• 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.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.32-37
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• 1981

It is necessary to improve new silkworm variety suitable for the artificial diet different from the mulberry leaves in physical and chemical natures. The silkworms fed on artificial diet show low productivity in general. So the effectiveness of selection for cocoon characters was studied when the silkworms were reared on the artificial diet for several generations. The results obtained are as fellows: 1. There is no correlation between the cocoon shell weight and the cocoon shell percentage in female cocoons of both Sa and Y strains but in male cocoons. 2. No correlation exists between the weight of a cocoon and a cocoon shell percentage of male cocoons in Sa strain. 3. There is a specific effect of the artificial diet on selection between Japanese and Chinese strains compared with the mulberry leave rearing. 4. The cocoon quality of first generation in artificial diet rearing was very inferier to that of previous generation in mulberry leave rearing in both Sa and Y strains, but the effect of selection rapidly increased in first and second generation.5. Very high mortality was noted in 4th generation to the degree of hardness for successive generation. 6. From 6th generation to 10th generation, the effectiveness of selection for cocoon characters increased continuously except the cocoon shell percteage.

• 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.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2003

To know the impact of female pupal weight corresponding to the male cocoon shell weight upon fecundity, hatchability and percentage of non-viable eggs, the experimental multivoltine breeds namely BL67 and 96A were categorised into low, medium and high batches according to the weight of female pupae and male cocoon shells and moths emerged from low, medium and high female pupae were allowed to mate withmoths emerged from low, medium and high male cocoon shells. Both the experimental breeds of BL67 and 96A revealed a fairl trend in fecundity for high batch ＞ medium batch ＞ low batch. When data were statistically analysed, a significant (p ＜ 0.05) and a highly significant (p ＜ 0.01) increase in fecundity was observed in the medium and high batches of BL67 during November - December, 2002 whereas highly significant (p ＜ 0.01) increase was observed in the high batches of 96A during November - December, 2002. Data revealed a highly significant (p ＜ 0.01) increase in fecundity in medium and high batches of both the breeds during January - February, 2003. More interestingly, a significant (p ＜ 0.05) reduction was noted in percentage of non-viable eggs in high batches of 96A during January - February, 2003. But no significant variation in hatchability was noticed due to the effect of differential female pupal weight and male cocoon shell weight.

• 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.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.6 no.2
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• pp.183-190
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• 2003

An attempt was made to identify superior bivoltine silkworm hybrid suitable for monsoon and spring season of Uttar Pradesh. Breeds with superior cocoon characters and their more popularity in an area were major parameters on basis of which breeds from different regions were selected. Six bivoltine hybrids of silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) of different geographical regions were reared in monsoon (three hybrids) and spring season (three hybrids) during 2000-2002 i.e., for three years at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow. Their performances were analyzed statistically for nine characters. The analysis made on a number of traits viz., hatching percentage, larval duration, pupation rate, yield /10000 larvae (by no.), yield /10000 larvae (by weight), cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, showed the superiority of one bivoltine hybrid out of the three bivoltine hybrids studied in each season. $SH6{\times}{NB_4}{D_2}$ was found to be superior in major cocoon parameters in both the seasons i.e., monsoon and spring season of Uttar Pradesh.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.124-129
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• 1994

In order to investigate the possibility of fine-size cocoon production by the use of imidazole compound, Trifumin, the cocoon and cocoon filament qualities, dietary efficiency and fibroin component were examined. cocoon size, cocoon weight and cocoon shell weight of trimolter were smaller than those of tetramolter. Cocoon shell weight of trimolter was 58% and 26% of that of tetramolter in the 3rd instar treated larvae and in the 4th instar treated larvae, respectively. Amount of cocoon shell produced per 1g dry matter ingested was 94% and 85% of that of tetramolter in the 3rd instar treated larvae and in the 4th instar larvae, respectively. The effects of Trifumin on the reeling tests were different according to the stage of the treatment. When Trifumin was treated at the 3rd instar larvae, reelability of cocoon filament, amount of cocoon filament, size of cocoon filament, reelability percentage and raw silk percentage of cocoon were 100%, 60%, 60%, 97% and 90%, respectively. When Trifumin was treated at the 4th imstar larvae, most of reelability tests were inferior to those of the 3rd instar treated larvae, but reelavility percentage was increased 13%. The Trifumin treatment did not affect the electrophoretic patterns of cocoon fibroin.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.41-45
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• 2000

The effect of topical application with hydrocortisone on economic parameters was analysed following treatment of last larval stadium. The treated larvae showed a significant increase in larval weight at higher concentrations along with other enhanced larval, cocoon and adult parameters. This suggests that hydrocortisone can be used effectively for commercial silkworm rearing. The larvas period was significantly increased in all the treated groups with increased female cocoon weights, its shell weights and male cocoon shell weight at 20$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml treated group. Filament length, weight and denier were increased significantly in all the treated groups. Moth emergence percentage, length of the ovariole, eggs per ovariole, fecundity and rind hatching percentage were unaffected when compared with that of the carrier control group. This suggests that hydrocortisone in addition to affecting larval growths also affect silk crop.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.61-65
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• 1972

The main purpose of this experiment is to select the best combining ability among KC${\times}$N13, and C20${\times}$N13 in view of the cocoon shell weight in Bombyx mori. In the spring of 1972, the author raised silkworms which were born from the crossing of the Chinese strain KC, C14, C20(female) with japanese strain N13 (male). Among each combining of crosses, the heritability of the cocoon shell weight was estimated by the method of variance analysis. The result of the experiment may he summarized as fellow; 1. For KC${\times}$N13 The cocoon shell was heavier than other combining crosses, but its heritability was lower than the others. The heritability of male moth was higher than that of female. 3. For C14${\times}$N13 The cocoon shell and the heritability was in medium value among the combining crosses, and the heritability of female moth was higher than that of male. 3. For C20${\times}$N13 The cocoon shell weigt was lower than the others, but its heritability was higher than that of others. In these combining crosses, C20${\times}$N13 is selected as a new race, which is much better than the commercial one, 103${\times}$104.