Method of improving or maintaining digestibility of fodder crops

Abstract

This invention provides a method of enhancing, or preventing the decline in, the digestibility of a crop, in particular of a fodder crop, by applying to the crop, to seed of the crop, or to the locus of the crop or seed, a compound or a mixture of at least two compounds of general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R is hydrogen or --COR.sup.1 wherein R.sup.1 is alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy or aralkyloxy, X is --O--, --NE-- or --CH.sub.2 --, Y is carboxy or an alkali metal, ammonium or mono- or di-alkyl- or cycloalkylamine salt thereof, or Y is alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, aralkyloxy- carbonyl, amino or mono- or di-alkyl- or aryl- amino, Z is hydrogen, halogen, nitro, alkyl, trihalomethyl, hydroxy, alkoxy, acyloxy, cyano or alkylenedioxy, and x is an integer of 1 to 3. The invention also provides novel compounds, namely L-.alpha.-aminooxy-.beta.-(parahydroxy phenyl) propionic acid, and acid addition salts thereof.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.