RAISED-bed cropping is proving its worth this season more than ever before in south west Victoria.
High rainfall croppers including Yaloak Estate at Derrinallum are hoping for good yields and little water-logging damage, despite more than 140mm of rain falling in a fortnight on their 2000ha of mostly raised bed crops.
Cropping manager David Mulraney said it is now the wettest he's seen the property in his eight years there.
After last week's heavy falls David said the raised beds helped the crops of red and white wheat and canola drain well and avoid "having prolonged wet feet that can lead to water logging and big yield penalties".
Raised beds cost about $120 a hectare to establish and need renovating every three years, he said.
"These crops should do well out of this rain and we wouldn't expect too much water-logging, but if we didn't have the raised beds we'd be in a bit of trouble for sure," Mr Mulraney said.
Hamilton-based Department of Primary Industries grains agronomist Steve Holden said the effects of last week's rain varied greatly from paddock to paddock.
"It has been very good for some crops, but others are suffering from water logging and the raised beds are generally faring better," Mr Holden said.
"There is some water logging problems around Wickliffe," he said.
Mr Holden estimated that more than 10 per cent of crops in the Western District were now on raised beds.
"The past few weeks have produced conditions that are certainly a lot wetter than we've seen for cropping in a while," he said.
"There are a few getting too wet, it's a mixed blessing, but most farmers are happy at the moment."
