N-Phenylsulfonyl-N'-pyrimidinylureas and N-phenylsulfonyl-N'-triazinylureas of the general formula I ##STR1## wherein A is a radical of the formula --C.tbd.C--R,m is 1 or 2,E is the methine group or nitrogen,Z is oxygen or sulfur,R is hydrogen; unsubstituted or substituted, branched or unbranched C.sub.1 -C.sub.9 alkyl; unsubstituted or substituted C.sub.3 -C.sub.9 cycloalkyl; unsubstituted or substituted phenyl; or an unsubstituted or substituted 5- or 6-membered aromatic heterocyclic ring,R.sub.1 is hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 alkenyl or a radical --Y--R.sub.5,R.sub.2 is hydrogen, halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 alkenyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkyl, or a radical --Y--R.sub.5, --COOR.sub.6, --NO.sub.2 or --CO--NR.sub.7 --R.sub.8,R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, each independently of the other, are hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylthio, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 haloalkylthio, halogen, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 alkoxyalkyl, --NR.sub.9 R.sub.10 or --O--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --NR.sub.9 R.sub.10,R.sub.5 and R.sub.6, each independently of the other, are C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 alkenyl or C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkynyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 haloalkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 haloalkenyl or C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkoxyalkyl,R.sub.7 and R.sub.8, each independently of the other, are hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.5 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 alkenyl or C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkynyl,R.sub.9 is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl,R.sub.10 is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, methoxymethyl, cyanomethyl, cyanoethyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.5 alkenyl or C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 alkynyl, andY is oxygen, sulfur, a sulfinyl or sulfonyl bridgeand the salts of these compounds with amines, alkali metal bases or alkaline earth metal bases or with quaternary ammonium bases, have good preemergence and postemergence selective herbicidal and growth regulating properties.