Substituted 4-heteroaryloxypyridines and salts thereof and their use as herbicidal agents

A substituted 4-heteroaryloxypyridine of formula (I) or a salt thereof

• in which
• X represents nitrogen or —CH—,
• A represents oxygen, —S(O)n—, —C(R4)(R5)—, —C(═O)— or —NR6—
• with n=0, 1 or 2,
• R1 represents optionally substituted aryl, heteroaryl, heterocylyl, (C3-C10)-cycloalkyl or (C3-C10)-cycloalkenyl, where each ring or each ring system is optionally substituted by up to 5 substituents independently of one another selected from the group R7,
• R2 independently of the others represents halogen, cyano, nitro, formyl, formamide, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkyl, (C2-C8)-alkenyl, (C2-C8)-alkynyl, (C2-C8)-haloalkenyl, (C2-C8)-haloalkynyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-haloalkoxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylthio-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulfinyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulfonyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkylcarbonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylcarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylcarbonyl, carboxyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkoxycarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkoxycarbonyl, carbamoyl, (C2-C8)-alkylaminocarbonyl, (C2-C10)-dialkylaminocarbonyl, (C3-C10)-cycloalkylaminocarbonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-haloalkoxycarbonyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, carboxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, hydroxy, amino, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, (C1-C8)-haloalkoxy, (C1-C8)-alkylthio, (C1-C8)-haloalkylthio, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylthio, (C1-C8)-alkylsulfinyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylsulfinyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylsulfinyl, (C1-C8)-alkylsulfonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylsulfonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylsulfonyl, (C1-C8)-alkylaminosulfonyl, (C2-C8)-dialkylaminosulfonyl or (C3-C8)-trialkylsilyl,
• m represents 0, 1, 2 or 3,
• R3 represents hydrogen, halogen, cyano, nitro, formyl, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkyl, (C2-C8)-alkenyl, (C2-C8)-alkynyl, (C2-C8)-haloalkenyl, (C2-C8)-haloalkynyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-haloalkoxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylthio-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulfinyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulfonyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkylcarbonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylcarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylcarbonyl, carboxyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkoxycarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C8)-alkylaminocarbonyl, (C2-C8)-dialkylaminocarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylaminocarbonyl, hydroxy, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, (C1-C8)-haloalkoxy, (C1-C8)-alkylthio, (C1-C8)-haloalkylthio, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylthio, (C1-C8)-alkylsulfinyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylsulfinyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylsulfinyl, (C1-C8)-alkylsulfonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylsulfonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylsulfonyl, (C1-C8)-alkylaminosulfonyl, (C2-C8)-dialkylaminosulfonyl or (C3-C8)-trialkylsilyl,
• R4 and R5 independently of one another represent hydrogen, hydroxy, halogen, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkyl, (C2-C8)-alkenyl, (C2-C8)-alkynyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-haloalkoxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylthio-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulfinyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulfonyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkylcarbonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylcarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylcarbonyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkoxycarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C8)-alkylaminocarbonyl, (C2-C8)-dialkylaminocarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylaminocarbonyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, (C1-C8)-alkylthio, (C1-C8)-haloalkylthio, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylthio,
• or
• R4 and R5 together form a 3- to 6-membered carbocyclic ring or a 3- to 6-membered saturated heterocyclic ring having up to 2 oxygen atoms,
• or
• R4 and R5 together form a (C1-C3)-alkylidene radical or (C1-C3)-haloalkylidene radical,
• R6 represents hydrogen, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkyl, aryl-(C1-C6)-alkyl, heteroaryl-(C1-C6)-alkyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl-(C1-C6)-alkyl, (C3-C6)-halocycloalkyl, (C3-C6)-halocycloalkyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C2-C8)-alkenyl, (C2-C8)-alkynyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-haloalkoxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylthio-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulfinyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulfonyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkylcarbonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylcarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylcarbonyl, formyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkoxycarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C8)-alkylaminocarbonyl, (C2-C8)-dialkylaminocarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylaminocarbonyl,
• and
• R7 represents hydrogen, halogen, cyano, nitro, formyl, (C1-C8)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkyl, (C2-C8)-alkenyl, (C2-C8)-alkynyl, (C2-C8)-haloalkenyl, (C2-C8)-haloalkynyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-haloalkoxy-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylthio-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulfinyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkylsulfonyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C8)-alkylcarbonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylcarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylcarbonyl, carboxyl, (C1-C8)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkoxycarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C8)-alkylaminocarbonyl, (C2-C8)-dialkylaminocarbonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylaminocarbonyl, hydroxy, (C1-C8)-alkoxy, (C1-C8)-haloalkoxy, (C1-C8)-alkylthio, (C1-C8)-haloalkylthio, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylthio, (C1-C8)-alkylsulfinyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylsulfinyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylsulfinyl, (C1-C8)-alkylsulfonyl, (C1-C8)-haloalkylsulfonyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkylsulfonyl, (C1-C8)-alkylaminosulfonyl, (C2-C8)-dialkylaminosulfonyl or (C3-C8)-trialkylsilyl.