2025 Kansas Wheat Variety Guide

Selecting the right wheat variety is one of the most important decisions a producer makes each season. Variety choice directly impacts yield potential, standability, disease resistance and overall crop success. To help guide this decision, Kansas State University has released the Kansas Wheat Variety Guide 2025, a resource designed to match varieties with the diverse growing conditions across the state.

This annual publication provides updated ratings for agronomic characteristics like maturity, height, drought tolerance and straw strength as well as resistance to different diseases and insects. The ratings are compiled from results of multiple field and greenhouse tests by both public and private wheat researchers.

Individual variety analysis includes these ratings along with pedigree, geographic adaptation, strengths and weaknesses. The guide also offers suggestions for how producers can use these ratings to minimize production problems and yield losses. That includes understanding how each variety performs across Kansas’ diverse regions and soil types.

To use the variety ratings, wheat producers should consider several factors.

Adaptation to geography: The agronomic characteristics of a wheat variety strongly influence its ability to provide consistent high yields. Varieties successful in western Kansas tend to have medium or medium-late maturity, medium or taller height and good drought tolerance. In contrast, varieties with earlier maturity, shorter height and acid soil tolerance are most successful in central Kansas.

Disease resistance: The 2025 guide highlights the continued importance of resistance to diseases such as wheat streak mosaic complex, leaf rust and stripe rust in western Kansas, while central and eastern Kansas often face pressure from additional diseases like soilborne mosaic, spindle streak mosaic, barley yellow dwarf, tan spot and Septoria tritici blotch. Wheat streak complex is now noted as an increasing concern in central Kansas. The guide includes a resistance summary that combines historical estimates of disease resistance with individual variety ratings to help producers compare options.

Special trait considerations: Growers should evaluate whether herbicide-resistant varieties are necessary. The 2025 guide includes updated details on Clearfield and CoAXium wheat production systems, both of which provide options for managing grassy weed pressure. These systems also come with special management considerations that producers must follow to maintain effectiveness.

In addition to management recommendations, the 2025 guide also features several new and notable varieties that may be of interest to Kansas producers. KS Bill Snyder stands out as a broadly adapted variety with strong yield potential in both western and central Kansas. It carries excellent resistance to stripe and leaf rust along with wheat streak mosaic resistance from the WSM2 gene, although it is susceptible to Fusarium head blight and Hessian fly. Another option for the western part of the state is KS Dallas, which offers good drought tolerance and wheat streak mosaic resistance. It has shown strong yield performance and is positioned as a replacement for Oakley CL, though it remains moderately susceptible to stripe rust.

For central Kansas, KS Mako has emerged as a variety with above-average drought tolerance, good protein levels and resistance to wheat streak mosaic virus. While it is susceptible to stripe rust and Fusarium head blight, it is one of the few central varieties that carries the valuable WSM2 gene. In western Kansas, KS Territory is another strong contender. This medium-tall variety offers resistance to both wheat streak mosaic and Triticum mosaic virus, giving it one of the strongest virus packages currently available. Its wide adaptability makes it a potential replacement for older varieties such as Tatanka and Oakley CL.

SY Monument, a variety from AgriPro, continues to be a popular option across central and western Kansas. Known for its strong straw strength and good test weight, it also carries solid resistance to stripe rust and leaf rust. While it does not have the newer virus-resistance genes, its consistency and broad adaptability have made it a reliable choice for many years. Another variety is WB 4401 from WestBred. This medium-maturity wheat has shown excellent performance in central and eastern Kansas, especially on well-drained soils. WB 4401 brings good standability, competitive protein levels and resistance to several key leaf diseases, though it remains moderately susceptible to Fusarium head blight.

These new and updated varieties reflect the growing need for resistance to virus complexes, stronger standability and adaptability across Kansas’ diverse growing regions.

The full 2025 Kansas Wheat Variety Guide and other resources are available at kswheat.com/wheatrx. Wheat Rx is a partnership between Kansas Wheat and K-State Research and Extension to disseminate the latest research recommendations for high-yielding and high-quality wheat to Kansas producers. These publications, like the wheat variety selection guide, are funded in part by wheat farmers through the Kansas Wheat check-off and are designed to address key management areas of hard winter wheat.