Gas exchange responses to irradiance, temperature, air vapor pressure deficit and intercellular CO2 concentration were evaluated in young plants of sweet orange 'Valência', tangor 'Murcote' and acid lime 'Tahiti' plants, under controlled conditions. Maximum rates of CO2 assimilation were around 9.8, 12.8 and 13.0 µmol m-2 s-1 , respectively, for 'Valência', 'Murcote' and 'Tahiti', and these differences were related to stomatal conductance and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency. Light saturation of photosynthesis was around 750 µmol m-2 s-1 for 'Valência', whereas 'Murcote' and 'Tahiti' did not show evident light saturation, exhibiting small increases of CO2 assimilation above 1,000 µmol m-2 s-1 . The CO2 compensation point was 4.8, 5.8 and 5.4 Pa for 'Valência', 'Murcote' and 'Tahiti', respectively, indicating differences in photorespiration of these citrus species. Leaf temperatures between 25ºC and 30ºC were optimum for photosynthesis of 'Valência', whereas this optimum was around 30ºC for 'Murcote' and 'Tahiti'. At temperatures above or below the optimum range, CO2 assimilation was reduced by partial decrease of stomatal conductance and instantaneous carboxylation efficiency. Reduced CO2 assimilation rate was also caused by increasing vapor pressure deficit from 1.5 to 3.5 kPa, and this effect enhanced when temperature increased from 28ºC to 35ºC.
Citrus sinensis; Citrus reticulata; Citrus latifolia; gas exchange; temperature; vapor pressure deficit
