Substituted pyridyloxyalkylamides and their use as fungicides

A compound of the general formula (1):

• or the corresponding pyridine N-oxide, wherein
• X and Y are independently halo, C1-4 alkyl, halo(C1-4)alkyl, C2-4 alkenyl, halo(C2-4)alkenyl, C2-4 alkynyl, halo(C2-4)alkynyl, C1-4 alkoxy, halo(C1-4)alkoxy, —S(O)n(C1-4)alkyl where n is 0, 1 or 2 and the alkyl group is optionally substituted with fluoro, —OSO2(C1-4)alkyl where the alkyl group is optionally substituted with fluoro, cyano, nitro, C1-4 alkoxycarbonyl, —CONR′R″, —COR′, —NR′COR″, —NR′CO2R′″ where R′ and R″ are independently H or C1-4 alkyl and R′″ is C1-4 alkyl, or optionally substituted phenyl, or Y is H;
• R1 is a straight-chain C1-4 alkyl group;
• R2 is H, C1-4 alkyl, C1-4 alkoxymethyl or benzyloxymethyl in which the phenyl ring of the benzyl moiety is optionally substituted with C1-4 alkoxy;
• R3 and R4 are independently H, C1-3 alkyl, C2-3 alkenyl or C2-3 alkynyl provided that both are not H and that when both are other than H their combined total of carbon atoms does not exceed 4, or R3 and R4 join with the carbon atom to which they are attached to form a 3 or 4 membered carbocyclic ring optionally containing one O, S or N atom and optionally substituted with halo or C1-4 alkyl;
• and
• R5 is H, C1-4 alkyl or C3-6 cycloalkyl in which the alkyl or cycloalkyl group is optionally substituted with halo, hydroxy, C1-6 alkoxy, cyano, C1-4 alkylcarbonyloxy, aminocarbonyloxy, mono- or di(C1-4)alkylaminocarbonyloxy, —S(O)n(C1-6)alkyl where n is 0, 1 or 2, triazolyl, tri(C1-4)alkylsilyloxy, optionally substituted phenoxy, optionally substituted thienyloxy, optionally substituted benzyloxy or optionally substituted thienylmethoxy, or
• R5 is optionally substituted phenyl, optionally substituted thienyl or optionally substituted benzyl, in which the optionally substituted phenyl and thienyl rings of the X, Y and R5 values are optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents selected from halo, hydroxy, mercapto, C1-4 alkyl, C2-4 alkenyl, C2-4 alkynyl, C1-4 alkoxy, C2-4 alkenyloxy, C2-4 alkynyloxy, halo(C1-4)alkyl, halo(C1-4)alkoxy, C1-4 alkylthio, halo(C1-4)alkylthio, hydroxy(C1-4)alkyl, C1-4alkoxy(C1-4)alkyl, C3-6 cycloalkyl, C3-6 cycloalkyl(C1-4)alkyl, phenoxy, benzyloxy, benzoyloxy, cyano, isocyano, thiocyanato, isothiocyanato, nitro, —NRmRn, —NHCORm, —NHCONRmRn, —CONRmRn, —SO2Rm, —OSO2Rm, —CORm, —CRm═NRn or —N═CRmRn, in which Rm and Rn are independently hydrogen, C1-4 alkyl, halo(C1-4)alkyl, C1-4 alkoxy, halo(C1-4)alkoxy, C1-4 alkylthio, C3-6 cycloalkyl, C3-6 cycloalkyl(C1-4)alkyl, phenyl or benzyl, the phenyl and benzyl groups being optionally substituted with halogen, C1-4 alkyl or C1-4 alkoxy.