Effect of Micronutrient Supplemented Mulberry Leaves on Larvae of Silk Worm Bombyx mori

Abstract

The present study explores the effect of micronutrient supplemented mulberry leaves on PM×CSR2 hybrid variety of Bombyx mori L. larvae. The field experiment with twelve treatments including a control (T0 to T11), replicated thrice, was supplemented with the desired quantity of the respective micronutrient in individual or in combination. Twenty early B. mori fourth and fifth instar larvae/ replication were fed with the 5-6 fully mature mulberry leaves (T0 to T11) twice a day (morning and evening). The results showed that food consumption increased to a maximum of 31.56 and 22.98%, and assimilation increased by 51.38 and 34.56% over control (4th and 5th instar, respectively) with treatment T9 (CuSO4 15 kg/ ha +ZnSO4 15 kg/ ha + FeSO4 30 kg/ ha). With the same treatment, total growth increased by 94.95 and65.67%, and approximate digestibility by 15.14 and 9.33%; tissue growth efficiency also increased by 65.35and 49.61% with this treatment, while maximum ecological growth efficiency increased by 49.58% and52.0% over control in T11 (CuSO4 25 kg/ ha + ZnSO4 25 kg/ ha + FeSO4 25 kg/ ha). Larval duration wasmaximum with T1 (FeSO4 10 kg/ ha alone) (7.63± 19.16 days) as against when fed with the control (T0).Larval length increased by 18.0 and 18.51% in T9, with the larval width increasing by 50.0% in morethan one treatment. Maximum chawki larval weight and larval weight increased by 16.78 and 29.44%,while maximum silk gland weight was 2.14± 0.05g in T9.