Substituted 2-phenylpyridines I ##STR1## R.sup.1,R.sup.3 =H, halogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy, OH, haloalkoxy, alkylcarbonyloxy, haloalkylcarbonyloxy, SH, alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, haloalkylthio, haloalkylsulfinyl, haloalkylsulfonyl, CHO, CN, CO.sub.2 H, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxyalkoxycarbonyl, haloalkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbonyl, haloalkylcarbonyl, alkoxyalkylcarbonyl, CONH.sub.2, alkyl-aminocarbonyl, dialkylaminocarbonyl, pyrrolidinyl-carbonyl piperidylcarbonyl, morpholinylcarbonyl, NO.sub.2, NH.sub.2, alkylamino, dialkylamino, pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl, morpholinyl, alkylcarbonylamino, haloalkylcarbonylamino, alkylsulfonylamino; R.sup.2 =halogen, CN, NO.sub.2, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxy, haloalkoxy, alkylthio, haloalkylthio; or R.sup.1 +R.sup.2 or R.sup.2 +R.sup.3 =trimethylene or tetramethylene chain;R.sup.4 =halogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, alkoxy, alkoxyalkoxy, OH, haloalkoxy, alkylcarbonyloxy, haloalkylcarbonyloxy, SH, alkylthio, alkylsulfinyl, alkylsulfonyl, haloalkylthio, haloalkylsulfinyl, haloalkylsulfonyl, CHO, CN, CO.sub.2 H, alkoxycarbonyl, alkoxyalkoxycarbonyl, haloalkoxycarbonyl, alkylcarbonyl, haloalkylcarbonyl, alkoxyalkylcarbonyl, NO.sub.2, NH.sub.2, alkylamino, dialkylamino, pyrrolidinyl, piperidinyl, morpholinyl, alkylcarbonylamino, haloalkylcarbonylamino, alkylsulfonylamino; R.sup.5 =hydrogen or halogen; R.sup.6 =halogen, CN, NO.sub.2, OH, CF.sub.3, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy; R.sup.7 =various radicals; and the N-oxides of I and the agriculturally utilizable salts of I where these exist, excepting those compounds I where R.sup.2 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy and R.sup.1 and/or R.sup.3 is carboxyl or the salt, ester or amide thereof.