Evaluations of Different Montage Types and Sizes on Eri and Mulberry Feeding Silkworms Cocoon Yield and Quality of Silk, at Melkassa Agricultural Research Center, East Shoa, Ethiopia

Abstract

The experiments were conducted at Melkassa Agricultural Research Center in the sericulture and apiculture research laboratory during 2011 mountage types (ply wood, cartoon made, Banana leaf, plastic board, rolling paper and mango leaf montages) and sizes (3x3cm, 3 x 4cm, 3 x 5 cm, 4 x4 cm, 4 x5 cm and 5 x5cm) were evaluated on Eri and Mulberry silkworm cocoon yield and quality of silk. In the mountage type evaluation, 4cm x4cm recommended mpuntage size was prepared from ply wood, cartoon and plastic board. Different mountage sizes were prepared from plywood purchased from th market. Hundred silkworm larvae’s were used for each mountage type and sizes, and the treatments were arranged in randomized block d humidity and temperatures of the laboratory were taken during the experiment percentage, defective cocoon percentage, reeling/spinning quality, average filament length and silk ratios were used to evaluate the montage types. Similarly, number of double pupae formation per cocoon, average weight of 10 cocoons five days a cocoon percentage, spinning /reeling quality, length of single cocoon and silk ratios were used to evaluate montage sizes. Significantly (P<0.01) higher cocooning percentage, lower defective cocoon percentage, higher spinning quality, higher filament length and silk ratios were recorded in plywood made, carton made and banana leaf made mountage than the other treatments followed by mango leaf made mountage for both Eri and mulberry silkworms. Number of double pupae formation per cocoon significantly lower in all sizes of the mountages except 5 cm x 5 cm mountage size for Eri silkworms. However, number of double pupae formation per cocoon significantly P<0.01 higher in 5cm x 5cm followed by 3cm x 5cm, 4cm x5cm mountage sizes than the other treatments for Mulberry silkworms. From this studies it can conclude that, plywood made, carton made and banana leaf made mountage followed by mango leaf mountage types should be recommended for eri and mulberry silk worms. It can also conclude that, 4cm x 4cm and 4cm x 5cm mountage size made from ply wood should be recommended for mulberry and Erisilkworms, respectively, and used by the end users. Copyright@2015 STAR Journal