Certain 2-pyridyl oxy-phenyl acrylates having fungicidal, insecticidal,

Abstract

This invention relates to derivatives of acrylic acid useful in agriculture (especially as fungicides but also as plant growth regulators, insecticides and nematocides), to processes for preparing them, to agricultural (especially fungicidal) compositions containing them, and to methods of using them to combat fungi, especially fungal infections in plants, to regulate plant growth and to kill or control insect or nematode pests. The invention provides a compound having the formula (I): ##STR1## and stereoisomers thereof, wherein W is a substituted pyridinyl or substituted pyrimidinyl group linked to A by any of its ring carbon atoms; A is either an oxygen atom or S(O).sub.n wherein n is 0, 1 or 2; X, Y and Z, which are the same or different, are hydrogen or halogen atoms, or hydroxy, optionally substituted alkyl (including haloalkyl), optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted alkoxy, (including haloalkoxy), optionally substituted alkylthio, optionally substituted aryloxy, optionally substituted arylalkoxy, optionally substituted acyloxy, optionally substituted amino, optionally substituted acylamino, nitro, cyano, --CO.sub.2 R.sup.3, --CONR.sup.4 R.sup.5, --COR.sup.6 or --S(O).sub.m R.sup.7 (wherein m is 0, 1 or 2) groups, or any two of the groups X, Y and Z, when they are in adjacent positions on the phenyl ring, may join to form a fused ring, either aromatic or aliphatic, optionally containing one or more heteroatoms; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, which are the same or different, are optionally substituted alkyl (including fluoroalkyl) groups provided that when W is 5-trifluoromethylpyridin-2-yl, A is oxygen, X is hydrogen, and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are both methyl, Y and Z are not both hydrogen, Y is not F, Cl, methyl, nitro, 5--CF.sub.3, 5--SCH.sub.3 or 4--(CH.sub.3).sub.2 N if Z is hydrogen and Y and Z together are not 3-nitro-5-chloro, 3,5-dinitro, 4,5-dimethoxy or 4,5-methylenedioxy; and R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5, R.sup.6 and R.sup.7, which are the same or different, are hydrogen atoms or optionally substituted alkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkyl, optionally substituted cycloalkylalkyl, optionally substituted alkenyl, optionally substituted alkynyl, optionally substituted aryl or optionally substituted aralkyl groups; and metal complexes thereof.