Abscisic acid-related plant growth regulators - germination promoters

A method for enhancing germination and growth of plants which comprises treating plant parts used in propagation with a solution comprising an effective amount of a compound having the following general formula:

• ##STR11## wherein R is carboxyl, aldehyde, hydroxy, hydroxyloweralkyl, alkoxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxycarbonyl, loweracyloxyloweralkyl, acetylloweralkyl, loweralkanoyl, loweralkylamino, diloweralkylamino, loweralkoxy, loweracyloxy, loweralkylthio, loweralkyl sulphonyl, loweralkyl sulphinyl, amino, carbonyl, halogen, thio, phosphate, sulfoxide, sulfone or deuterium;
• R.sup.1 is loweralkyl hydrogen, oxo, hydroxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxy, halogen, thio, sulfoxide, sulfone, phosphate or deuterium;
• R.sup.2 may be hydrogen, oxo, hydroxy, halogen, thio, phosphate, sulfoxide, sulfone or deuterium;
• R.sup.3 is carboxyl, aldehyde, loweralkyl, hydroxyloweralkyl, alkoxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxycarbonyl, lowerayloxyloweralkyl, acetylloweralkyl, loweralkanyol, loweralkylamino, diloweralkylamino, loweralkoxy, loweracyloxy, loweralkythio, loweralkyl sulphonyl, loweralkyl sulphinyl, or carbonyl;
• and when R.sup.2 is oxo or thio, R.sup.2 maybe linked to both C.sub.1 and C.sub.2 carbon atoms to form an epoxy or a thioepoxy ring;
• R.sup.4 is hydrogen, oxo, halogen, thio, phosphate, sulfoxide, sulfone, deuterium, hydroxy, loweralkylsiloxane, carboxyl, aldehyde, hydroxyloweralkyl, alkoxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxycarbonyl, loweracyloxyloweralkyl, acetylloweralkyl, loweralkanoyl, loweralkylamino, diloweralkylamino, loweralkoxy, loweracyloxy, loweralkylthio, loweralkyl sulphonyl, loweralkyl sulphinyl, amino, carbonyl, cycloalkyl or cycloalkoxy having from 4 to 6 carbon atoms which is optionally substituted by loweralkyl, halogen, oxygen, hydroxy or loweralkoxy;
• R.sup.5 is carboxyl, hydroxy, aldehyde, hydroxyloweralkyl, alkoxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxycarbonyl, loweracyloxyloweralkyl, acetylloeralkyl, acetoxyloweralkyl, loweralkanoyl, loweralkylamino, diloweralkylamino, loweralkoxy, loweracyloxy, loweralkylthio, loweralkyl sulphonyl, loweralkyl sulphinyl, amino, carbonyl, halogen, hydrogen oxo, thio, phosphate, sulfoxide, sulfone or deuterium, and when R.sup.5 is oxo, it maybe linked to the carbon atom bearing R.sup.3 ;
• R.sup.6 is hydrogen, oxo, hydroxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxy, halogen, thio, sulfoxide, sulfone, phosphate or deuterium;
• R.sup.7 may be carboxyl, hydroxy, aldehyde, hydroxyloweralkyl, alkoxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxycarbonyl, loweracyloxyloweralkyl, acetylloweralkyl, acetoxyloweralkyl, loweralkanoyl, loweralkylamino, diloweralkylamino, loweralkoxy, loweracyloxy, loweralkylthio, loweralkyl sulphonyl, loweralkyl sulphinyl, amino, carbonyl, halogen, hydrogen, oxo, thio, phosphate, sulfoxide, sulfone or deuterium, and when R.sup.7 is oxo, it maybe linked to the carbon atom bearing R.sup.3 ;
• and wherein
• the dotted lines may each represent a single bond and the double dotted line represents either a double bond or a triple bond,
• R.sup.1 or R.sup.6 is absent if the dotted line adjacent to R.sup.1 and R.sup.6 is a single bond,
• R.sub.2 is absent if either of the dotted lines adjacent to R.sub.2 is a single bond,
• the alkyl group bearing R.sub.7 is absent if the dotted line adjacent to the alkyl group bearing R.sub.7 is a single bond.
• and isomers and functional derivatives thereof, in admixture with an acceptable agricultural carrier comprising an agriculturally acceptable carrier cation when R, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6 or R.sup.7 are phosphate, sulfoxide or sulfone.