NEW SEMI-SYNTHETIC DIET, 'NUTRID' - A TECHNOLOGY FOR REARING YOUNG- INSTAR SILKWORM IN INDIA

摘要

In tropical climatic conditions, mulberry leaf does not contain sufficient moisture (<75%) and balanced nutrients (protein <30%, carbohydrate <19 %, fat <2 %, fibre <9 %) throughout the year, which are highly essential for young instar silkworm. A promising diet, "Nutrid" has been developed at Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Mysore, India by using locally available low cost ingredients for rearing of silkworm for the first two instars. A suitable rearing technology has also beenformulated. Rearing of young silkworms is carried out on semi-synthetic diet up to II instar and subsequent period (III, IV and V instars) of rearing is continued with mulberry leaf. Results revealed better performance of larva fed on semi-synthetic diet, Nutrid in terms of larval duration (8 days up to II molt), survival (98%) and other growth parameters than on earlier developed diets. The results were on par with that obtained for batches fed with mulberry leaves.