An extensive work to determine the test weight (TW), the thousand kernel weight (TKW) and the hardness (HD) of Brazilian wheat, was undertaken for the crop years from 1990 to 1994, with the objetive of drawing the Brazilian wheat physical characteristics and their relationship with flour extraction (FE). The results showed a median TW of 78.2kg/hl, a TKW of 34.2g and the HD was graded as hard. The values varied accordingly with the crop year, the local and year vs. local. Among the locals the wheat from the MS/DF/MG/GO States showed the best results. Correlation coefficients between FE and each of the parameters, TW, TKW and HD were low but significant (P< 5.0%) and, therefore, should not be used as a direct relationship but only as an indicator of FE. Segregation of TW, TKW and HD by specific ranges did not improve the correlation coefficient values.
wheat; flour extraction; hectoliter weight; thousand kernel weight; hardness
