About 90% of the wheat production in Brazil is located in Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina states. In these states there is a considerable climatic variability and consequently wheat production becomes a risky activity. Therefore, the decrease of wheat production and grain yield has been analyzed by a great number of investigators. This work aimed to verify the influence of rainfall, relative humidity, and water excess and deficit on test weight, thousand kernel weight, and grain yield of wheat. Data of Embrapa 16 wheat cultivar, obtained during the 1990-98 period, in seven Rio Grande do Sul state locations, and in four in Santa Catarina were used. Statistical analysis used was multiple correlation. It was verified that: a) rainfall and water excess in soil affected negative test weight, thousand kernel weight, and grain yield of wheat, and relative humidity influenced positively as much as negatively such variables; b) soil water deficit affected positive test weight, thousand kernel weight, and the grain yield of wheat after the physiological maturation, that is, during the first ten days previous to the harvest of the crop, and negative for the other periods.
wheat; quality; meteorology
