Effect of Tukra (Mealybug) Infected Mulberry Leaves on the Quantitative Traits of New Polyvoltine Strain of Silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

摘要

The influencing effect of tukra infected mulberry leaves on 5th instar polyvoltine silkworm breed of APM sub(1),rearing was studied since, the maximum leaves consuming at this stage of silkworm life cycle and by utilizing non-infected healthy leaves as control. Interestingly in the experimental batch, larval duration was found to be 12 h lesser than the control batch. Mulberry leaves consumption efficiency and economical characters of silkworm like larval weight, pupation rate, cocoon weight, shell weight and reeling parameters were found higher in the experimental batch than the control batch. The result indicated that tukra infected mulberry feed has no adverse effect on silkworm rearing. Moreover, overall improvement was noticed in tukra infected leaves fed batch and sturdily suggest that even mealybug infected mulberry leaves can also be effectively utilized for the silkworm rearing in acute shortage of healthy mulberry leaves.