3-Aryl-4-isoxazolecarboxylic acids as plant growth regulants

A method for regulating the growth of leguminous plants which comprises applying to the plant system a plant growth regulating effective amount of a compound having the formula ##STR8## wherein E is oxygen or sulfur;

• X and Y are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl having up to five carbon atoms inclusive, alkoxy having up to five carbon atoms inclusive, trifluoromethyl, halogen, cyano and nitro;
• n is zero or one provided that when n is zero, Z is selected from the group consisting of chloro and NR.sub.1 R.sub.2 wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl having up to five carbon atoms inclusive;
• when n is one, Z is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl having up to 12 carbon atoms inclusive, haloalkyl having up to five carbon atoms inclusive, benzyl, alkoxyalkyl wherein said alkoxy may have up to five carbon atoms inclusive and said alkyl may have up to five carbon atoms inclusive, allyl, monochlorinated allyl, dichlorinated allyl, ##STR9## and agriculturally acceptable cations;
• wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are as previously defined, R.sub.3 is hydrogen or methyl and R.sub.4 is alkyl having up to five carbon atoms inclusive.