PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS COMPRISING IMIDAZOLE DERIVATIVES AND PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SUCH COMPOUNDS

The invention provides a method of regulating the growth of a plant using a compound of the formula: wherein R represents alkyl or phenyl optionally substituted by halogen, alkyl, alkoxy, alkylthio, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, trifluoromethylthio, nitro, cyano, amino, carboxy, phenoxy, benzyloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, alkylamino, dialkylamino, alkanoylamino, R represents nitro, cyano, carbamoyl or -CONR R or -NR COR (wherein R is as hereinbefore defined for R and R represents hydrogen or alkyl), R represents halogen, nitro, cyano, amino, carbamoyl, -CONR R (wherein R is as hereinbefore defined for R and R represents hydrogen or alkyl), and R represents hydrogen or alkyl, or salts thereof with the exclusion of compounds in which R and R simultaneously represent cyano groups; plant-growth regulating compositions, novel compounds and their preparation are described.