Annual Research & Review in Biology

The success of the sericulture industry largely depends upon the quality of mulberry leaf and type of silkworm breed reared on these leaves. The rearing of season specific silkworm breeds can be instrumental in the successful rearing which will yield good cocoon crop and thereby leading to enhanced silk production. Data with respect to eleven economic parameters viz., fecundity, hatching percentage, larval weight, fifth instar larval duration, total larval duration, cocoon yield by number, cocoon yield by weight, single shell weight, single cocoon weigh, shell ratio and pupation rate was recorded, analysed statistically and subjected to multiple trait evaluation index. Significant differences were recorded in economic parameters but no specific silkworm breed performed best in all the economic parameters studied except SK-6 which performed best for most of the economic parameters, SK-1 and SK-28 showed best performance with respect to single cocoon weight and fecundity respectively. Out of nineteen silkworm breeds only nine breeds viz., SK-6, SK-28, SK-30, KSO, SK-22, SK-24, SK-1, SK-13 and CSR-4 were found promising with average evaluation index of 66.7, 58.8, 57.2, 56.6, 55.5, 54.5, 53.1, 52.6 and 50.7 respectively. These breeds could be utilized in appropriate combination in evolution of new breeds/ hybrids for the region.