Effects of benzyladenine (BA) and abscisic acid (ABA) applied separately or simultaneously on parameters of gas exchange of Phaseolus vulgaris L. leaves were studied. In the first two experimental sets) 100 μM ABA and 10 μM BA were applied to plants sufficiently supplied with water. Spraying of leaves with ABA decreased stomatal conductance (gs) and in consequence transpiration rate (E) and net photosynthetic rate (PN) already 1 h after application, but 24 h after application the effect almost disappeared. 10 μM BA slightly decreased gas exchange parameters, but in simultaneous application with ABA reversed the effect of ABA. Immersion of roots into the same solutions markedly decreased gas exchange parameters and 24 h after ABA application the stomata were completely closed. The effect of ABA was ameliorated by simultaneous BA application, particularly after 1-h treatment. In the third experimental set, plants were pre-treated by immersing roots into water, 1 μM BA, or 100 μM ABA for 24 h and then the halves of split root system were dipped into different combinations of 1 μM BA, 100 μM ABA, and water. In plants pre-treated with ABA all gas exchange parameters were small and they did not differ in plants treated with H2O+H2O, H2O+BA, or BA+BA. In plants pre-treated with BA or H2O, markedly lower values of PN were found when both halves of roots were immersed in ABA. Further, the effects of pre-treatment of plants with water, 1 μM BA, 100 μM ABA, or ABA+BA on the development of water stress induced by cessation of watering and on the recovery after rehydration were followed. ABA markedly decreased gas exchange parameters at the beginning of the experiment, but in its later phase the effect was compensated by delay in development of water stress. BA also delayed development of water stress and increased PN in water-stressed leaves. BA reversed the effect of ABA at mild water stress. Positive effects of BA and ABA pre-treatments were observed also after rehydration.