Environmental concerns and regulatory guidelines about winter N leaching limit fall biosolids applications to winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in Virginia to a plant-available N (PAN) rate of ⩽50 kg PAN ha-1 . Ten field studies were established in 2012 to 2014 in Virginia to determine the agronomic and environmental feasibility of fall biosolids applications to soft red winter wheat at the agronomic N rate (100 kg PAN ha-1 ). Anaerobically digested and lime-stabilized biosolids were fall applied at rates of 100 and 50 kg PAN ha-1 . The 50 kg PAN ha-1 biosolids treatments received 50 kg N ha-1 as urea in spring. Urea-N was split applied at 0, 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha-1 , with 1/3 applied in fall and 2/3 in spring. Biosolids increased N use efficiency (NUE) by 0 to 27%, grain yield by 0 to 1.1 Mg ha-1 and N recovery by 0 to 38% compared with agronomic N rate urea in coarse-textured soils, especially when lime-stabilized biosolids were used. Biosolids and agronomic rate urea typically resulted in equal NUE, grain yield and N recovery in fine-textured soils, regardless of biosolids type or application strategy. Therefore, biosolids can be fall applied at the full agronomic N rate to winter wheat in coarseand fine-textured soils in Virginia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]