Whilst good late summer conditions prompted many growers to drill early this year, there are those who are still holding off; whether it’s because of lifting root crops, following maize, encouraging black-grass control or where the change of weather has held back field work.

At this point in the season – and with good conditions now set to continue - it’s important to think about the best course of success for late drilled and second wheats. Choosing the right variety to grow in this slot is the first step to making the most of this profitable part of the wheat rotation.

Top tips to manage late drilled wheat:

1. ‘Well sown is half grown’ – good seedbeds are critical for later drilled crops to perform well.

2. Seed rates should be based on seedbed quality – in the best situations later drilled wheats can be managed at 400 seeds/m2 but this can rise to 550 seeds/m2 as conditions become more difficult. However, densely populated crops can raise issues of lodging and disease in the spring.

3. Think about appropriate seed treatments to boost establishment in less-than-ideal conditions.

4. Select the right variety for the situation to serve your local end market requirement.

When it comes to the right variety, look for proven performance in a late-drill scenario, a more aggressive plant type with good vigour, good disease resistance and excellent grain quality. The below table highlights some of the first choice varieties in each market segment from the AHDB.

In Frontier trials, the poor autumn delayed drilling to early January at our Holbeach site. While not ideal, the dataset highlights the performance of many varieties in especially adverse conditions.

Treated yields averaged 7.77t/ha (2.7t/ha lower than those see in 2024), with specific weights being compromised. However, no lodging was recorded and the crop was subject to some high stress due to drought conditions and prolonged warm temperatures.

The best combination of yield and specific weight for the breadmaking types was achieved by Skyfall – a consistently proven variety in the late-drilled slot.

Generally speaking, all the soft wheat in the trial performed behind the hard wheat varieties, though Bamford and Blackstone gave the best combinations of yield and specific weight.

Of the hard wheats, good performances were seen again by LG Beowulf, KWS Scope and KWS Dawsum – all with the best specific weights too. This shows the importance of choosing varieties with the genetic ability to maintain spec weight in tougher conditions.

Whilst the yellow rust YR15 race change decreased the level of resistance of all three varieties during the 2025 season, the performance of these crops is still encouraging. Their wider characteristics still make them important attributes for what could be a very different season.

Data Source: Frontier Holbeach, harvest 2025. Drilled 22/01/25 after late lifted sugar beet.

What makes a good second or subsequent wheat?

For growers with suitable land, it’s worthwhile considering a second wheat this season, though there are some important steps to consider to get the most from it:

• Grassweed control – there is a limited window for control so choose fields without a high grassweed burden to ease management and reduce crop-weed competition.

• Take-all is estimated to be in 1-in-2 fields in the UK. This is a disease that becomes most apparent in second-to-fourth wheats – make sure you use appropriate seed treatments (see advice below).

• Post-harvest cultivations are key to reduce straw trash between crops and manage the green bridge; this will decrease the risk of volunteers hosting barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) infected aphids and disease carryover.

• Aim for the best seedbed preparation possible to give the best start to the crop.

• Select the right variety for this often-later drilling slot to serve your end market.

When it comes to suitable varieties, they should be selected based on: disease resistance – particularly to eyespot, proven performance in late-drilling conditions to mitigate agronomic pressures, reliable yield and excellent grain quality, especially the ability to meet end market requirements in tough conditions.

AHDB data from the 2025 season located across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Dorset shows second wheat performance across the regions:

With around 60% of all milling wheats sown in the second wheat slot, there are a number of varieties to take note of. Unsurprisingly, the tried and tested varieties Skyfall and KWS Zyatt both delivered good second wheat yields in trials, and have decent Septoria scores for this market sector alongside good straw strength with and without plant growth regulators (PGRs). Both also have excellent eyespot resistance thanks to the Rendezvous resistance gene (Pch1).

For the Group 2 sector, KWS Arnie scored highest in the second wheat position, delivering a yield on par with many Group 4 hard wheats.

For soft wheats, high second wheat yields reflected what was often seen in a first-wheat situation in 2025. Longer strawed varieties like LG Redwald and KWS Solitaire performed well in drought conditions. If we see similar again in 2026, stem stiffness of these types will be key to manage when drilled in this slot.

In the hard feed sector, good second wheat performances were delivered by KWS Scope, LG Beowulf and KWS Dawsum. Although the YR15 race changed the yellow rust disease resistance of all three in 2025, these varieties shouldn’t be discounted as they remain key choices due to good Septoria ratings and lodging scores – all of which could be key attributed for very different reasons.

Seed treatments – improving crop potential

Seed treatments are especially valuable to crops sown at this later timing. Seed and soil-borne diseases can severely reduce crop yields by affecting seed growth or grain quality. Replanting untreated seed can quickly spread these diseases, even leading to total crop failure within a few generations. While testing for seed-borne diseases is good practice, it doesn’t detect diseases in the soil or risks from leftover plant material, which is why using a reliable seed treatment is recommended - even for clean seed.

Seed treatments can boost yield potential by supporting germination, establishment and early growth, and newer options to market now feature unique insecticides, fungicides and biological agents to enhance nitrogen efficiency. All treatments supplied by Frontier are backed by extensive research and can be applied to certified seed, as well as via our mobile seed cleaning services.

The full range can be found in our latest seed catalogue, but key options include:

• Latitude – reduces Take-all in wheat and barley while protecting yield and overall quality. A great partner treatment for second wheats.

• Vibrance® Duo – targeted to winter cereals, consistently proven to protect yields and a valuable means of building crop resilience in challenging weather. Also a great option for second wheats.

• Prosper ST – suitable for a range of crops including wheat, it speeds up germination, boosts root growth, supports nitrogen uptake and improves yield.

• Nuello® iN – improves nitrogen use efficiency, even in nutrient-limiting conditions.

This harvest, the value of Nuello® iN was seen on farm in Kent on a crop of KWS Palladium. Frontier farm trader, Guy Hewitt, noted that: “Despite the challenging growing season, investing in the seed treatment at a cost of £10/t more than paid for itself at harvest, saving hundreds of pounds worth of claims thanks to Nuello® iN boosting both yield and grain protein.”

This positive result was also reflected at Frontier’s Essex demonstration site. Following leaf analysis during early June, SY Cheer treated with Nuello® iN showed an impressive 30Kg/ha lower requirement for nitrogen than the standard plot of the same variety in the same trial.

Variable rate seed – the foundation of strong yield

As well as adequate protection to set your crop off to the best start, success is also dependent on good establishment.

Considering the right seed rates is important – those that are too high can result in thick canopies, increased risks of disease and lodging, while those that are too low can provide more opportunities for weeds to flourish and ultimately risk reduced yields.

Drilling seed at a variable rate has been proven in trials to deliver an average yield increase of 5%. It can reduce crop variations by up to 50% too and supports a more even plant population, with reduced lodging, lower disease pressure and a more efficient uptake of inputs, supporting more optimised agronomy an nutrition strategies.

Our variable rate seed plans are created following electrical conductivity soil scanning, with the insights interpreted by our soil scientists to help inform appropriate establishment plans tailored to your farm and individual fields. Expertise is provided from our precision specialists every step of the way, with support available so you can tailor your own seed plans yourself in our MyFarm platform right up to the point you need them.

You can find more about the benefits of variable rate drilling on our website.

More information about late options for drilling wheat can be found here: Seed Catalogue 2025.

If you have any further questions about the content of this blog or require any technical advice, contact us on 0800 227 445 or email us at info@frontierag.co.uk.