To report on a sowing depth study comparing growth and yield of long coleoptile-selected wheats with commercial tall and semi dwarf varieties.

• This experiment demonstrated the benefits of long coleoptile wheats for deep sowing.
• While there was some reduction in yield with deep sowing, the reduction in yield is likely to be much greater with short coleoptile, semidwarf wheats.
• Fewer tillers arising from a reduced number of emerged seedlings will limit yield in most environments. However, fewer tillers combined with dry conditions after emergence benefited Janz and Hartog by slowing water use at Condobolin in 1999.