• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.107-112
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• 2004

The combining abilities in the 5 newly evolved thermo tolerant breeds viz., SR6, SR7, SR8 SR9 and SR10 of silkworm Bombyx mori L. and their 15 hybrids were made in a line${\times}$tester crossing programme. Data were analysed for seven quantitative traits i.e., pupation rate, cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, filament length and raw silk percentage under optimum room temperature $(25{\pm}{1^{\circ}C})$ conditions (In case of high temperature $(36{\pm}{1^{\circ}C})$ stress conditions five economic traits except filament length and raw silk percentage) with 3 widely adapted testers i.e., KA, CSR2 and CC1 as lines (females) and testers (males) respectively. The performance at high temperature and low humidity conditions aye only taken into consideration for selecting the best lines/hybrids. Among the lines SR6 exhibited positive General combining ability (GCA) effects for pupation rate, cocoon yield, cocoon weight and cocoon shell ratio traits, followed by SR7 for pupation rate, cocoon yield and cocoon shell weight and cocoon shell ratio. Among testers, KA exhibited positive GCA effects for two quantitative traits cocoon yield, cocoon weight and CSR2 for cocoon shell weight and cocoon shell ratio under adverse temperature conditions. The hybrid SR6${\times}$CC1 and SR7${\times}$CSR2 exhibited significant positive Specific combining ability (SCA) effects for majority of the traits in high temperature stress conditions of rearing. The better parent value of heterosis(Heterobeltiosis) was exhibited by the hybrid SR6${\times}$CC1 for pupation rate, cocoon yield, cocoon weight and cocoon shell weight and SR7${\times}$CSR2 for all the trails evaluated under high temperature conditions. Based on the results, the lines SR6 and SR7 was judged as best combiners and the hybrids SR6${\times}$CC1 and SR7${\times}$CSR2 can be selected for commercial exploitation in tropical climate.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2004

Studies on heterotic expression in the silk productivity of 66 thermo-tolerant bivoltine hybrids reared under high temperature $(36{\times}1^{\circ}C)$ and low humidity (60${\times}$5%) conditions revealed that manifestation of heterosis was highly significant for majority of the quantitative traits contributing to more cocoon productivity. Observations were made on 8 economically important traits such as fecundity, pupation rate, cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, cocoon filament length and raw silk. Analysis of variance results revealed great deal of variability indicating significant (P < 0.001) variations. Out of 66 hybrids, 7 hybrids exhibited positive heterosis for seven traits and 4 hybrids expressed significant hetero-beltiosis for 6 traits, out of 8 traits evaluated. Based on results, the hybrids ${SR_1} {\times} {SR_5}and {CSR_2} {\times} {SR_5}$ are adjudged as most promising ones and can be exploited commercially in tropical climates to increase the cocoon productivity.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2002

The general and specific combining abilities and hybrid vigour of seven polyvoltine breeds [BL24, BL62, BL6S, BL67, BL68, BL69, and Pure Mysore (PM)] with five bivoltine breeds (NB4D2, CSR2, CSR5, CSR18 and CSR19) were evaluated in a line ${times}$ tester design by analysing six quantitative traits viz., fecundity, yield 110,000 larvae both by number and weight, cocoon weight, shell weight and cocoon shell ratio. ANOVA estimates showed significant effects for all the traits indicating the role of both additive and non- additive gene actions. Estimation of GCA revealed that the breed BL67 exhibited significant positive effects toy all the six traits followed by BL68 for four important economic traits viz., fecundity, cocoon weight, shell weight and cocoon shell ratio. Among testers, CSR5 showed significant GCA effects for five traits whereas CSR2 exhibited for shell weight and shell ratio. Three hybrids viz., BL67${times}$ NB4D2, BL67 ${times}$CSR5 and BL67${times}$ CSR19 excelled in four quantitative traits for SCA. Majority of the hybrids expressed positive hybrid vigour for cocoon yield/10,000 larvae by weight, cocoon weight and shell weight. Four hybrids namely PM ${times}$ NB4D2, BL67 ${times}$NB4D2, BL67${times}$ CSR5 and BL67${times}$ CSR19 manifesting positive hybrid vigour for five economic traits were adjudicated as best Heterotic hybrids and recommended for commercial exploitation to increase the silk yield.

• 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.14 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2007

The response of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. to phytoecdysteroid (PE) when administered at different ages of $5^{th}$ instar was studied in the popular bivoltine ($CSR2{\times}CSR4$) and multi${\times}$bivoltine ($PM{\times}CSR2$) silkworm hybrids, reared on the Victory-1 variety of mulberry leaves. PE was administered to $5^{th}$ instar silkworm per os at a rate of $250{\mu}g$ per 100 larvae to different batches of silkworm at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 hrs and at the onset of cocoon spinning when a few larvae were ripe. The larval and mounting duration, cocoon yield and cocoon characters were influenced by PE. The intensity of influence was dependent on the time of application. The larvae treated at the beginning of the instar, improved the economic traits significantly with a marginal increase in larval duration. In the larvae treated at the middle of the instar, larval duration was shortened remarkably but the economic traits were adversely affected. This particular treatment can become a good management strategy in the case of mulberry leaf shortage or disease incidence. In the larvae treated at the onset of cocoon spinning, the mounting duration was substantially reduced without much effect on the cocoon traits which would be a big benefit in commercial sericulture. The physiological significance of varied response of silkworm to PE administration is discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.171-178
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• 2003

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.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.7-16
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• 2012

To meet the local requirement i.e. the tropical stress of Andhra Pradesh and marginal farmers, twenty four new hybrid combinations were tested in Line x Tester method involving eight newly developed polyvoltine oval lines viz., MSO1, MSO2, MSO3, MSO4, MSO5, MSO6, MSO7 and MSO8 and three bivoltine silkworm breeds viz., APS12, APS45 and APS8 as testers. These hybrids were reared to evaluate their performance. Data for eight economically important metric traits viz., fecundity, cocoon yield per 10,000 larvae by number, cocoon yield per 10,000 larvae by weight, survival rate, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio and filament length was recorded. General combining ability (gca), specific combining ability (sca) and heterosis were analyzed. Further, the relative merit of the hybrids for all the traits under study was also assessed adopting Evaluation Index method. Based on combining ability effects, heterosis and evaluation index, five hybrid combinations viz., MSO3 $\times$ APS45, MSO1 $\times$ APS12, MSO7 $\times$ APS8, MSO2 $\times$ APS45 and MSO1 $\times$ APS45 were selected for further evaluation in different seasons.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 2009

A study has been made to know the effect of a phytoecdysteroid 'Sampoorna' on uniform maturation of silkworms during spinning and its effect on diseased silkworms infected by major silkworm disease viruses, Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) and Bombyx mori infectious flacherie virus (BmIFV). In the present investigation, the effect of the phytoecdysteroid "Sampoorna" on Grasserie disease caused by BmNPV have shown an average cocoon melting of 11.91% with a disease incidence of 5.83%. The values of 't' test for different treatments of BmNPV indicated low survival rate and cocoon traits were drastically reduced. Another major disease Flacherie caused by BmIFV has shown considerable levels of larval disease incidence (22-32%) and cocoon melting (3-7.67%) with an average melting of 12.95% and 20.24% disease incidence. There is a drastic reduction in survival rate, cocoon yield and other economic traits. The control batches were indicated negligible values for disease incidence and cocoon melting with Sapoorna application and without the inoculation of the two disease-causing viruses. The application of Sampoorna on already infected batches with major pathogens triggered high mortality and disease incidence and melting percentage was also significantly increased with reduced economic traits. Hence, it is suggested that application of Sampoorna in infected batches should be done only in the extreme conditions of rearing. Application of Sampoorna on healthy batches led to uniform maturation and improvement in productivity with the added advantage of better quality cocoons and labour saving.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.37-41
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• 2002

Heterosis studies on rearing performance of 25 Fl Polyvoltine $\times$ bivoltine (sex-limited cocoon colour) hybrids revealed that manifestation of heterosis was highly significant for majority of the economic traits contributing to more silk yield. Five hybrids namely BL24${\times}$ CSR 19 (SL), BL24${\times}$${\times}$${\times}$${\times}$${\times}$

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.107-117
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• 2005

Oral supplementation of minerals mixture of potassium bromide and nickel sulphate on $CSR_2,\;CSR_4\;and\;CSR_2{\times}CSR_4$ crossbreed races with different concentrations (70, 110 and $160\;{\mu}g/ml$) were fed to the fifth instar larvae. Two of the four normal feeds per day was substituted with treated leaves fed to silkworm at fifth instar larvae. The controls were fed with the leaves sprayed with distilled water and normal leaves. The $CSR_4$ race treated larvae showed a significant increase in silkgland weight, cocooning percentage, female cocoon weight, male cocoon weight, male cocoon shell weight, male cocoon shell ratio, filament length, filament weight, denier, fecundity, number of eggs per ovariole and length of the ovariole when compared with those of the corresponding parameters of the carrier control, whereas in $CSR_2\;and\;CSR_2{\times}CSR_4$ crossbreed races showed a significant increase in larva1 weight and other parameters similar to that of $CSR_4$ race. The results suggested that the silkgland showed good response to minerals mixture of potassium bromide and nickel sulphate only in $CSR_4$ race when compared with those of other two races of the silkworm, B. mori.