USA
September 2026
Spending a lot of time driving across the Central Plains gives me plenty of opportunities to think. Admittedly, this time of year, most of those thoughts revolve around two things: wheat varieties and college football. Recently, those two topics somehow merged into one idea.
As growers make decisions about which wheat varieties to plant, it might help to think about wheat variety selection the same way a coach builds a football offense.
The Quarterback: Your Farm
In this comparison, your farm is the quarterback. It’s the centerpiece of the operation and everything else is designed to protect it and help it perform at the highest level possible.
Just like a football team needs the right players around its quarterback, your farm needs the right mix of wheat varieties to maximize productivity and manage risk.
The Offensive Line: Your Foundation Varieties
Every successful offense starts with a strong offensive line. These players may not always get the headlines, but they’re the foundation that keeps everything running.
In your wheat program, these are the dependable winter wheat varieties that consistently produce year after year. They may not always be the absolute highest-yielding entry in a single trial, but they’re regularly near the top across multiple years and environments.
When choosing wheat varieties for these foundational roles, look for:
- Consistent yield performance across two to four years of trials
- Strong resistance to common diseases in your area
- Traits that reduce the need for additional inputs
- Reliability under varying growing conditions
Good resistance to common local viral diseases or fungal disease challenges can help protect yield while potentially reducing fungicide applications. For producers in dual-purpose grazing systems, these varieties should also be capable of handling grazing pressure while still delivering strong grain yields.
Your offensive line isn’t flashy, but without it, the rest of the team struggles to succeed.
The Skill Positions: Moving the Ball Down the Field
Once your foundation is in place, it’s time to add the playmakers.
These are your skilled-position players: the running backs, receivers, and tight ends who steadily move the offense down the field. Not every one of these varieties has to be a home-run hitter. Sometimes the most valuable player is the one who consistently picks up the first down when you need it.
These varieties might offer:
- Higher yield potential
- Good disease resistance packages
- Better performance on quality ground
- Stronger response to favorable growing conditions
They may need a little more rainfall or a better field to truly shine, but they still provide a dependable return while adding higher production potential to your overall lineup.
The Deep Threat: Swinging for the End Zone
Every offense likes to have a deep threat capable of changing the game with one play.
In your wheat portfolio, this is the variety with tremendous yield potential if everything comes together. It might require excellent soil, additional fertility, favorable moisture, or extra management. Disease resistance may not be its strongest attribute, but when conditions align, it can deliver exceptional results.
These are your “home-run” varieties. You likely won’t want to plant your entire farm to them, but dedicating some acres can create an opportunity for outstanding returns in the right year.
Building a Balanced Team
The concept of spreading risk isn’t new, and for most growers it’s already part of the game plan. The challenge is finding the right balance between reliability and opportunity.
By thinking of variety selection like building a football team, you can create a lineup that protects your operation while still giving you the chance to capitalize on favorable conditions.
Start with a strong offensive line of dependable performers, add skilled-position varieties that consistently move the ball, and don’t be afraid to include a deep threat capable of taking it to the house.
Like any good manager, scouting is often a key for victory. If the field is tilted against you with weed pressure, consider putting a herbicide-tolerant variety on the field. Both the CoAXium and Clearfield herbicide-tolerant varieties provide an excellent way to even the playing field without compromising yield.
If you’re like me and enjoy combining the things you’re passionate about, maybe this football analogy will help as you finalize your wheat variety selection this fall.
After all, the goal is the same whether you’re on the gridiron or in the field: drive down the field, score points, and find the end zone at harvest.
by Dan Dall
Regional Commercial Manager, Central Plains
Topics
Species
