Influence of soil heterogeneity on water regime and yields of lucerne,sugar beet and wheat

Lucerne plants in the first crop year as well as plants of spring wheat from different sites of the respective experimental plots showed differences in sap exudation from detopped roots or from stumps of the main shoots, reflecting differences in properties of the soil profile. The differences in sap exudation were observed at a time when the plants did not show any visible differences in water availability. Differences in the water potential deficit of the leaf blades of lucerne plants in the second crop year and of sugar beet plants, related to differences in soil profile properties, were observed in another series of experiments. Sugar beet plants showed a higher physiological lability than lucerne plants. The sites characterized by unfavourable plant-water-relations usually gave lower yields. The coefficients of variability for the yields of lucerne fresh matter from irrigated plots were three times lower than those for yields from plots without irrigation, influenced by soil heterogeneity.