NC State research results can help farmers identify varieties that have the potential to produce superior grain quality suitable for the milling wheat market. Here are a few important things to consider when selecting which varieties to plant in 2026:
Choosing Varieties for Milling Wheat
Are you looking for varieties that will produce milling quality wheat?
1. Head Scab and Vomitoxin Prevention Starts Now
Plant Varieties with Resistance
This is the most cost-effective and reliable way to reduce Fusarium Head Scab (FHB). Fungicides are only partially effective. Varieties in the NC Wheat Official Variety Test (OVT) are screened in a scab nursery where Fusarium and irrigation are applied to simulate an FHB epidemic. The varieties are classified as moderately resistant (MR), moderately susceptible (MS), or susceptible (S). We recommend that you plant as much acreage as possible in MR varieties. If your wheat is planted no-till, selecting MR varieties becomes even more important.
Below are the head scab ratings performed by Dr. Christina Cowger, Small Grains Pathologist, USDA-ARS, of all of the varieties included in the NC OVT in 2025 and the resulting DON (vomitoxin) levels reported for each variety.
To read more about crop production methods of FHB prevention go here
Fusarium head blight (scab) symptoms; bleached heads are loaded with DON mycotoxin.
2. Test Weight and Falling Number are Linked to Variety
New research results in small grains have revealed a link between falling number and genetics. Falling number is most impacted by weather. Certain genes contribute to a variety’s ability to maintain falling number better than others in years where wet weather close to harvest may negatively impact falling number.
The NC OVT program began collecting data on falling number in 2019. All of the results can be found using the Variety Selection Tool or contacting your county agent to get a list of varieties suited to your area with specific attributes.
If you would like to contribute to NC State research on this topic please respond to this short survey.
3. The Economics of Lower Yielding, Higher Quality Wheat
Keep in mind that there are no perfect varieties. Growers of milling wheat may make as much per acre by growing a crop with slightly lower yield with milling quality wheat than higher yielding feed-wheat. When searching for varieties using the Variety Selection Tool farmers may want to consider looking at quality attributes as a primary factor and yield as a secondary factor.
Here is an example: If a farmer in the Piedmont grew 1 acre of wheat in 2025 when milling wheat price was $5.19/bu and feed wheat was $4.25/bu here are the differences in gross income:
100 bu/A feed wheat at $4.25 = $425.00/A
82 bu/A milling wheat at $5.19/bu = $425.58/A
If farmers have locked-in grain prices ahead of time in the case of hedging or forward price contracts, this grain price information can be used to anticipate potential gross income on a portion of the acres to be planted.
Note: What is Falling Number?
Falling number is essentially a measure of the viscosity of a slurry made from flour and water. The viscosity of the slurry predicts how a flour will behave during the baking process. This is essential for bakers to have falling number in an acceptable range for the purpose of the product they are baking. NC soft red winter wheat predominantly goes into cookies and crackers. The bakers need falling number to be in a specific range so that the products made from our flour hold up during packaging, shipping and, ultimately, eating by the final customer.
