Abstract: N-Phenylsulfonyl-N'-pyrimidinylureas of the general formula ##STR1## and the salts thereof with amines, alkali metal or alkaline earth metal bases or with quaternary ammonium bases, have good pre- and postemergence selective herbicidal and growth regulating properties. In the above formulaA is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl radical which is substituted by C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkoxy, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylthio, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylsulfinyl, or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkylsulfonyl,X is oxygen, sulfur, a sulfinyl or sulfonyl bridge,Z is oxygen or sulfur,m is 1 or 2,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, halogen or alkoxyalkyl of at most 4 carbon atoms,R.sub.5 and R.sub.