Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

EFFECT OF FEEDING ADMIXTURE OF LEAVES OF DIFFERENT MULBERRY VARIETIES ON GROWTH PARAMETERS OF SILKWORM BOMBYX MORI L.

M. M. Kalshetti, C.B. Latpate and N.A. Rasal

Abstract

Sericulture is an agro-based rural industry combining the features of agriculture and village industry. India is the only country in the world producing all the four types of natural textile silks from silk worms viz., Mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), Tasar silkworm (Antheraea mylitta D.), Muga silkworm (Antheraea assamensis) and Eri silkworm (Philosamia ricini). Of the four species, the mulberry silkworm is reared on large scale. Disease free eggs of silkworm bivoltine hybrid CSR4 x CSR2 were utilized. The treatments were leaves of M-5(100%), V-1(100%), S-1635(100%), M-5+V-1(60%+40%), S-1635+V-1(60%+40%), M-5+S-1635 (60%+40%), V-1+M-5 (50%+50%), M-5+V-1+S-1635 (in equal proportion). The observations were recorded on the different economic traits of silkworm B. mori L. All the growth parameters of silkworm were found to be superior in the case of those larvae which were reared on 100% leaves of V-1, compared to 100 % leaves of M-5 (control treatment).