Impact of Mulberry Varieties and Genotypes on Silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) Larval and Cocoon Parameters
R. Naveen Kumar
Department of Sericulture, Government of Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu, India.
T. Bhuvaneshwari *
Department of Sericulture, Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu, India.
R. Durgadevi
Department of Sericulture, Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu, India.
G. Anusuya
Department of Sericulture, Forest College and Research Institute, Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Sericulture is one of the important disciplines of agriculture which includes two major components i.e., mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing. Sericulture helps the farmers to increase their economic status with lower investment. Mulberry is predominantly cultivated to rear the silkworm in respect to the production of quality silk materials. Mulberry is one of the prominent crop in silkworm rearing and the quality and quantity of the mulberry leaves determines the outcome of cocoon crop. In this research study, a total number of 5 varieties and one genotype (C 2038, S36, MR2, V1, G4 and Morus indica) from different mulberry species were already screened based on the preliminary physiological and leaf yield analysis were taken to analyze the performance of silkworm double hybrid ((CSR6 X CSR 26) X (CSR 2X CSR 27)) in two different seasons and the important economic parameters i.e. weight of 5th instar larvae, Single cocoon weight, Single shell weight, Shell ratio, Filament length, Silk filament weight, Renditta, Denier and ERR (Effective Rate of Rearing) were observed.
Keywords: Mulberry, genotypes, silkworm rearing, cocoon crop, sericulture