As planting time approaches, refining winter wheat variety selection could be key to success with the 2027 crop.
“Most growers are chasing yield, but disease tolerance, end-use quality and agronomic characteristics like standability and maturity should be factored into their variety decisions,” said Mark Lubbers, WestBred Wheat technical product manager. “Select varieties that have performed consistently well on the farm over several seasons, but also plan on planting multiple varieties this season.”
For some parts of the Central Plains and Southwest, last year’s winter wheat crop was significantly impacted by drought and freeze. Each crop year is different. Planting three or four different varieties with a range of maturities, plant heights and disease packages can help overcome challenges in various growing conditions.
“We don’t know what each year will bring,” Lubbers said. “That’s why it’s important not to limit your operation to just one or two varieties. In drought-prone areas, some farmers may feel the urge to shift to planting more drought-tolerant varieties. Don’t make a knee-jerk reaction—make sure those varieties still meet your other agronomic needs.”
Disease and pest management should absolutely be considered when selecting varieties for planting, said Lubbers.
“Mosaic wheat streak, Fusarium head blight and Hessian fly can show up in the Central Plains and Southern regions,” he said. “There are proven-performing WestBred winter wheat varieties bred to help with these pathogens and pests that growers can select for this planting season.”
Growers planting the CoAXium Wheat Production System in rotation with the Clearfield Plus Wheat Production System should consider rotating genetics when switching chemistries for increased yield potential, grain quality, disease package and better agronomics for their farm. Winter wheat growers looking for clean fields, high yield potential and outstanding grain quality should consider WestBred Wheat brand CoAXium and Clearfield Plus varieties that have demonstrated proven performance. Farmers planning to purchase certified seed should contact suppliers early to discuss availability and secure their preferred varieties.
“With certified seed, you know the seed counts, and you know the germination,” Lubbers said. “That allows farmers to adjust seeding rates accordingly and know exactly what they’re putting in the ground.”
High-performing WestBred Wheat options for planting are listed below, or growers can go to https://www.westbred.com to see more about varieties to plant for the 2027 winter wheat crop.
Central Plains Region
WB4347 is a Hard Red Winter Wheat variety with excellent yield potential and test weight. Best suited for the Central Plains West, this variety offers excellent drought tolerance as well as good Hessian fly and wheat streak mosaic virus tolerance.
WB4444 is a Hard Red Winter Wheat variety with very good yield potential. Bred for the Central and Northern Plains West regions, this variety has excellent standability with very good wheat stem sawfly tolerance.
WB4445CLP is a Hard Red Winter Clearfield Plus Wheat variety with excellent milling and baking quality. Bred for the Central Plains, this variety has very good wheat streak mosaic virus tolerance with very good drought tolerance, grazing potential and acid soil tolerance.
WB4459AX is a Hard Red Winter Wheat variety containing the CoAXium herbicide trait for grassy weed control. Adapted for the Central and Southern Plains, this variety has several key agronomic traits important for the CoAXium acre, including excellent grazing potential, drought tolerance and acid soil tolerance. WB4459AX also has good wheat streak mosaic virus tolerance for western wheat farmers.
WB4569 is a Hard Red Winter Wheat variety adapted for the Central and Southern Plains regions. This variety is suited for high management wheat acres due to its very good standability and excellent yield potential. WB4569 is a good choice planted after corn due to its good Fusarium head blight (scab) tolerance.
Southern Region
WB4347 is a Hard Red Winter Wheat variety with excellent yield potential and test weight. It is best suited for western dryland acres due to its excellent drought tolerance variety and wheat streak mosaic virus tolerance. This variety also has an excellent fit where Hessian fly is a concern.
WB4440 is an Awnless Hard Red Winter Wheat variety with very good Hessian fly tolerance. It also offers very good grain yield potential, high tillering for grazing and the potential for wheatlage.
WB4422 is a consistent-performing medium-maturity Hard Red Winter Wheat that is broadly adapted across the Plains from east to west and north to south. This variety offers excellent yield potential, good drought tolerance and excellent standability.
WB4445CLP is a Hard Red Winter Clearfield Plus Wheat variety with excellent milling and baking quality. Bred for the western wheat acre, this variety has very good wheat streak mosaic virus tolerance and very good drought tolerance.
WB4459AX is a Hard Red Winter Wheat variety containing the CoAXium herbicide trait for grassy weed control. Adapted for the Central and Southern Plains, this variety has several key agronomic traits important for the CoAXium acre, including excellent grazing potential, drought tolerance and acid soil tolerance. WB4459AX also has good wheat streak mosaic virus tolerance for western wheat farmers.
WB4739AX is a Hard Red Winter Wheat variety with the CoAXiumherbicide trait for grassy weed control that offers very good yield potential, drought tolerance and test weight. This product also has very good fall grazing potential.
WB4650 is a Hard Red Winter Wheat variety adapted for the Central and Southern Plains. This awnless variety has excellent early-season grazing potential, excellent late-season forage production and very good grain yield potential. It also features excellent soil-borne mosaic virus tolerance and very good wheat streak mosaic virus tolerance.
WB4792 is a mid-to-late-maturity Hard Red Winter Wheat for the western portion of the Southern Plains that offers excellent yield potential in high- and low-yield environments. A top variety pick by Texas A&M University, WB4792 is a high-performing WestBred Wheat product that offers very good standability and a good disease tolerance package.
About WestBred
WestBred Wheat provides seed suppliers and their growers with access to high-yield potential wheat seed, testing, education, resources and experienced representatives to help maximize yield potential. Since 1976, the WestBred brand has been a driver in revolutionizing wheat variety performance for growers.
