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Journal of Biological Sciences

Year: 2015 | Volume: 15 | Issue: 4 | Page No.: 199-206
DOI: 10.3923/jbs.2015.199.206
Fortification of Mulberry Leaves with Medicinal Botanical Plant Extracts Effect on Silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (PM×CSR2) (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) Larval Growth and Cocoon Traits
Waktole Sori Gobena and R.N. Bhaskar

Abstract: Nutrition plays a pivotal role in sericulture. It improves the growth, development, health, feed consumption and conversion of silkworm thereby improving the commercial traits. Silkworm, Bombyx mori L., is a monophagous insect that drives all required nutrients for its growth and development from mulberry leaf. Some plant extracts are feeding stimulants and improve the nutritional intake, growth, disease resistance/tolerance of silkworm ultimately improving the cocoon traits. The present investigation was carried with an objective to determine the impact of fortification of M5 mulberry leaves with botanicals on growth and commercial traits of B. mori (PM×CSR2). Three botanicals (Parthenium hysterophorus L., Phyllanthus niruri Hook and Psoralea coryleifolia) were tested along with two controls. The experiment was laid in CRD replicated three times. Feeding of fortified leaves with the plant extracts led to better larval growth and development which ultimately reflected in the economic traits of PM×CSR2 silkworm hybrid. Fifth instar 5th day larval weight (26.25 and 27.52 g/10), mature larval weight (28.63 and 30.13 g/10), ERR (98.33 and 100.00%), cocoon weight (18.06 and 18.79 g/10), shell weight (3.68 and 3.72 g/10), pupal weight (14.30 and 15.23 g/10), shell ratio (20.38 and 19.80%), filament length (901.03 and 910.95 m) and silk productivity (4.04 and 4.097 cg per day) in two rearing were found significantly maximum for P. coryleifolia fortified leaves fed worms followed by P. niruri besides reducing larval duration and cocoon filament denier compared to other treatments. Thus, fortification of mulberry leaves with P. coryleifolia and P. niruri leaf extracts had favorably influenced PM×CSR2 larval growth leading to significantly better economic traits. There is a need to identify the active principle(s), standardize and formulate the botanicals and develop better administration techniques for commercial silkworm rearing.

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How to cite this article
Waktole Sori Gobena and R.N. Bhaskar, 2015. Fortification of Mulberry Leaves with Medicinal Botanical Plant Extracts Effect on Silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (PM×CSR2) (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) Larval Growth and Cocoon Traits. Journal of Biological Sciences, 15: 199-206.

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