the density gain.
Open toolShade Tree Density Calculator
Shade trees per area for coffee, cocoa or cardamom from your shade-tree spacing.
Open toolPlantation Gap Filling Calculator
Replacement plants needed to fill gaps in an established orchard or plantation from the gap percentage.
Open toolTrellis Wire Calculator
Posts, wire length and anchors for a vineyard or vegetable trellis from your area, row and post spacing.
Open toolLayout, Orientation & Land Use
Arrange rows, hedgerows and windbreaks across the plot to capture light, share land and shelter the crop.
Row Orientation Light Interception
Should rows run N–S or E–W, and at what spacing, to capture the most light at your latitude? % intercepted per orientation.
Open toolAlley Cropping Calculator
Hedgerows, trees per row and the crop area for an agroforestry alley-cropping layout from field size and alley width.
Open toolWindbreak & Shelterbelt Calculator
Trees needed for a field windbreak, the sheltered distance downwind, and rows for a dense shelterbelt.
Open toolMore land-measurement and layout tools are being added to this hub.
Land-unit conversion reference table
Exact factors for every common land unit. The anchor is 1 acre = 0.40468564 hectare = 4,046.8564 m². To convert any two units, take each unit's value in m² and divide.
| Unit | In square metres (m²) | In acres | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square metre (m²) | 1 | 0.00024711 | SI base areal unit. |
| Square foot (ft²) | 0.09290304 | 0.00002296 | 1 acre = 43,560 ft². |
| Are (a) | 100 | 0.02471054 | 100 m²; one-hundredth of a hectare. |
| Cent | 40.46856 | 0.01 | 1/100 acre — South India, esp. Tamil Nadu & Kerala. |
| Guntha | 101.171 | 0.025 | 1/40 acre — Maharashtra & Karnataka. |
| Kanal | 505.857 | 0.125 | 1/8 acre = 20 marla — Punjab, Haryana, J&K. |
| Bigha (pucca, common) | 1,618.74 | 0.4 | ≈ 0.4 acre — regional; varies widely by state. |
| Acre | 4,046.8564 | 1 | 1 acre = 4,840 yd² = 43,560 ft². |
| Hectare (ha) | 10,000 | 2.47105 | 1 hectare = 2.47105 acres = 100 ares. |
Bigha and kanal values are the most common regional definitions; local district usage can differ — always confirm before registering land.
What are land & area calculators?
Land and area calculators do two connected jobs: they measure and convert a parcel of land between units (acre, hectare, square metre, square foot, bigha, guntha, cent, are, kanal), and they translate that area into a planting plan — how many plants or trees fit, how much seed to buy, and how to arrange rows. Because area conversion is exact (1 acre = 0.40468564 ha) while regional units like the bigha vary, a good calculator works in square metres internally and only labels the output in your unit.
The same area also drives layout: spacing decides population, the layout pattern (square, triangular, paired-row) decides how densely the land packs, and orientation decides how much light the rows capture.
How to choose the right tool
- Just converting units? Use the Land Area Calculator & Converter — it measures a shape and shows every unit at once.
- Planning a crop stand? Start with Plant Spacing & Population, then check it against the Yield Response optimum.
- Laying out an orchard? Use Orchard Tree Spacing or High-Density Planting, and Gap Filling for an existing block.
- Optimising the whole plot? Use Row Orientation for light, Alley Cropping for agroforestry and Windbreak for shelter.
How to go from a plot to a planting plan in 5 steps
- 1
Measure or state the plot
Get the area in square metres from the plot's dimensions or shape, or start from a unit you already hold.
- 2
Convert to one unit
Put every figure into a single unit using the exact factors (1 acre = 4,046.86 m²) before you compare.
- 3
Set your spacing
Choose row × plant spacing and the layout — square, triangular or paired-row.
- 4
Compute population & seed
Calculate plants per acre/hectare and the seed to buy, or trees, posts and replacement plants.
- 5
Optimise the layout
Check population against the optimum and pick the row orientation that captures the most light.
- 6
Add shelter & structure
Lay in windbreaks, alleys and trellises so the whole plot is protected and productive.
Frequently asked questions
Q.How many square metres are in one acre?
Exactly 4,046.8564 m². An acre is defined as 1 chain × 1 furlong (66 ft × 660 ft) = 43,560 ft², and 1 ft² = 0.09290304 m², which gives 4,046.8564 m². It equals 0.40468564 hectare, so two and a half acres are very close to one hectare (1 ha = 2.47105 acres).
Q.What is the exact acre-to-hectare conversion factor?
1 acre = 0.40468564 hectare, and 1 hectare = 2.47105 acres. A quick field rule is 'acres ÷ 2.5 ≈ hectares' and 'hectares × 2.5 ≈ acres', which is within about 1%. For paperwork use the exact factor: hectares = acres × 0.40468564.
Q.How big is one bigha?
There is no single national bigha — it is a regional unit. A common 'pucca' bigha is about 1,618.74 m² (≈ 0.40 acre, so ~2.5 bigha per acre), but it ranges from roughly 1,500 to over 3,000 m² depending on the state (Bengal, Bihar, UP, Rajasthan and Gujarat all differ). Always confirm the local bigha before buying or registering land.
Q.What is a guntha and a cent?
Both are small sub-acre units. A guntha is 1/40 of an acre = 101.17 m² (33 ft × 33 ft), common in Maharashtra and Karnataka. A cent is 1/100 of an acre = 40.47 m², used across South India, especially Tamil Nadu and Kerala. So 40 guntha = 1 acre and 100 cent = 1 acre.
Q.How do I calculate plants per acre from spacing?
Plants per acre = 4,046.86 ÷ (row spacing × plant spacing), with both spacings in metres. For example, 0.6 m × 0.45 m gives 4,046.86 ÷ 0.27 ≈ 14,989 plants per acre. For a triangular (hexagonal) layout at the same distance, multiply by about 1.155 — roughly 15.5% more plants on the same land.
Q.How many plants fit in one hectare at 1 m × 1 m spacing?
10,000 plants. A hectare is 10,000 m², and at 1 m × 1 m each plant occupies 1 m², so 10,000 ÷ 1 = 10,000 plants. The same formula scales: hectare plant population = 10,000 ÷ (row spacing × plant spacing in metres).
Q.Which is more efficient, square or triangular planting?
Triangular (also called hexagonal or equilateral) planting fits about 15.5% more plants than a square layout at the identical plant-to-plant distance, because the rows nest into each other. It is the densest packing for a fixed minimum spacing, so it raises population and light capture without crowding neighbours closer than the square design.
Q.How do I convert a measured plot to acres if I only have its dimensions?
First find the area in square metres (length × width for a rectangle, or use the shape formula), then divide by 4,046.86 to get acres, or by 10,000 to get hectares. For an irregular plot, split it into triangles and rectangles, add the parts, then convert. The Land Area Calculator does all of this and shows every unit at once.
Q.What spacing gives the standard 25,000–30,000 plants per acre for maize?
Around 0.6 m between rows and 0.20–0.25 m within the row. At 0.6 m × 0.22 m: 4,046.86 ÷ 0.132 ≈ 30,658 plants per acre. Hitting the optimum population matters because both under- and over-planting reduce yield — the Plant Population Yield Response tool shows how much each gap costs.
Q.How many trees per acre at a given orchard spacing?
Trees per acre = 4,046.86 ÷ (row spacing × tree spacing in metres). A classic 5 m × 5 m mango orchard gives 4,046.86 ÷ 25 ≈ 162 trees per acre; a high-density 3 m × 2 m planting gives ≈ 674. Switching to a triangular layout adds about 15.5% more trees at the same minimum distance.
Q.How wide an area does a windbreak protect?
A windbreak shelters roughly 10–15 times its height on the downwind (leeward) side and about 2–5 times its height upwind. So a 10 m tall shelterbelt protects roughly 100–150 m of downwind cropland. A medium-density belt (about 40–60% porosity) gives the best spread of protection without harmful turbulence.
Q.Why do my survey area and registry area differ?
Usually rounding, the use of a different local unit (bigha or cent varies by district), the difference between plot 'as measured on the ground' and the recorded survey number, or sloping land measured on the slope versus on the horizontal. Convert everything to square metres with exact factors first, then compare — small differences are normal, large ones need a re-survey.