Use of benzothiazoline compounds as plant growth regulants

A method for reducing the stature of soybean plants which comprises treating said soybean plants with a stature reducing amount of a compound of the formula ##STR18## wherein X is halo;

• m is 0 or 1;
• ##STR19## and agriculturally acceptable salts thereof;
• R.sub.2 is H, CN, lower alkyl or ##STR20## R.sub.3 is lower alkyl;
• R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are independently H, alkyl or when taken together with the nitrogen molecule form a heterocyclic having up to 8 carbon atoms, inclusive;
• and n is 0 or 2;
• provided that R.sub.2 is ##STR21## only when R.sub.1 is ##STR22## and n is 0.

A method for altering the canopy of soybean plants which comprises treating said soybean plants with a canopy altering amount of a compound of the formula ##STR24## wherein X is halo;

• m is 0 or 1;
• ##STR25## and agriculturally acceptable salts thereof;
• R.sub.2 is H, CN, lower alkyl or ##STR26## R.sub.3 is lower alkyl;
• R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 are independently H, alkyl or when taken together with the nitrogen molecule form a heterocyclic having up to 8 carbon atoms, inclusive;
• and n is 0 or 2 provided that R.sub.2 is ##STR27## only when R.sub.1 is ##STR28## and n is 0.