Combinations of cyclohexanedione oxime herbicides and safeners

1. A herbicide-safener combination, which comprises:

(A) one or more herbicidal cyclohexanedione oximes or an agriculturally acceptable salt or metal complex thereof, selected from the group consisting of

(A1) alloxydim,

(A2) butroxydim,

(A3) clefoxydim,

(A4) clethodim,

(A5) cycloxydim,

(A6) sethoxydim,

(A7) tepraloxydim, and

(A8) tralkoxydim,

and

(B) an antidotally effective amount of one or more compounds of formula (I) or a salt thereof:

in which

(R 1 ) n is n radicals R 1 where the R 1 are identical or different and are each halogen or (C 1 –C 4 )-haloalkyl,

n is an integer from 1 to 3,

R 2 is hydrogen, (C 1 –C 6 )-alkyl, (C 1 –C 4 )-alkoxy-(C 1 –C 4 )-alkyl, (C 3 –C 6 )-cycloalkyl,

tri-(C 1 –C 4 )-alkyl-silyl or tri-(C 1 –C 4 )-alkyl-silylmethyl,

R 3 is hydrogen, (C 1 –C 6 )-alkyl, (C 1 –C 6 )-haloalkyl, (C 2 –C 6 )-alkenyl, (C 2 –C 6 )-alkynyl or (C 3 –C 6 )-cycloalkyl, and

R 4 is hydrogen or (C 1 –C 12 )-alkyl.

2. A herbicide-safener combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein component (A) is:

clethodim (A4), cycloxydim (A5) or tepraloxydim (A7) or salts thereof.

3. A herbicide-safener combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein

(R 1 ) n is n radicals R 1 where the R 1 are identical or different and are each F, Cl, Br or CF 3 ,

n is 2 or 3,

R 2 is hydrogen or (C 1 –C 4 )-alkyl,

R 3 is hydrogen, (C 1 –C 4 )-alkyl, (C 2 –C 4 )-alkenyl or (C 2 –C 4 )-alkynyl, and

R 4 is hydrogen or (C 1 –C 8 )-alkyl.

4. A herbicide-safener combination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein component (B) is, ethyl 1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-(ethoxycarbonyl)-5-methyl-2-pyrazoline-3-carboxylate.

5. A herbicide-safener combination as claimed in claim 4 , wherein component (A) is clethodim (A4) or a salt thereof.

6. A herbicide-safener combination as claimed in claim 4 , wherein component (A) is cycloxydim (A5) or a salt thereof.

7. A herbicide-safener combination as claimed in claim 4 , wherein component (A) is tepraloxydim (A7) or a salt thereof.

8. A herbicide-safener combination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the active compounds (A) and (B) are present in a weight ratio of from 200:1 to 1:200.

9. A herbicidal composition which comprises a herbicide-safener combination as defined in claim 1 and additionally contains formulation auxiliaries.

10. A method for protecting crop plants against phytotoxic side-effects of a herbicide (A), which comprises application of an antidotally effective amount of one or more safeners (B) before, after or simultaneous with the application of herbicide (A) to the plants, parts of plants, plant seeds or the area under cultivation, herbicide (A) and safener (B) being defined as in claim 1 .

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein component (B) is, ethyl 1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-(ethoxycarbonyl)-5-methyl-2-pyrazoline-3-carboxylate.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein component (A) is clethodim (A4) or a salt thereof.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein component (A) is cycloxydim (A5) or a salt thereof.

14. A method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein component (A) is tepraloxydim (A7) or a salt thereof.

15. A method for selectively controlling weeds in crops of useful plants which comprises application of a herbicide-safener combination as claimed in claim 1 to the plants wherein compounds (A) and (B) are applied simultaneously, separately or sequentially.

16. A method as claimed in claim 15 , wherein component (B) is, ethyl 1-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)-5-(ethoxycarbonyl)-5-methyl-2-pyrazoline-3-carboxylate.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein component (A) is clethodim (A4) or a salt thereof.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein component (A) is cycloxydim (A5) or a salt thereof.

19. A method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein component (A) is tepraloxydim (A7) or a salt thereof.