The goal of the study was to find wheat varieties that use water efficiently in North China. They tested 10 wheat types with no irrigation or some irrigation. No irrigation reduced wheat yield but increased maize yield. The wheat with the best water use efficiency was 'Nongda 5133', improving overall yield by 10.7%. High-efficiency wheat had more leaves and better photosynthesis late in the season. Not watering wheat can help maize, close the yield gap with some watering, and improve overall water use efficiency when combined with efficient wheat varieties.