Effect of zinc and boron nutrition on carbon and nitrogen metabolism in leaf of balsam pear (Momordica charantia)

Effects of zinc and boron nutrition on carbon and nitrogen in leaves of balsam pear( Momordica charantia cv Zhuzhou Changbai) were studied by field trial and physiological determination. The results showed that application of ZnSO4·7H2O and Na2B4O7·2H2O in Zn,B deficient red soil could increase photosynthetic rates(PSR) , carbonic anhydrase(CA) and nitrate reductase(NR) activities, chlorophyll,sucrose, soluble sugar, starch, zinc, boron, protein and nuclear contents, but decrease free ammonic acids(FAA) and RNase activity. The results also showed that there was a significant positive correlation between Zn and chlorophyll, PSR, CA; CA and PSR, sucrose, soluble sugar contents; protein and nuclear, NR; but a significant negative correlation between protein and FAA, RNase; nuclear contents and RNase in leaves.