Use of compounds to enhance synchrony of germination and emergence in plants

A method for promoting synchrony of germination and emergence in plants, said method comprising treating plant seeds or plant parts used in propagation with an effective amount of a compound having the following formula (I):

• ##STR10## 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, deuterium or cycloalkyl or cycloalkoxy having from 4 to 6 carbon atoms which is optionally substituted by loweralkyl, halogen, oxygen, hydroxy or loweralkoxy;
• R.sup.1 is loweralkyl, hydrogen, oxo, hydroxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxy, halogen, thio, sulfoxide, sulfone, phosphate or deuterium;
• R.sup.2 is hydrogen, oxo, hydroxy, halogen, thio, phosphate, sulfoxide, sulfone or deuterium;
• R.sup.3 is oxo, thio, carboxyl, aldehyde, loweralkyl, hydroxyloweralkyl, alkoxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxycarbonyl, loweracyloxy- loweralkyl, acetylloweralkyl, loweralkanoyl, loweralkylamino, diloweralkylamino, loweralkoxy, loweracyloxy, loweralkylthio, loweralkylhalide, loweralkyldeuterium, loweralkyl sulphonyl, loweralkyl sulphinyl, or carbonyl;
• when R.sup.2 is oxo or thio, R.sup.2 may be linked to both C.sup.1 and C.sup.2 carbon atoms to form an epoxy or a thioepoxy ring;
• and when R.sup.3 is oxo or thio, R.sup.3 may be linked to the carbon atom adjacent to R.sup.5 to form an epoxy or thioepoxy ring;
• R.sup.4 is hydrogen, oxo, halogen, thio, phosphate, sulfoxide, sulfone, deuterium, hydroxy, loweralkylsiloxane, carboxyl, aldehyde, hydroxyloweralkyl, alkoxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxycarbonyl, loweracyloxyloweralkyl, acetylloweralkyl, loweralkanoyl, loweralkyl amino, 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;
• and when R.sup.4 is oxo or thio, R.sup.4 may be linked to the carbon atom adjacent to R.sup.5 to form an epoxy or thioepoxy ring;
• R.sup.5 is 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.5 is oxo, it may be linked to the carbon atom bearing R.sup.3 ;
• R.sup.6 is loweralkyl, hydrogen, oxo, hydroxyloweralkyl, loweralkoxy, halogen, thio, sulfoxide, sulfone, phosphate or deuterium;
• R.sup.7 is 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 may be 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.sup.2 is absent if either of the dotted lines adjacent to R.sup.2 is a single bond, the alkyl group bearing R.sup.7 is absent if the dotted line adjacent to the alkyl group bearing R.sup.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, for the purpose of enhancing synchrony of germination and emergence in plants.