Methods for regulating the growth of plants and growth regulant compositions comprising polylactides
First Claim
1. A method for stimulating the productivity of plants which comprises contacting said plants with a productivity stimulating amount of a composition which comprises polylactides of lactic acid, wherein the L-(d)-isomer of lactic acid constitutes a major portion of said polylactides.
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Abstract
L-(d)-lactic acid, the dextrorotatory isomer of lactic acid, is an effective plant growth regulant which exhibits classical growth regulant activity at very low concentrations and dosage rates. It can be employed to beneficially stimulate the growth of all plant varieties and is particularly useful for stimulating the growth of commercial crops. As is the case with other growth regulants, L-lactic acid can also be employed to inhibit the growth of plants when applied at sufficiently high concentrations. Thus, L-lactic acid can be employed to stimulate the growth of desired plants, to stimulate the fruit production of fruit-bearing plants, and to inhibit the growth of undesired vegetation. Novel compositions which comprise mixtures of L-(d)-lactic acid and one or more preservatives which are sufficient to prevent the hydrolytic and/or bacterial decomposition of the active isomer are also disclosed.
13 Citations
31 Claims
- 1. A method for stimulating the productivity of plants which comprises contacting said plants with a productivity stimulating amount of a composition which comprises polylactides of lactic acid, wherein the L-(d)-isomer of lactic acid constitutes a major portion of said polylactides.
- 22. A method for stimulating the productivity of plants which comprises contacting said plants with a composition which comprises polylactides of lactic acid, wherein the dextrorotatory L-isomer of lactic acid constitutes about 80 to about 100 percent of said lactic acid.
- 25. A method for stimulating the productivity of plants which method comprises contacting said plants with a composition which comprises polylactides of lactic acid, wherein said lactic acid consists essentially of the L-isomer of lactic acid.
- 29. A method for stimulating the productivity of the plants selected from the group consisting of vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, grasses, fiber crops, wood crops, flowering plants, and combinations thereof, which method comprises foliarily applying to said plants, during the fruit-bearing cycle of said plants, a composition comprising polylactides of lactic acid in which the L-(d)-isomer of lactic acid constitutes about 80 to 100 percent of said lactic acid.
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31. A method for stimulating the productivity of plants selected from the group consisting of vegetables, grains, tuberous crops, timber crops, grasses, ornamental flowering plants, and fruiting plants, which method comprises contacting said plants with a productivity-stimulating amount of polylactides lactic acid, wherein the L-isomer of lactic acid constitutes at least a major portion of said lactic acid.
Specification