Efficacy of sodium hypochlorite in controlling viral and bacterial diseases in muga silkworm, Antheraea assamensis Helfer.

Abstract

The incidence of the viral and bacterial diseases viz. flacherie and grasserie caused large mortality to the muga silkworm, Antheraea assamensis Helfer thereby affected the cocoon silk production. It was observed that the application of 0.01 % of NaOCl to the silkworms at larval instars, reduced the mortality due to bacterial and viral diseases quite significantly (P < 0.1 & P < 0 .05) as compared to the control without affecting the quality of cocoons during different seasons at the different locations. The values of Effective Rate of Rearing (E.R.R. %) in the treated lots was significantly higher (P < 0.1 & P < 0 .05) than that of control in all the crop seasons at the different locations. The results of the present study deduced that the application of 0.01 % of Sodium hypochlorite during the rearing of muga silkworm, Antheraea assamensis Helfer can effectively control the larval mortality due to bacterial and viral diseases thereby enhance the cocoon production.