ISSN 2167-0447
International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 9 (8), pp. 001-007, August, 2019. © International Scholars Journals
Full Length Research Paper
Nutritional efficiency of selected silkworm breeds of Bombyx mori L. reared on different varieties of mulberry under temperate climate of Kashmir
Awquib Sabhat, M. A. Malik*, Firdose Ahmad Malik, A. M. Sofi and M. R. Mir
Division of Sericulture, Sher- e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Mirgund- Post Box No. 674, G. P. O. Srinagar 190 001 (Jammu and Kashmir) India.
Accepted 22 April, 2019
Abstract
Three silkworm breeds namely, SK1, SH6 and NB4D2 were reared on three different mulberry varieties such as Ichinose, Kokuso -20 and Goshoerami under temperate climates of Kashmir to find out the combined effect of the leaf quality and rearing season. The nutritional parameters such as leaf ingested, leaf digested, efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) and efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD) into body matter, approximate digestibility (AD), growth rate (GR), consumption index (CI) and coefficient of metabolism (COM) were studied. During spring, the dry matter ingestion and digestion was significantly higher in silkworm races fed with Goshoerami variety in addition to better efficiency of conversion of ingested and digested food into body substance. The bivoltine breeds of NB4D2 and SK1 were the better converters of ingested as well as digested food into body biomass. Seasons also significantly affected the efficiency of conversion of ingested and digested food irrespective of the varieties. Goshoerami was qualified as the best suited host plant for bivoltine silkworm breeds in all the seasons.
Key words: Silkworm, Bombyx mori, mulberry, nutritional efficiency, temperate climate.