Tama Biochemical Co., Ltd.

Sagami Chemical Research Center

Bal Planning Co., Ltd.

Nippon Kayaku Kabushiki Kaisha

Nippon Zeon Company, Ltd.

Hiroki Kuriyama

Tsuyoshi Watanabe

Yasuo Kamuro

Suguru Takatsuto

Kunikazu Sakai

Shin-ichi Hirakawa

Sei-ichi Hayashi

Tadashi Hohjoh

Tokuo Furuse

Plant growth accelerator

The present invention relates to a plant growth regulator comprising as an active ingredient an epoxycyclohexane derivative represented by general formula (1): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is a hydrogen atom, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl group or C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 cycloalkyl group, and R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are independently C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl groups or are combined to form a C.sub.2 -C.sub.3 polymethylene group which may be substituted with a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl group, as well as to a plant growth regulator comprising the epoxycyclohexane derivative and a brassinosteroid as active ingredients. The epoxycyclohexane derivatives exhibit a potent plant growth regulating action which is equivalent to or higher than that of abscisic acid, and are useful as plant growth regulators such as a plant growth accelerator, a germination growth accelerator, a transpiration and wilting inhibitor, a cold resistance enhancer, an accelerator for growing, thickening or maturing fruits, roots, stems or bulbs, etc. A synergistic effect is achieved by combination of the epoxycyclohexane derivative with a brassinosteroid.

Plant growth regulating composition comprising epoxycyclohexane

Plant growth promoter comprising jasmonate and brassinolide

Epoxycyclohexane derivative and plant growth regulator

Brassinosteroid derivative and plant growth regulator using the same

A process for producing a steroid compound which is useful as an intermediate for synthesizing plant growth regulators, brassinosteroids, and is represented by the general formula (4): ##STR1## in which R.sub.2 is a methyl or ethyl, and * indicates the binding site of R.sub.1 to a steroid nucleus, or general formula (5): ##STR2## wherein R.sub.1 is as defined above. According to the process disclosed herein, an intermediate for a brassinolide, epibrassinolide, homobrassinolide or derivatives thereof can be produced highly advantageously in the industries.

Process for producing steroid derivatives

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Hiroki Kuriyama