Fungicidal and/or bactericidal compositions containing nitrothiophenes, and use thereof

The invention relates to new nitrothiophenes of the general formula wherein R is an alkyl group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, which alkyl group may be substituted with a phenyl group substituted, if desired, with nitro, halogen, alkyl with 1 to 4 carbon atoms or alkoxy with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, with an alkoxycarbonyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, or with a thiocyanato group, or R is a phenyl group, a pyridyl group or an N-oxypyridyl group, which groups may be substituted with nitro, halogen, alkyl with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or alkoxy with 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R1 is a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a phenyl group substituted or not substituted with nitro, halogen, alkyl with 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or alkoxy with 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R2 is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a cyano group, an alkanoyl group having 1 to 5 carbon atoms, an alpha , alpha -dialkoxyalkyl- or alpha , alpha -alkylene-dioxyalkyl group having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, a carboxy group, an alkoxycarbonyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, an alpha -hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alpha -haloalkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alpha -alkoxyalkyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxycarboximidoyl group having 2 to 5 carbon atoms, a sulpho group, an amino-, alkylamino- or dialkylamino- sulphonyl group, the alkyl group(s) of which has (have) 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or an alkoxysulphonyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and n is 0 to 2. The compositions are particularly suitable to prevent infections by phytophagous microorganisms in agriculture and horticulture. For this purpose, the seed is treated prior to sowing or the soil destined for sowing or planting is treated with the composition in a dosage from 100 to 1,500 mg of active substance per kg of seed and from 2 to 100 kg of active substance per hectare, respectively.