• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2004

Bombyx mori densonucleosis virus type 1 (BmDNV1)- a non occluded virus causes flacherie disease in the susceptible stocks of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. However, some stocks are non-susceptible. Non-susceptibility to BmDNV1 in B. mori is a unique case where the virus infection is completely inhibited by a single gene of the host. A survey conducted by this institute in some parts of Karnataka state has revealed that, 43.05% of the total incidence of flacherie disease caused by non-occluded viruses, are due to the synergistic infection of B. mori densonucleosis and infectious flacherie virus. Earlier study indicated that rearing of BmDNV1 resistant silkworm stock is effective in protecting silkworm against BmIFV also. In the present study the response of 78 silkworm stocks which include 42 of non-diapausing and 36 of diapausing groups, to BmDNV1 is investigated. Newly ecdysed third instar larvae were inoculated per-os with 10% inoculum of BmDNV1 extracted from the mid-gut of infected silkworm. One non-diapausing and three diapausing silkworm stocks were found to be resistant to BmDNV1. Eleven silkworm stocks were found to possess moderate resistance whereas rest sixty three were found to be susceptible to BmDNV1. Genetic analysis has shown that the resistance to BmDNV1 is autosomally inherited and controlled by a major dominant or a major recessive gene in different silkworm stocks. These resistant stocks can be utilized as the resource material to develop BmDNV1 resistant commercial hybrids. The selection strategies, depending upon the mode of inheritance of resistance in the resource material chosen, are discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.109-112
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• 2006

The use of commercial silkworm hybrids resistant to important silkworm diseases is economical and better option particularly in tropical areas. This necessitated the evolution of productive bivoltine silkworm breeds non-susceptible to $BmDNV_1$. Non-susceptibility to $BmDNV_1$, infection was found to be controlled by a single recessive gene, nsd-l or a dominant gene, Nid-l. A major dominant/recessive gene confers resistance to $BmDNV_1$, from potent donor parents have been transferred to 10 productive but susceptible bivoltine silkworm strains through conventional breeding methods. By utilizing these breeds prepared 25 hybrids $(5{\times}5)$ and hybrid evaluation was carried out to identify most promising hybrids resistant to $BmDNV_1$. All these hybrids are inoculated with $BmDNV_1$ inoculum along with productive control hybrid $CSR2{\times}CSR4$ and reared under standard rearing procedure. Based on inoculated rearing and test reeling results, two most promising hybrids $(CSR18DR{\times}CSR29DR\;and\;CSR21DR{\times}CSR50DR)$ were selected for commercial exploitation. The selected hybrids have shown a survival rate of >85% with productive traits, where as control hybrid have shown 11.1% survival with inferior cocoon traits. The methodologies adopted were discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.145-149
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• 2003

Seeing inadequate disinfection and unhygenic condition in rearing area, use of disease resistant silkworm variety is the best option. In order to this, an attempt has been made to develop the resistance to Bombyx mori densonucleosis virus (BmDNV-2) into a susceptible silkworm breed Zhenon1 by cross breeding with a resistant silkworm breed SU12 and exposing the subsequent generations to BmDNV-2 followed by the selection of individuals from the surviving batches. After seven generation the evolved DNV-2 resistant strain showed the significantly higher resistance to BmDNV-2 than control Zhenon1. The economic characters of both of the breeds were almost on par.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.73-77
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• 2006

Combining ability and hybrid vigour analysis was carried out in hybrids between newly developed non-susceptible lines to BmDNV1 and popular bivoltine breeds for certain quantitative traits viz. Pupation rate, Cocoon yield, Cocoon weight, Cocoon shell weight and Cocoon shell ratio, Survival rate against BmIFV and BmNPV. General combining ability (GCA) effects revealed that among the lines CSR2DR was found good general combiner exhibiting significant GCA effects for six characters, out of seven traits evaluated. Among testers CSR28DR was found as good combiner exhibiting significant GCA effects for six traits. Out of 36 hybrids made between $resistant{\times}resistant,\;resistant{\times}susceptible\;and\;susceptible{\times}susceptible$ breeds, one hybrid $CSR21DR{\times}CSR28DR$ exhibited significant SCA effects for six traits. The selected hybrid $CSR21DR{\times}CSR28DR$ also exhibited significant positive heterosis and heterobeltiosis expressions for maximum traits and could be exploited as commercial silkworm hybrid resistant to important viral diseases.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.135-138
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• 2005

Two pairs of DNA primers were designed for the detection of the Zhenjiang (China) strain of Bombyx mori densonucleosis virus (BmDNV-Z). These primers were designed from the nucleotide sequence of major structural protein gene (putative VD1-ORF2). PCR amplification was attempted from different issues (including silk gland, blood, skin and midgut) and feces of the silkworm which infected wit BmDNV-Z were amplified by PCR. Both of the primers gave expected size of in the DNA bands from midgut and feces, but not in the DNA of silk gland, blood and skin. The two bands were sequenced, and their sequence were same as the sequence designed for. BmDNV-Z could be successfully detected in single silkworm after it was infected for 12 hrs, and could not be detected before 9 hrs after infected.