JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (DTN) -- When it comes to growing high-yielding winter wheat in the high desert of south-central Idaho's Magic Valley, the Reynolds family follows SOP -- standard operating procedure.

"We have our program that we believe in, and we stick to it," said Rylee Reynolds, a fourth-generation farmer who works alongside his brother, Oree, and father, Gary. "We treat every single acre of wheat the same."

Following SOP on the farm has led to something else becoming standard operating procedure for the Reynolds: Winning.

For the second time in the past four seasons, Rylee bested all entries in the National Wheat Yield Contest, earning the title of "Bin Buster" with an entry of irrigated soft white winter wheat that yielded 228.13 bushels per acre (bpa). It was the second-highest yield recorded in the contest's 10-year history and Reynolds' second time atop the category. He set the overall contest record in 2022 when he raised irrigated soft white winter wheat that yielded 231.37 bpa.

Since its inception in 2016, the National Wheat Yield Contest has encouraged wheat growers to strive for exceptional yields, high quality and stronger profitability while trying new and innovative management strategies that drive productivity and marketability. DTN/Progressive Farmer is the official media outlet of the competition.

The 2025 contest garnered 465 entries, the second-most during its 10 years of existence. Four entries exceeded 200 bpa, and the Reynolds family accounted for three of them.

ROOTED IN ROTATION

When farming in a region that annually receives about 7 inches of precipitation, irrigation isn't a luxury -- it's a necessity. Access and availability to that water require rotation considerations.

"Our typical rotation is corn, dry edible beans, winter wheat," explained Reynolds, who farms about 2,000 acres. "We're in a desert, and water is scarce. With wheat in the rotation, we're done watering it by the end of June, so that lets us put our water elsewhere. It's a real plus for us."

The winning winter wheat field was planted during the last week of September 2024. Reynolds selected WestBred WB1621, an awnless, medium-late maturing soft white variety considered to have excellent standability for irrigated production.

"We started with a few acres of WB1621 back around 2022, and it's just really proven itself," Reynolds said, noting that it excels with both yield and test weight. "It seems to stand well even you're trying to push the limits."

After the seed bed was prepared with conventional tillage, Reynolds used a broadcast spreader to seed the field at a rate of roughly 100 to 120 pounds per acre. The seed was treated with CruiserMaxx Vibrance, which offers protection from seedborne and soilborne diseases and insects. Nutrition for the crop was also broadcast in the fall with roughly 100 units of nitrogen and 40 to 60 units of phosphorus applied per acre.

"We soil sample and adjust accordingly," Reynolds said. "We apply cattle manure following the wheat crop and before corn, so we don't really need to apply any potassium."

A warmer-than-average fall and one good rain allowed the wheat to emerge strong and begin tillering in earnest. Reynolds said the fall establishment was so good that the wheat looked almost like a turf field going into winter dormancy.

"When it looks like your yard, there's a good chance it's going to do extremely well, but then we got super dry," he said. "All of our moisture from Mother Nature came during one week in late January when we got about an inch, and it wasn't until harvest that we got measurable rain."

Reynolds estimated they applied about 15 inches of water to the crop using gravity irrigation.

"As soon as we got water, we fired up the irrigation because it was dry, and the wheat was thirsty," he said.

An application of Starane Ultra herbicide provided weed control while and Nexicor Xemium fungicide offered disease protection with three modes of action. Reynolds said because of the natural dryness, pests and diseases were not an issue for the crop, but the fungicide helped the wheat stay healthy and green. The biggest hurdle during the season was keeping a watchful eye to ensure the wheat had moisture when it needed it.

"I really believe you can hurt wheat almost as much by overwatering it as you can underwatering it," he added.

ADDING TO SOP

While the Reynolds family has high-yielding wheat production dialed in for their acreage, that doesn't mean they aren't willing to add to their standard operating procedures with new products that deliver more bushels to the bin and improve their overall return on investment.

"It's a struggle to figure out what we can add to our program to do more," Reynolds said. "We've gone from yields in the 190s to the 220s in the last few years trying some of the newer things. There are a couple new ones that I'm trying now, and hopefully in the future, they'll really prove to make a difference."

As for family competition, Reynolds said there are no production secrets. In the 2025 contest, Rylee's entry only bested Oree's by 1.54 bpa -- a difference of less than 1% in total yield. As winners in the National Wheat Yield Contest, both Rylee and Oree will be recognized at an awards reception during the 2026 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas.

"He threshes his, and I thresh mine," Reynolds said. "I guess my combine was set just a little better."

Jason Jenkins can be reached at jason.jenkins@dtn.com

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