EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVE RATE OF REARING (ERR), FILAMENT LENGTH AND DENIER OF NEW BREEDING LINES OF BOMBYX MORI L

The present study was designed with the main purpose of developing bivoltine breeds for our tropical climatic conditions by using silkworm breeds with known genetic backgrounds (KA, NB18 and PM) in various hybrid combinations and incorporating them over generations, followed by backcrossing and adequate selection of different generations with the objective of profitability and productivity. The isolated Bivoltin lines (R1 and R2) were reared with their parental races at different times of the year to evaluate their stability in the expression of commercial traits. For the present breeding program, the purebred Bivoltine Kalimpong-A (KA), which spin white oval cocoons, New Bivoltine18 (NB18) white cocoons with rotating dumbbells and Multivoltine Pure Mysore (PM), the yellow pointed cocoons of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori L., Selected. One-way and three-way crosses were made using the above three breeds. The first single cross comprised KA females and PM males. The second unique cross comprised NB18 females and PM males. Selection was performed at the egg, larva, pupal, and cocoon stages over the course to determine the desired traits. The offspring of F from the respective crosses were backcrossed with their respective bivoltine males to improve commercial traits. Heterosis in the F 1 generations of crosses, including NB18 and PM, was determined by the mean score of the parents (MPV) and the best score of the parents (BPV). A significant test for heterosis was performed using a standard ANOVA table. Based on the results of metric traits viz. effective rate of rearing (ERR), filament length and denier it was delineated that Selection may be made to choose intermediate sized cocoons from the batches of high ERR because these individuals are expected to possess maximum fitness value.