Seasonal Rearing Performance of Multivoltine Pure Mysore Silkworm in Southern dry Zone of Karnataka, India

Abstract

The differences in the seasons and environmental components considerably affect the quality of the multivoltine silk worm seed crop such as cocoon weight, shell weight, and cocoon shell ratio. Frequent fluctuations in the environmental conditions day to day and season to season point up the importance of management of temperature and relative humidity for sustainable seed cocoon production in the basic seed farms. Hence to know the role of seasonal temperature and humidity on growth and development of Multivoltine silkworm, present study conducted at P2 Basic Seed Farm Nagenahalli, Central Silk Board, Karnataka to assess the seasonal performance of the multivoltine silkworm using various parameters. In the study all the data were recoreded were subjected to the correlation and the correlation results revealed significantly higher hatching per cent yield (number and weight)/ 100 dfls (Kg),single cocoon weight(gm) and single cell weight (gm) were 95.67, 43414.45 ( by number) and 57.70 kg (by weight), 1.233 and 0.180, respectively) during the winter season, whereas significantly higher weight of 10 matured larvae (28.01g) and shell weight (0.180) were recorded during rainy season. Further, significantly lower fecundity (480), hatching% (94.98), larval duration (28 days), weight of 10 matured larvae (25.80g), cocoon yield/100dfl (43.29 kg), single cocoon weight (1.146g), single cell weight (0.169g), pupation (95.22%) and cocoon leaf ratio (21.95) were recorded during summer.among the seasons. In all, winter season was more ideal for the rearing of multivoltine silkworm in the southern dry zone seed area of Karnataka with superior cocoon and egg characters due to lower temperature and humidity fluctuations.