• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.24-29
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• 1986

A set of 21 crosses of F1 generation by diallel crosses from seven parent silkworm, Bombyx mori L. were used as materials to estimate genetic parameters such as gene action and combining ability. Experiments were conducted in 1985, and three characters, which are weight of cocoon, weight of cocoon layer and ration of cocoon layer, were observed. The data were analyzed for each character by Jinks', Hayman's and Griffing's methods. The result obtained are summarized as follows : 1. In Vr-Wr graphical analyses, weight of cocoon was found to be inherited in over dominance, and weight of cocoon layer and ration of cocoon layer were observed as partial dominance. 2. Estimate of additive component of variance(D) was greater than those of dominance component of variance(H) for weight of cocoon layer and ratio of cocoon layer, and positive values of F were observed for all characters. 3. Mean squares of general combining ability were higher than those of specific combining ability. 4. Variety Jam 107 was expressed as the highest GCA effects for three characters, and high SCA effects for all characters were observed in combinations of 113 $\times$Jung 14 and Jam 107 $\times$Jung 14.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.47-51
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• 2004

To evolve silkworm hybrids with higher survival and productivity and easy and effective seed cocoon production, three new evolved bivoltine hybrids of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.), created with participation of sex-limited lines at eggs and larva stage were evaluated with control Super$_1$${\times}$Hessa$_2$ hybrid at Plovdiv Agrarian University during 2000 - 2002. ANOVA analysis was employed and the performance of hybrids was observed in respect of main quantitative traits. The results obtained show significant superiority of new hybrids T$_{15}$ 4/${\times}$TBV$_{2}$24/, XT$_{215}$38/${\times}$TV$_{3}$2/, XT$_{215}$38/${\times}$B$_{2}$6/ and their reciprocal crosses over the control. They were characterized with 99% hatchability of eggs, 93-95% silkworm survival, 2.32- 2.42 g cocoon weight, 53.5-55.7 cg shell weight, 22.9-23.1% shell ratio, 1,307-1,326 m filament length, 3.08-3.17 denier, 95-96% reelability, 44.4-45.1% silk ratio, 569-593 number of normal eggs per lying and 347-364 mg weight of normal eggs per lying. Newly evolved hybrids were manifested high productivity, 41.0-43.6 kg cocoon yield and 7.33-7.78 kg raw silk yield per one box (20,000$\pm$200 viable eggs), which significant surpass the control Super$_1$${\times}$Hessa$_2$ hybrid with 7.6-14.4% and 10.8-17.6%, respectively. T$_{15}$ 4/${\times}$TBV$_{2}$24/ and XT$_{215}$38/${\times}$TV$_{3}$2/ were considered as highly productive hybrids to local conditions and found suitable to rear in spring season.n.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.189-194
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• 2002

Silkworm diseases are major constraint in silk cocoon production. Among silkworm diseases, white muscar-dine is highly contagious and most common in winter and rainy seasons. It is suggested that hemocytes involve in defense against invasion of Beauveria bassi-ana and systemic fungicide/chemicals prevent the proliferation of fungi in the hemolymph or preventing the growth of the fungi in the body cavity through enhancing the hemocyte mediated defense response. In the present study the influence of systemic fungicide on hematological changes in silkworms infected with Beauveria bassiana was reported. It is observed that the total hemocyte counts increased in the hemolymph up to 5 days post inoculation in systemic fungicide treated batches while in the inoculated control the increase was up to 3 days indicating the positive hemocyte mediated response in silkworm treated with systemic fungicide. After 2 days in the inoculated control as the multiplication and growth of mycelia increased, defense capacity of the silkworm was decreased. The biochemical changes were also observed in the hemolymph of silkworm infected with B. bassiana. In silkworm infected with Beauveria bassi-ana, the total protein content increased whereas total carbohydrate and total lipids decreased as the infection progresses. In the case of systemic fungicide treated batches the increase in total protein content was comparatively higher and decrease in total carbohydrate and lipids were comparatively lower than the inoculated control.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 1998

Entomopathogenic nematodes, Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae, were isolated from the soil of mulberry field, and the high infectivity and invesiveness were confirmed in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. The cause of non-microbial and acute flacherie was found as an disease by infection with soil-born nematodes through the mulberry leaves contaminated with soil and rainwater. The causal nematodes were isolated by silkworm trap from all of the 5 soil samples collected on the 5 mulberry fields, and identified as 3 strains of Heterorhabditis sp. and 2 of Steinernema sp. Rainwater itself, however, wasn't engaged in the silkworm disease, mulberry leaves with rainwater was rather profitable for cocoon production when the leaf quality was too hard to feed silkworm. Feeding of wet mulberry leaves with rain might not so harm to silkworm when the condition of rearing room to be kept at suitable temperature and ventilated well. Nematode infection of silkworm could be occurred by harvesting and feeding of contaminated mulberry leaves on the weather condition of rainy and wind. For the prevention of nematode infection, silkworms should be fed the leaves harvested from the higher portion of the mulberry tree in rainy days. For an oppositional application of this susceptibility of silkworms to nematode, might be useful on the collection and amplification of nematode agents for biotic control of pest insects.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2008

Under the all India programme of evaluation of mulberry and silkworm genotypes, twelve bivoltine silkworm breeds obtained from Central Silkworm Germplasm Resource Centre, Hosur (CSGRC) were evaluated at the bivoltine silkworm breeding laboratory, Central Sericultural Research & Training Institute, Mysore (CSR&TI). These breeds were tested during September-October 2003, August-September 2004 and February-March 2005. The average temperature and humidity during September-October 2003 was $26.5^{\circ}C$ and 72.6% RH, while during August-September 2004, it was $26.5^{\circ}C$ and 75.2% RH and during February-March 2005 it was $24^{\circ}C$ and 48% RH respectively. The performance of the breeds in respect of 21 traits was studied and statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (Singh and Choudhary, 1985). Silkworm breeds were short-listed using multiple trait evaluation index method as suggested by Mano et at., (1993). Evaluation Index values were calculated for all the 11 traits of economic importance and six breeds were short-listed based on average index value 50 and above 50. Two breed viz., BV 183 (SMGS-1) have recorded average E.I. >50 in 10 traits (except in neatness) and ranked first and the breed BV 262 (SMGS9) with E.I. value >50 in nine traits except in cocoon weight and neatness ranked second, in the order of merit. These two breeds may be selected as resource material for evolving region specific silkworm breeds.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 2004

A new silkworm variety, Kumhwangjam, with a sex-limited cocoon color for spring rearing season is F$_1$ hybrid between Jam 309, a Japanese race bred from Y1/9153, and Jam 310, a Chinese race from Y1/8586. In the local adaptability test performed at 8 local areas in spring rearing season of 2003, major characteristics of Kumhwangjam were mainly similar to those of the check variety Kumokjam. The new silkworm variety, Kumhwangjam, showed a sex-limited cocoon color: yellow for female and white for male with elliptical cocoon shape. This sex-limited cocoon color can be used as a valuable marker for discrimination between female and male for various purposes.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 2004

In order to investigate the effects of supplementary nutrients on silkworms, Bombyx mori, an experiment was conducted with ascorbic acid treatments. Dietary supplements of ascorbic acid 1, 2 and 3% were fed to silkworm larvae through 1st to 5th instar, The larvae were fed by mulberry loaves of Kokoso variety and the supplementary loaves were used once a day. These treatments resulted in a significant increase of biological parameters such as larval weight, the rate of food consumption and the approximate digestibility of the food. But the economical parameters such as cocoon weight and cocoon shell weight didnt show considerable difference compared to control. Dietary supplement of 2% ascorbic acid increased the larval weight by 7.8% and reached to 1.065g, which had the highest weight increase in the fourth day of 4th instar larvae. The percentage of daily weight increase in this group of larvae (79.01%) had significant difference compared with other treatments. The nutritional efficiency index in this group of larvae was better than others. Also the abundance of biochemical macromolecules such as glucose, cholesterol, triacylglycerol and urea in haemolymph of larvae fed by 2% ascorbic acid increased to become 29.75 (mg/㎗), 24 (mg/㎗), 75.4(mg/㎗) and 32.1(mg/㎗) respectively. But protein contents of haemolymph of larvae in each treatment were not significantly different. Since all the results achieved were not considerable either statistically or economically, this method could not be recommended to improve the sericultural parameters.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2001

The effect of topical application with naphthoxyacetic acid on economic parameters was analyzed following treatment of fifth instar larvae. Larvae treated during the fifth instar showed significant increase in larval weight along with other enhanced larval, cocoon and adult parameters. The larval period was significantly shortened in all the treated groups with increased cocoon and shell weights in male and shell weight in female in 400 ${\mu}g$/ml treated group and filament length in all the treated groups. Fecundity increased significantly in dose dependent manner in all the treated groups, when compared to that of the carrier control group. This suggests that naphthoxyacetic acid, in addition to affecting larval growth, also affect silk production and reproductive performance.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.180-183
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• 2010

This study was conducted out to select a silkworm variety suitable for synnemata production of Isaria tenuipes. Four kinds of the mulberry silkworm varieties, Bombyx mori, were hybridized using a Japanese parental line and a Chinese parental line, and used to test for synemata formation in I. tenuipes. The larval period of normal silkworms was 22 hr longer than the silkworms inoculated with this fungus. Among the silkworm varieties tested, Hachojam had the shortest larval period with 23.02 days. The non-cocooning silkworm had a shorter larval period than the cocoon producing silkworms. The pupation rate of normal silkworms was about 9% higher than that of silkworms sprayed with I. tenuipes. Hachojam had the highest infection rate at 99.8%, but no significant difference was observed for the infection rate by silkworm variety. The production of synnemata was the best in JS171 $\times$ CS188 with an incidence rate of 99.3%, followed by Hachojam, and Chugangjam. The synnemata produced from Hachojam were the heaviest and showed white or milky-white in color.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.51-56
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• 2006

Use of products containing phytoecdysteroid (PE) as active principle has become popular in prominent sericultural areas of India for hastening larval maturation events and synchronizing cocoon spinning activities as an obvious advantage is assured. At times, the present recommendation of administering PE at the onset of spinning results in peak labour requirement at odd hrs. To enable making recommendation for the use of PE on $multi{\times}bivoltine$ silkworm hybrids based on the climatic conditions prevailing in different areas especially with regard to temperature, the experiment was taken up to determine proper treatment times so that the induced spinning will be more orderly and the labour can be leveraged more efficiently. Different brackets of low ($18-22^{\circ}C$), medium ($24-28^{\circ}C$) and high ($29-32^{\circ}C$) temperature were simulated during the latter half of V larval instar and cocoon spinning. PE was administered to $multi{\times}bivoltine$ silkworm ($BL67{\times}CSR101$) hybrid batches as per the recommended dose at three different times viz., 10 am, 4 pm and 10 pm. Three replicates of 100 larvae were maintained for each treatment. Absolute controls were also maintained in each temperature range to compare the results. Cumulative maturation percentage was recorded at 6 hrs interval to ascertain peak mounting span. The influence of the treatment on the cocoon traits also was studied. Based on the peak mounting span, it was evident that in low temperature 10 pm treatment would be better. In medium and high temperature, treatment at 4 pm proved to be a better option. The influence of the treatment times at different temperature range on labour management is discussed.