Bean seedlings of Fepagro 26, Guapo Brilhante, IraÃ, Macotaço and US Pinto 111 cultivars were submitted to treatments with or
without addition of ozone to the ambient air, in order to evaluate the effects of exposure on photosynthesis, relative electrolyte
leakage, foliar abscission and biomass of the seedlings. Exposure to ozone caused significant decreases in the net assimilation of
all cultivars except IraÃ. It also caused a significant increase in electrolyte leakage from the Pinto cultivar, but only when AOT40 was
the highest. It also produced significant anticipation in the time of foliar abscission in the Pinto, Fepagro and Guapo cultivars. The
variability observed in the biomass measurements reflected the limitations to perform long-term controlled-environment studies, one
of the major challengers yet to be overcome in order to obtain more conclusive data on damages induced on crop species resulting
from tropospheric ozone enrichment.
