Transmission of cabbage black ringspot virus to turnip plants by Myzus persicae (Sulz.) was reduced by foliar sprays of five parts per million gibberellic acid together with 0·2% ammonium nitrate, but not by each applied separately. The reduction occurred at 10°C but not 15, 20 or 25°C, and at a light intensity of 10 000 lux but not at 5 000 lux. The response was usually only evident towards the end of the normal range of the incubation periods, indicating that protection was probably only achieved when relatively small amounts of inoculum were introduced. The reduced transmission could not be related to aphid behaviour but changes were found in the free proline content and fine surface structure of treated leaves, and it is suggested that the results are to be interpreted in terms of changes in host cell metabolism.