PURPOSE: To provide a bicycloheptanedione derivative useful as an active component for a herbicide exhibiting selectivity to corn and a herbicidal composition exhibiting high herbicidal effect against green foxtail, cocklebur, etc., which are serious weeds corn field.
CONSTITUTION: The compound of formula III (one of R1 and R2 is CH3 and the other is H or lower alkoxycarbonyl) and its salt, e.g. 3-(3-methoxy-2- methyl-4-methylsulfonylbenzoyl)-trans-5-ethoxycarbonyl-cis-5-methyl-cis- bicyclo[4,1,0]heptane-2,4-dione. In the objective compounds, the compound of formula I (A is group of formula IV) can be produced by hydrolyzing a compound of formula II-1 (R is lower alkyl) in the presence of a base in a solvent. The herbicide or herbicide composition containing the compound, or the compound and atrazine, cyanazine, bentazone, bromoxynil, 2,4-D, dicamba, nicosulfuron, etc., exhibits the above effects.
TANAKA KATSUNORI
KAWANA TAKASHI
HOSAKA HIDEO
