The performance of the Bombyx mori Linnaeus
bivoltine hybrid, Shaanshi BV-333, was evaluated on six mulberry cultivars of
Morus spp. based on economic characters
in rearing and mulberry leaf quality. The growth rate and morphological
characteristics for all the cultivars were studied using several parameters.
Specific characters such as disease resistance, survival percentage, cocoon
weight, cocoon shell weight and single cocoon filament length were recorded
during the rearing of silkworm larvae. Tested cultivars significantly differed
in all parameters. Cultivars Kanva-2/M5, Thailand, Thika and S-36 exhibited
superiority in rearing performance over other tested cultivars. Silkworms fed
with cv. Thailand had the highest survival percentage of larvae in the short
(S1) and long (S2) rainy seasons as compared with other cultivars. However, cv.
Embu produced the lowest mortality during the dry season (S3), while S-41
produced the lowest survival rate in all seasons. Embu had significantly higher
filament length and cocoon yield compared with the other cultivars during S3.
However, S-41 performed poorly in survival percentage, cocoon yield, silk
reeling and cocoon shell weight.