Phenoxy- and pyridyloxy-phenoxyalkyl phosphinates and related sulfur compounds for weed control

A compound of the formula (A):

• ##STR38## wherein, R is hydrogen, amino, chloro, cyano or nitro;
• n is 0 or 1;
• n' is 1, 2 or 3;
• R.sup.1 is hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, phenyl or benzyl, provided that R.sup.1 is not hydrogen when n is 0;
• R.sup.2 is selected from group (1), (2) or (3) ##STR39## (3) hydrogen, metal cation, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, lower cyanoalkyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, heterocycloalkalkyl, lower alkenyl, lower haloalkenyl, lower alkynyl, lower haloalkynyl, lower alkoxyalkyl, lower alkylthioalkyl, lower dialkylaminoalkyl, or substituted or unsubstituted aryl;
• R.sup.3 is lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, lower alkenyl, lower haloalkenyl, cycloalkyl, cycloalkalkyl, substituted or unsubstituted aryl or R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 taken together form an alkylene group of 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
• each of R.sup.4 and R.sup.6 is, independently, hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, lower alkenyl, lower alkynyl, lower alkoxy or lower alkylthio;
• R.sup.7 is selected from group (3) of R.sup.2 ;
• Q is CH or N;
• W is oxygen, sulfur, sulfinyl, sulfonyl or NR.sup.5 in which R.sup.5 is hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• each of W.sup.1, W.sup.3 and W.sup.4 is, independently, oxygen or sulfur;
• W.sup.2 is oxygen, sulfur, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, methylene, carbonyl or NR.sup.5 ;
• each of X, X' and X.sup.2 is, independently, oxygen, sulfur or NR.sup.5 ;
• X.sup.3 is oxygen, sulfur, methylene or NR.sup.5 ;
• each of Y and Z is, independently, hydrogen, lower alkyl, lower haloalkyl, halogen, lower alkoxy, lower haloalkoxy, cyano or nitro;
• and
• t is 1 or 2.