Wheat yield benefits from wide strip sowing (WS) have been reported, but it remains difficult to predict them in natural resource-dependent cropping, such as in the smallholdings operating in the Loess Plateau of China. The complex interactions between planting density, seedling uniformity and resource availability are known to influence inter-plant competition and yields, but the interactions of these factors have not been thoroughly studied. A comparative field study was conducted using conventional sowing (CS; 3-4 cm sowing strip width) and WS (8-10 cm sowing strip), both at 20 cm center-to-center strip spacing, under three planting densities (225, 450 and 675 plants m(-2)) and varying resource availability (temperature, precipitation and soil fertility). Relative to CS, WS significantly enhanced yields (ca. 6.0 %- 8.2 %) under most environments, particularly at higher densities (P < 0.01), but with benefits at low-to-medium densities in high-resource environments. Yield improvements were achieved concurrently with higher harvest indices while aboveground biomass remained unchanged, especially when yield exceeded 4000 kg ha(-)(1) . WS reduced the minimum vegetative biomass and plant height required for reproductive growth (P < 0.001) and optimized biomass allocation to grain production. Structural equation modeling revealed that plant density, temperature, rainfall and soil organic matter content all significantly influenced yield gains from WS. Therefore, WS increases wheat yield and alleviates inter-plant competition through optimized spatial distribution, and is most effective at high-planting densities in resource-rich environments. These findings enable a more informed prediction of WS effects on wheat crop yields, thus facilitating the choice of its implementation in smallholdings with different conditions of resource availability. Ultimately, the use of WS enhances food security and sustainability in rainfed agricultural systems.