Effect of Liquid Organic Manures on Larval and Cocoon Traits of Silkworm (Bombyx mori L.)

The Study was carried out at Department of Sericulture, UAS, GKVK, Bengaluru under irrigated condition during the 2020-21 to study the effect of soil application liquid organic manures in mulberry and its effect on larval and cocoon traits of silkworm, V-1 mulberry variety planted at 90+150 × 60 cm spacing. Three different liquid organic manures were tested against recommended dose of fertilizer (control), leaf quality was assessed via feeding to silkworm. Significantly increased fifth instar larval weight (27.66 and 41.15 g/10 larvae, respectively) was recorded in both cross breed (PM x CSR2) and double hybrid (FC1 x FC2) silkworms fed with mulberry leaves produced from soil application of bio digested liquid organic manure equivalent to 150 % N ha-1 (T9). Double hybrid (FC1 x FC2) silkworm fed with treatment (T9) showed significantly higher cocoon weight (24.76 g/10 cocoons), shell weight (5.89 g/10 shells), cocoon shell ratio (23.78 %), single cocoon filament length (1138.80 m) and filament denier (3.65).