Substituted aminodi- or trihalopyridines and method of use

A method for controlling the growth of undesirable plant species which comprises applying to plants, plant parts or their habitats a growth inhibiting amount of at least one pyridine compound corresponding to the formula ##STR15## and the organic or inorganic acid addition salts thereof, wherein X represents chloro, bromo or fluoro;

• R.sup.1 represents hydrogen, amino, loweralkylamino, arylamino from the group consisting of phenylamine, benzylamine, phenylethylamine, phenylpropylamine and phenylbutylamine, loweralkylamido or N-(loweralkyl)loweralkylamido;
• R.sup.2 represents hydrogen, X, amino or loweralkylamino;
• with the proviso that one of R.sup.1 or R.sup.2 is always amino or loweralkylamino and the other of R.sup.1 or R.sup.2 is other than amino or loweralkylamino;
• R represents butyl, 2-hydroxypropyl, 4-hydroxybutyl, 6-hydroxyhexyl or the radical ##STR16## wherein Z represents amino, loweralkylamino, phenylamino, hydroxy, loweralkoxy, aryloxy from the group consisting of phenyloxy, benzyloxy, phenylethoxy, phenylpropoxy and phenylbutoxy, 2-propenyl, hydroxyloweralkoxy, mercapto, loweralkylthio, loweralkanoyloxy or 2-haloloweralkanoyloxy and R.sup.3 represents hydrogen or methyl and with the proviso that R is other than butyl when R.sup.2 is X.

A composition for the control of undesirable plant growth which comprises as the active agent a compound corresponding to the formula ##STR17## and the organic or inorganic acid addition salts thereof, wherein X represents chloro, bromo or fluoro;

• R.sup.1 represents hydrogen, amino, loweralkylamino, arylamino from the group consisting of phenylamine, benzylamine, phenylethylamine, phenylpropylamine and phenylbutylamine, loweralkylamido, or N-(loweralkyl)loweralkylamido;
• R.sup.2 represents hydrogen, X, amino or loweralkylamino;
• with the proviso that one of R.sup.1 or R.sup.2 is always amino or loweralkylamino and the other of R.sup.1 or R.sup.2 is other than amino or loweralkylamino;
• R represents loweralkyl, 2-hydroxypropyl, 4-hydroxybutyl, 6-hydroxyhexyl or the radical ##STR18## wherein Z represents amino, loweralkylamino, phenylamino, hydroxy, loweralkoxy, aryloxy from the group consisting of phenyloxy, benzyloxy, phenylethoxy, phenylpropoxy and phenylbutoxy, 2-propenyl, hydroxyloweralkoxy, mercapto, loweralkylthio, loweralkanoyloxy or 2-haloloweralkanoyloxy and R.sup.3 represents hydrogen or methyl and with the proviso that R is other than butyl when R.sup.2 is X in an amount sufficient to inhibit said plant growth and in admixture with a chemically inert solid or liquid carrier therefor.