Select wheat varieties with high yield potential, high test weight, good winter hardiness, and good straw strength. Always select varieties with adequate resistance to the diseases prevalent in your area of the state. Information on varieties should be obtained from multiple sources such as seed companies and university performance trials where multiple sites and years of testing are presented. Always plant more than one variety each year to reduce the risk of disease losses and to spread out harvest dates. Select varieties with resistance to wheat spindle streak mosaic, powdery mildew, and leaf rust. Varieties with moderate resistance to Stagonospora blotch and Fusarium head scab are also available. Avoid varieties highly susceptible to Fusarium head scab.
Information on wheat variety performance can be obtained in the annual Ohio Wheat Performance Trial, Ohio State University Horticulture and Crop Science Department Series 228, available at county Extension offices or on the Internet at http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~perf/. Information on reaction of varieties to various diseases can be obtained from seed company dealers and on the Ohio Field Crop Disease web site at http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/ohiofieldcropdisease/.