► We studied water use, radiation interception, and grain yield in wide-precision planting. ► Evapotranspiration from wide-precision planting was not different from that from conventional-cultivation planting. ► Wide-precision planting increased the PAR capture ratios at 40 and 60cm above the ground. ► Wide-precision planting resulted in high grain yield, which can be attributed to increased spike numbers. To develop a water-saving planting pattern in the North China Plain, in the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 winter wheat growing seasons, 2 types of planting patterns (wide-precision planting and conventional-cultivation planting) and 3 different irrigation treatments (60.0-mm irrigation at both jointing and heading stages, 60.0-mm irrigation at only the jointing stage, and no irrigation at any time during the growing season) were conducted. These methods were used to study the effects of irrigation and wide-precision planting on water use, leaf area index (LAI), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) capture ratio, dry matter accumulation, and grain yield of winter wheat. The results indicated that after 60.0mm irrigation at the jointing and heading stages of winter wheat, the soil water content and the LAI from the wide-precision planting were higher than those from the conventional-cultivation planting late in the growing seasons. The PAR capture ratios at 40 and 60cm above the ground in the wide-precision planting were higher than those in the conventional-cultivation planting. At the milking stage, the wide-precision planting with 60.0-mm irrigation at both the jointing and heading stages had significantly (LSD, P<0.05) high dry matter accumulation. Compared to the conventional-cultivation planting, the wide-precision planting with 60.0-mm irrigation at both jointing and heading stages had the highest grain yield, which can be attributed to increased spike numbers. The results indicate that the wide-precision planting with 60.0-mm irrigation at both the jointing and heading stages of winter wheat should be extended in the North China Plain.