Key Points

• Reduce risk: Certified seed offers verified purity, germination and seed quality. 

• Use improved genetics: Newer varieties can provide better tolerance to production challenges. 

• Count hidden costs: Cleaning, storage, labor and treatment add to the cost of bin-run seed. 

• Choose proven varieties: Use multi-year Nebraska performance data to guide selection. 

• Check availability early: Drought-related shortages may limit certified seed supplies.

Wheat producers continue to face tight margins, variable precipitation, rising input costs, and increasing pressure from insects, diseases and difficult-to-control weeds. Under these conditions, seed selection can play an important role in managing production risk and protecting yield potential. While saving seed may reduce upfront costs, certified seed provides access to improved genetics, verified purity and higher seed quality that can reduce risk and improve profitability. Understanding these benefits, along with the costs and considerations associated with bin-run seed, can help growers make informed seed decisions for the coming season.

Benefits of Certified Seed

Key benefits of certified wheat seed include:

1. Genetic purity and variety identity.
2. Higher germination and vigor.
3. Reduced weed seed contamination, including troublesome winter annual grasses and broadleaf weeds.
4. Access to improved disease resistance, stress tolerance and herbicide tolerance traits.
5. Use of the newest high-yielding varieties released by public and private breeding programs.

Why New Genetics Matter

Modern varieties frequently provide improved tolerance to drought stress, better straw strength, stronger disease packages and traits that help maintain yield during challenging years. Certified seed is the fastest way to capture the value of ongoing wheat breeding investments.

Seed Quality and Stand Establishment

Uniform emergence is increasingly important in wheat production systems where fall moisture is limited. Certified seed lots are tested for germination and purity, giving producers greater confidence when adjusting seeding rates based on moisture conditions and planting date. During the cleaning process, many small, shrunken kernels are removed, leaving larger kernels with more stored resources and greater potential for seedling vigor.

Yield Advantage

Multiple surveys have found that wheat planted with certified seed yielded 1.2–3.5 bushels per acre more than wheat planted with bin-run seed (1985 Georgia Crop Improvement Association Small Grain Drill Box Survey; Knudson, M and L Hansen 1991). One of those surveys also found that 62% of bin-run seed samples collected from drill boxes had severe seed damage or varietal purity problems Bin-run seed may also carry pathogens that cause diseases such as scab or smut, allowing them to carry over into the next growing season. In some cases, these disease-bearing kernels lead to total field losses as rots damage the growing wheat.

Hidden Costs of Bin-Run Seed

Costs commonly include storage, cleaning, conditioning, labor, shrink from damaged kernels, seed treatment and the risk of reduced germination or varietal mixtures. These costs should be factored in when comparing bin-run seed with certified seed.

If growers choose to use bin-run seed, growers should select seed from their highest-quality bins, have it professionally cleaned, apply an appropriate seed treatment and choose varieties for which saving seed is permitted under the applicable seed protection or licensing agreement. Growers should be aware of the differences among CSO (Certified Seed Only), Plant Variety Protection (PVP) and single-use varieties, as these designations may limit how seed can be saved, replanted or otherwise reused. In addition, saved seed for planting on a grower’s own farm may differ from those governing the purchase, sale, trade or sharing of saved seed with other growers. 

Varieties containing proprietary traits, such as Clearfield® or CoAXium® wheat, may also be subject to additional technology use and stewardship agreements. 

Selecting Wheat Varieties

Producers should select varieties based on multi-year, local performance data, disease resistance, end-use quality, winter hardiness and adaptation to local environments. The most recent wheat performance data can be found on the UNL Variety Testing Program results site. 

Take-Home Message

For most wheat growers, certified wheat seed remains one of the most reliable investments for improving stand establishment, accessing improved genetics, reducing contamination risk and maximizing long-term profitability. Producers should review current Nebraska wheat variety performance data and contact their local certified seed dealer as soon as possible to check availability, as drought has contributed to certified seed shortages.