Carbon Dioxide Compensation Values in Citronella and Lemongrass

Abstract

Carbon dioxide compensation values of mature leaves from 10 selections of citronella (Cymbopogon nardus [L.] Rendle) grown at 32/27 or 27/21 C day/night temperatures and three strains of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus [D.C.] Stapf. and Cymbopogon flexuosus [D.C.] Stapf.) grown at 8- or 15-hour photoperiods were measured in a controlled environment at 25 C. All leaves had low compensation values but citronella varied from 1.3 to 9.7 mul/liter and lemongrass from 0.7 to 3.5 mul/liter. Lower growing temperature generally resulted in lower compensation values for citronella but there was no consistent photoperiod effect on lemongrass.