Evolution and Identification of Thermo-Tolerant Hybrids in the Silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

Four thermo-tolerant lines of silkworm, Bombyx mori, (L.) viz., A HT, B HT (Chinese type) and F HT, G HT (Japanese type) were evolved by utilizing the breeding resource material (identified from initial screening at a temperature of 31 ${\pm} 1^{\circ}C$ and relative humidity 85 ${\pm}$ 5%) through conventional breeding. These tolerant lines were crossed with productive breeds and forty four hybrids were evaluated on eight economic traits by the Multiple Trait Evaluation Index Method. Ten hybrids were short-listed based on the average evaluation index value larger than 50 for eight economic traits studied. The identified ten hybrids recorded higher index values (＞ 50) for most of the traits studied. Single hybrid G ${\times}$ CSR12 indicated average index value larger than 50 for six traits viz., pupation number (58), cocoon weight (67), shell weight (65), average filament length (74), raw silk % (69), reelability % (51) except for shell ratio % (41). The standard deviation of the cocoons in the above hybrid was 8.41 in the hybrid cocoon length and width measurement. However, two selected hybrids viz., A ${\times}$ CSR5 and G ${\times}$ CSR13 recorded average index value larger than 50 for all the traits viz., pupation number (57, 60), cocoon weight (50, 54), shell weight (56, 57), shell ratio percentage (59, 53), average filament length (55, 60), raw silk percentage (63, 67) and reelability percentage (53, 53). The standard deviation of the cocoons in the two selected hybrids viz., A ${\times}$ CSR5 and G ${\times}$ CSR13 was 8.41 and 8.06 respectively in the cocoon length and width measurement.