Diphenyl sulfone compounds, and their production and use

A diphenyl sulfone compound of the formula:wherein R, and R2 are the same or different, each being a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a lower alkenyloxy group, a lower alkynyloxy group, a phenoxy group, a lower alkylthio group, a lower alkylsulfonyl group or a lower alkoxycarbonyl(lower)alkoxy group, R3 is a hydroxyl group, a lower alkenyloxy group, a lower alkynyloxy group, a halo(lower)alkoxy group, a dihalo-(lower)alkoxy group, a lower alkoxy(lower)alkoxy group, a cyano(lower)alkoxy group, a lower alkoxycyano(lower)alkoxy group, a hydroxy(lower)alkoxy group, a lower alkylcarbonyloxy group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group, a lower alkylthio(lower)alkoxy group, a lower alkenyloxy(lower)alkoxy group, a di(lower)alkylamino(lower)alkoxy group, a hydroxyimino(lower)alkoxy group, a lower alkoxyimino-(lower)alkoxy group, a lower alkylsulfonyloxy group, a lower alkoxycarbonyloxy group, a di(lower)alkoxyphosphinyloxy group, an oxotetrahydrofuranyloxy group, a tetrahydropyranyloxy group, a lower alkyl-1,3-oxolanyl(lower)alkoxy group or a group of the formula: -O-A-COR4 (in which A is lower alkylene, lower alkenylene, lower alkyleneoxy, halo-(lower)alkylene or lower alkoxy(lower)alkylene and R4 is hydroxyl, lower alkyl, halo(lower)alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkenyloxy, lower alkynyloxy, halo(lower)alkoxy, lower alkoxy(lower)alkoxy, cyano(lower)alkoxy, lower alkoxycarbonyl(lower)alkoxy, di(lower)alkylamino, N-(a-lower alkyl-(lower)alkylidene)aminoxy or lower alkylthio) and X is a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom, which is useful as a herbicide.