Tritrophic interactions between cabbage cultivars with different resistance and fertilizer levels, cruciferous aphids and parasitoids under field conditions.

Tritrophic interactions involving cabbage Brassica oleracea var. capitata cultivars +/- fertilizer, Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus) and Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and the parasitoids Diaeretiella rapae (M'cIntosh) and Aphidius sp. were conducted in 1998 and 1999. Brevicorne brassicae was the dominant aphid species on all cultivars +/- fertilizer, except for some treatments in late season 1998. Ruby Ball (red-leaved with antixenosis factors for B. brassicae alates) +/- fertilizer was consistently less colonized by aphids in early stages of plant growth, although only significantly so compared with Derby Day (green-leaved, susceptible to aphids) without fertilizer for B. brassicae and Minicole (green-leaved with antibiosis factors for B. brassicae) with fertilizer for M. persicae. In early 1999, only B. brassicae was present and no significant differences between cultivars were seen. In the mid to late season 1998, the highest aphid infestations were usually found on Derby Day, although only significantly so for B. brassicae, in some treatments. In 1999, higher aphid infestations were observed on Derby Day in mid to late season and some significant differences were found for M. persicae as well as for B. brassicae. In both years, Ruby Ball had the greatest mummy:aphid ratios early season, with no consistent difference between the other cultivars. Later in the season, mummy:aphid ratios were generally highest on Minicole. Parasitism differed in seasonal occurrence and relative abundance. Diaeretiella rapae mummies were found earlier than Aphidius sp. There was evidence of a beneficial interaction between the degree of plant resistance and biological control in early to mid season.