Oxime ethers, compositions containing them and the use thereof

Abstract

The oxime ethers of the formula I below are able to act as antidotes or safeners to protect cultivated plants from the phytotoxic effects of herbicides. Such cultivated plants are preferably sorghum, cereals, maize and rice, and herbicides are principally chloroacetanilides and thiocarbamates. The oxime ethers have the formula I ##STR1## wherein n is 1 or 2, each of R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 is hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl each of R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 is hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylthio, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkylthio, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylsulfinyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylsulfonyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkylsulfinyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkylsulfonyl or nitro; each of R.sub.5 and R.sub.6 independently of the other is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.8 alkoxyalkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 alkenyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.4 alkynyl, or together form a 2- to 6-membered alkylene or alkenylene bridge which may be substituted by 1 to 4 C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkenyloxy, C.sub.2 -C.sub.8 alkoxyalkyl or C.sub.3 -C.sub.8 alkenyloxyalkyl groups; each of A and B independently of the other is oxygen or sulfur, or one of A and b is the methine group, X is a fluorinated C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkyl radical which may also additionally contain chlorine, and Y is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkoxy or phenyl.