Aspartic acid derivative-containing compositions and use thereof in stimulating and/or regulating plant and plant precursor growth

A process for stimulating or regulating the growth of a living, growing plant precursor [germinating seed] or plant having a degree of maturity of from about >0% [seedling stage] up to about <100% [late maturity stage] of full growth consisting of the steps of:

• (a) formulating an aqueous plant precursor or plant growth-regulating or stimulating solution consisting essentially of water, substantially free of any Periodic Table Group IIa or higher Group metal cations or chelated metals, and at least one substantially pure nitrogen-containing organic compound selected from the group consisting of IDS, EDDS, ammonium salts thereof, alkali metal salts thereof, ammonium-alkali metal salts thereof and optical isomers thereof;
• (b) providing an adjuvant for said formulated aqueous solution selected from the group consisting of:
• i. carriers;
• ii. surfactants;
• iii. carbon skeleton energy adjuvants;
• iv. vitamin/co-factor adjuvants;
• V. gums;
• vi. anti-microbial agents;
• vii. buffers;
• viii. protective colloids;
• and
• ix. viscosity modifiers
• x. growth regulators
• (c) intimately admixing said adjuvant with said formulated aqueous solution in order to form an adjuvant-containing formulated aqueous solution;
• (d) applying, in the absence of fertilizer, a plant precursor or plant growth stimulating or regulating concentration and quantity of said nitrogen-containing organic compound contained in said adjuvant-containing formulated aqueous solution to said plant precursor or to said plant or to the effective proximity of said plant precursor or said plant, over a period of time and at a rate such that the plant precursor growth or plant growth is stimulated or regulated.