Substituted N-[pyrimidin-2-ylmethyl]carboxamides and their use as herbicides and plant growth regulators

A compound of the formula (I), its N-oxide and/or its salt,

• in which the radicals and indices are as defined below:
• R1 and R2 independently of one another are hydrogen, halogen, cyano, amino, isocyanato, hydroxyl, nitro, COOR5, COR5, CH2OH, CH2SH, CH2NH2, (C1-C4)-alkyl, halo-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, halo-(C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C2)-alkoxy-(C1-C2)-alkyl, (C2-C4)-alkenyl, (C2-C4)-alkynyl, (C3-C4)-alkenyloxy, (C3-C4)-alkynyloxy, (C1-C2)-alkylthio-(C1-C2)-alkyl, S(O)nR6 (C1-C2)-alkylsulfonyl-(C1-C2)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkyl-NH, (C1-C3)-alkyl-CO—NH, (C1-C4)-alkyl-SO2NH, di-(C1-C4)-alkylamino,
• or R1 and R2 together form the group (CH2)3;
• R3 is hydrogen, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C2-C4)-alkenyl, (C2-C4)-alkynyl, benzyl, COOR5, COR4 or S(O)nR6;
• R4 is hydrogen, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C2-C8)-alkenyl, (C2-C8)-alkynyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl which is substituted by one or two methyl groups, (C1-C2)-alkoxy-(C1-C2)-alkyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl-(C1-C2)-alkyl, halo-(C1-C6)-alkyl or halo-(C3-C6)-cycloalkyl;
• R5 is hydrogen or (C1-C4)-alkyl;
• R6 is hydrogen, (C1-C4)-alkyl or halo-(C1-C4)-alkyl;
• A is a radical from the group comprising the substituents A1 to A8
• R8 is hydrogen, halogen, cyano, isocyanato, nitro, (C1-C4)-alkyl, halo-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, halo-(C1-C4)-alkoxy, halo-(C1-C4)-alkylthio, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, halo-(C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, SF5, S(O)nR6, (C2-C4)-alkenyl or (C2-C4)-alkynyl;
• R9 is hydrogen, halogen, cyano, isocyanato, nitro, (C1-C4)-alkyl, halo-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, halo-(C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C2-C4)-alkenyl, (C2-C4)-alkynyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl or S(O)nR6;
• R10 is (C1-C4)-alkyl;
• X1, X2 independently of one another are hydrogen or (C1-C4)-alkyl;
• n is 0, 1 or 2.