• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2008

The expression of heat shock protein genes (Hsp 70, Hsp 40, Hsp 20.8 and Hsp 20.4) against thermal stress in silkworm Bombyx mori was performed through semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Upon exposure of silkworm to two temperature regimes ($38^{\circ}C$ and $42^{\circ}C$), significant change in the expression of Hsp gene was observed as compared to the control. Hsp 70 and Hsp 40 showed increased expression than the small heat shock protein genes Hsp 20.8 and Hsp 20.4. The Hsp 70 showed increased expression during the recovery period as compared to 1 hr thermal treatments ($38^{\circ}C$/1 hr and $42^{\circ}C$/1 hr). Whereas, Hsp 40, Hsp 20.8 and Hsp 20.4 genes showed higher expression level at initial stages that later gradually decrease during recovery period. Tissue specific expression of Hsp 70 showed variation in the level of expression amongst the tissues. The mid gut and fat body tissues showed higher expression than the cuticle and silk gland tissue. The Hsp 70, Hsp 40 gene expression was analyzed in thermotolerant (Nistari) and thermo susceptible silk worm strain (NB4D2) and results showed significant variation in their expression level. The Nistari showed higher expression of Hsp 70 and Hsp 40 genes than the NB4D2. These findings provide a better understanding of cellular protection mechanisms against environmental stress such as heat shock, as these Hsps are involved in an organism thermotolerance.

• 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.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.97-104
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• 1998

Mainly due to limited genetic resources available and also urgent need for hybrids suitable to local conditions, conventional theories and regular methods for bivoltine silkworm breeding are not easily applicable in such a tropical country as Sri Lanka which is recently planning to scale-up the silk industry. A simplified but practical methodology was introduced to overcome such constraints. Through application of such modified informal breeding methods, two hybrids named DP0308 and DP0314 were selected for cocoon production. Details of the altered method of germplasm improvement in the silkworm are presented, along with combining ability and heritability estimates for six parental pure lines in a half-diallel cross.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2007

Ethanol extract of 20 botanicals in 3 concentrations i.e., 2.5%, 5% and 10% were evaluated for their efficacy to improve reproductive performance of mulberry silkworm (Bombyx mod L.) through feeding botanical enriched mulberry leaves during $2^{nd}$ day of $4^{th}$ age as well as $1^{st}$ and $3^{rd}$ day of $5^{th}$ age larvae. The preliminary screening was done by ranking the botanicals based on influence in most important reproductive contributing parameters such as single cocoon weight, effective rate of rearing, pupation rate, fecundity and recovery of eggs/kg cocoon. Five botanicals viz., Asparagus recemosus, Achyranthes aspera, Tribulus terrestris, Withania somnifera, Parthenium histerophorus ranked first were further evaluated at 8% 5% and 3% concentrations to confirm their effectiveness and standardize effective concentration. Among the rearing parameters, mature larval weight, shell ratio and number of cocoons/kg were not significantly influenced by the treatments. However, reproductive parameters such as effective rate of rearing (wt), pupation rate (%), fecundity (No.) and egg recovery (g)/kg cocoon were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the botanicals. Higher fecundity and egg recovery were obtained on treatment with Withania somnifera irrespective of concentrations. However at 5% concentration, pupation rate, fecundity as well as egg recovery were found significantly higher than that of other concentrations, confirming its effectiveness for improving reproductive efficiency.

• 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.8 no.2
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• pp.211-215
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• 2004

Genetic diversity within the natural populations of Daba ecorace of Antheraea mylitta Drury was studied using individual silkworms collected from the South Singhbhum district of Jharkhand state of India with 21 inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. A total of 148 bands were produced, of which 79% was polymorphic. The pair wise genetic distance among the individuals varied from 0.186 to 0.329. The dendrogram grouped the individuals into 3 major clusters. Nei's heterozygosity analysis revealed 0.265 ${\times}$ 0.18 variability within the population. The high genetic variability present within the natural population of Daba ecorace of A. mylitta is indicative of their adaptational strategy in nature and have much importance for in situ conservation as well as utilization in breeding programs.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2002

With the objective of selecting suitable breeding resource material, 10 polyvoltine and 10 bivoltine breeds were drawn from the germplasm collection of Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Mysore, and evaluated for 3 seasons comprising one year (6 trials). Data were collected on seven traits of economic importance such as fecundity, pupation rate, cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio and filament length, and statistically analysed with two-way classification, Joint scoring method and evaluation index. Significant seasonal variations (P < 0.01) were observed in both polyvoltine and bivoltine breeds. Polyvoltines BL27, BL36 and BL54 and bivoltines CSR2, CSR4 and Daizo scored highest ranking values in all the three methods. Hybridization was initiated based on larval markings and cocoon shapes. Seasonal variations were discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 2002

Breeding programme was initiated during November, 1995 with the main objective to breed productive multivoltine breeds/ hybrids with suitable genetic constitution to suit the fluctuating tropical climate prevailed in India. Two multivoltine breeds viz., BL-24 and BL-27 selected were as breeding resource materials from the silkworm germplasm maintained at Central Sericul-tural Research and Training Institute, Mysore. By adopting hybridization, backcrossing inbreeding and selection, a new multivoltine breed namely BL-67. This breed spins light greenish yellow cocoons and cocoon shape is oval with medium to coarse grains. The evolved breed was crossed with five tropical bivoltine breeds viz., NB4D2, CSR2, CSR5, CSR18 and CSR101 to study the combining ability, and identified a superior hybrid, BL67 ${\times}$ CSR101, named as CAUVERY, The hybrid is characterized by high pupation rate (>95%), high shell weight (> 35 cg), high cocoon shell ratio (> 20%), longer filament length (> 900 m) and high neatness (93) with a renditta of 6.5 producing 2A-3A grade silk. The hybrid is selected for Race Autho-rization test of Central Silk Board.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.189-194
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• 2004

Amylase isozyme based three multivoltine viz., N+p, Np, N+ $p^{cho}$ and two bivoltine-D6+p, D6p syngenic lines (Syn. L) were developed from germplasm (GP) stocks Nistari (N) and D6 respectively. haemolymph isozyme pattern at pH 7.0 and 8.5 depicted a total 11 number (Am $y_{1 to 6}$ at pH 7.0 and Am $y^{l to 5}$ at pH 8.5) of native proteins (NP) of various sizes are amylase isozyme expressers. Among eleven NPs, two NPs of 770 kDa (Am $y^{6}$ at pH 7.0) and 376 kDa (Am $y^3$ at pH 8.5) are $\alpha$-amylase expressers and remaining NPs of 370, 364, 350, 329 and 274 kDa at pH 7.0 and 206, 292, 416, 725 kDa at pH 8.5 are $\beta$-amylase expressers. Accordingly, digestive juice amylase isozyme pattern at aforesaid pH also depicted a total number of 10 NPs (Am $y^{1 to 5}$) at each pH 7.0 and 8.5 are amylase expressers of which NP of 387 kDa (Am $y^4$ at pH 7.0) and 780 kDa (Am $y^{5}$ at pH 8.5) are a-amylase expresser. Remaining NPs of 338,297 ＆ 216 kDa at pH 7.0 and 370, 341, 329 ＆302 kDa at pH 8.5 are $\beta$-amylase expresser. Recurrent backcross lines (RBL) viz., N+pRBL and NpRBL were developed through introgression of high shell weight character (a multigenic trait) to be used further for congenic line (Con. L) development and to understand any association with introgressed character. Isozyme pattern in haemolymph of RBLs depicted only one $\alpha$-amylase of 770 kDa at pH 7.0 and 376 kDa at pH 8.0 with three and four respective $\beta$-amylase bands but in bivoltine lines numbers of $\beta$-amylase bands vary between 1 to 2 at aforesaid pH. Variability was also observed in digestive juice of multivolitine and its RBLs but bivoltine lines express null activity at both pH except appearance of one very week $\alpha$-amylase band D6+p at pH 8.5. Overall study suggests that not a single NP at both pH is common for expression of any band of amylase isozyme i.e., a totally different set of proteins are the amylase isozyme expresser at specific pH and no molecular factor of amylase is associated in developed RBLs which showed improvement on survival, single cocoon shell weight (SCSW) and single filament length over receptor parents.s.s.s.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.27-32
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• 2004

With an objective of evolving quantitatively and qualitatively superior bivolitine silkworm hybrid of Bombyxmori L. for tropics with shorter larval duration without compromising on productivity traits, a breeding programme was initiated at this institute during 1997 by utilizing breeding resource material from the institutes Germplasm collection. The breed SD7 is characterized with plain larvae spinning white oval cocoons and SD12 is characterized by sex-limited larval markings spinning white dumb-bell cocoons. After fixation, these breeds along with other newly evolved breeds were subjected for hybrid evaluation in the laboratory. Based on the hybrid studies, the hybrid SD7${\times}$SD12 was selected and evaluated for one year comprising three major sea- sons (6 trials) of tropics viz., Pre-monsoon (characterized by high temperature, low humidity and without any rain fall), Monsoon (characterized by moderate temperature, heavy rain fall with high humidity) and post-monsoon season (characterized by low temperature and low humidity with frequent rain fall) to know the fluctuations in the larval duration. The evaluation studies indicated that the hybrid is having shorter larval duration with productive merits. The hybrid SD7${\times}$SD12 recorded survival percent of 92.74, shell weight of 46.7 cg, shell ratio % of 24.0 and filament length of 1,200 meters with a shorter larval duration of 24 hrs; when compared to productive hybrid CSR2${\times}$CSR5(control). The breeding methodologies and hybrids usefulness for tropics were discussed.