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Limitation of coffee leaf photosynthesis by stomatal conductance and light availability under different shade levels

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Abstract

In agroforestry systems, the effect of shade trees on coffee net photosynthesis (A n) has been the object of debates among coffee scientists. In this study, we undertook over 600 coffee A n “spot” measurements under four different artificial shade levels (100, 72, 45 and 19% of full solar irradiance) and analyzed limitations to A n by low light availability (photon flux density, PFD) and stomatal conductance (g s). These gas exchange measurements were carried out during two consecutive coffee growing seasons in a commercial plantation in the Orosi valley of Costa Rica. Levels of A n were related to PFD and g s in order to calculate envelope functions which were used to establish PFD or g s limitations to A n. Under the growing conditions of the present trial, mean leaf A n remained stable for growth irradiance (GI) as low as 45% of full sun and decreased by ~20% at 19% GI. Limitation to A n due to g s was strong in full sun and decreasing with increasing shade levels. On the other hand, limitation due to PFD remained at a similar level for all shade treatments. These different evolutions of limitations of A n by PFD and g s in response to shade explain the absence of a decrease in coffee leaf A n with a shade level up to 55%. Consequently, these results confirm that Arabica coffee is a shade-adapted plant with leaves that can maintain a high photosynthetic performance under low light availability.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank: Mr. Ricardo Falla from “Finca las Chúcaras” for facilitating the use and maintenance of the experimental plot in Orosi, Costa Rica; the European Commission (ICA-4-CT-2001-10071) for their financial support of scientific equipment and field measurements performed within the framework of the Central American Coffee Agroforestry project; Dr. Olivier Roupsard (CIRAD) for discussions on an early version of the manuscript, Dr. Fernando Casanoves (CATIE) for help with the statistical analysis; and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Producción Agrícola, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 1004, Santiago, Chile

    Nicolás Franck

  2. Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Fonctionnement et Pilotage des Ecosystèmes de Plantations, Campus International de Baillarguet, 34398, Montpellier Cedex 5, France

    Philippe Vaast

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  1. Nicolás Franck
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  2. Philippe Vaast
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Correspondence to Nicolás Franck.

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Communicated by D. Treutter.

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Franck, N., Vaast, P. Limitation of coffee leaf photosynthesis by stomatal conductance and light availability under different shade levels. Trees 23, 761–769 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-009-0318-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-009-0318-z

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