Use of certain N-acetonylbenzamides as fungicides

A compound of the formula:

• ##STR10## wherein:
• A is a chloro, bromo, fluoro, iodo, trifluoromethyl, trifluoromethoxy, fluorosulfonyl, methyl, ethyl, phenyl, methoxy, chloromethyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.2) alkoxycarbonyl, cyano or hydroxy group;
• A.sup.1 and B are each independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, chloro, bromo, fluoro and methyl group;
• X is bromo, iodo, fluoro, cyano, thiocyano, isothiocyano, methylsulfonyloxy, thio(C.sub.1 -C.sub.2)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.2)alkoxy, carbamoyloxy of the formula (--OC(O)N(R.sup.3).sub.2), thiocarbamoylthio of the formula (--SC(S)N(R.sup.3).sub.2), hydroxy, azide, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkylcarbonyloxy, phenylcarbonyloxy, phenoxy, phenylthio, trifluoromethylcarboxy, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.3)alkylthioacetyl, imidazolyl or triazolyl group;
• and when X is a phenylcarbonyloxy, phenoxy or phenylthio substituent, the phenyl moiety may be substituted with one substituent selected from the group consisting of chloro, fluoro, bromo, iodo or methyl group;
• Y and Z are each independently a hydrogen, bromo, chloro, iodo, fluoro, cyano, thiocyano, isothiocyano, methylsulfonyloxy, thio(C.sub.1 -C.sub.2)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.2)alkoxy, carbamoyloxy of the formula (--OC(O)N(R.sup.3).sub.2), hydroxy, azide or (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkylcarbonyloxy group and either, but not both, Y or Z may be an imidazolyl or triazolyl group;
• provided when X and Y are halogens and Z is hydrogen or X, Y and Z are all halogens, then the halogens are all the same halogen;
• further provided that when
• X is cyano, thiocyano, isothiocyano, methylsulfonyloxy, thio(C.sub.1 -C.sub.2)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.2)alkoxy, carbamoyloxy of the formula (--OC(O)N(R.sup.3).sub.2), thiocarbamoylthio of the formula (--SC(S)N(R.sup.3).sub.2), azide, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkylcarbonyloxy, phenylcarbonyloxy, phenoxy, phenylthio, trifluoromethylcarboxy, imidazolyl or triazolyl group;
• and when X is a phenylcarbonyloxy, phenoxy or phenylthio substituent, the phenyl moiety may be substituted with one substituent selected from the group consisting of chloro, fluoro, bromo, iodo or methyl group;
• Y and Z are not a hydrogen, cyano, thiocyano, isothiocyano, methylsulfonyloxy, thio(C.sub.1 -C.sub.2)alkyl, (C.sub.1 -C.sub.2)alkoxy, carbamoyloxy of the formula (--OC(O)N(R.sup.3).sub.2), azide (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkylcarbonyloxy, imidazolyl, or triazolyl group;
• R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each independently a hydrogen atom or a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)alkyl group;
• and each R.sup.3 is independently a hydrogen or a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.4)alkyl group.