USE OF QUINOLINE DERIVATIVE FOR PROTECTING CULTURAL PLANTS

The invention relates to the use of quinoline derivatives of formula wherein R1, R2 and R3 are each independently hydrogen, halogen, nitro, cyano, C1-C4alkyl or C1-C3alkoxy, R4, R5 and R6 are each independently hydrogen, halogen or C1-C3alkyl, A is a group selected from -CH2-, -CH2-CH2- or -CH(CH3)- and Z is (a) cyano or amidoxime which may be acylated at the oxygen atom, or (b) a carboxyl group or a salt thereof, a mercaptocarbonyl group or a salt thereof, an esterified carboxyl group, a thiocarbonyl group, an unsubstituted or a substituted carbamoyl group, a cyclized unsubstituted or substituted derivative of a carbamoyl group, or is a carbonohydrazido group; or A and Z together are an unsubstituted or a substituted tetrafuran-2-one ring. and the acid addition salts and metal complexes thereof, for protecting cultivated plants from the harmful effects of herbicidally active derivatives of (4,5-dihydro-4-oxo-1H-imidaszol-2-yl)benzoic acid, (4,5-dihydro-4-oxo-1H-imidazo-1-2-yl)nicotinic acid and (4,5-dihydro-4-oxo-1H-imidazol-2-yl)quinolinecarboxylic acid. The above mentioned herbicidal derivatives have the formula II (II) wherein R' is hydrogen, C1-C4alkyl, the ammonium cation or an organic ammonium cation, R1' is C1-C4alkyl, R2' is C1-C4alkyl or C3-C6cycloalkyl, or R1' and R2' together are C4alkylene or C5alkylene, M is the structural unit =CH- or =N-, X and Y are each independently of the other hydrogen, C1-C4alkyl or halogen or, if M is =N-, are additionally the structural unit -C(X1)=C(X2)- C(X3)=C(X4)-, wherein X1, X2, X3 and X4 are hydrogen or one or two of X1, X2, X3 and X4 are C1-C4alkyl and the others are hydrogen.