Effect of inorganic food additives on the productivity of the mulberry silk worm Bombyx mori l.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Department of Economic Entomology, FaculW of Agriculture, Alexandria University

10.21608/jpces.2005.459497

Abstract

The effects of Potassium Iodide (100 µg / ml), Cupper sulphate (100 µg / ml), Potassium permenganate (10 µg / ml) and their mixtures on silk yield and female fecundity of the mulbeny silk worm Bombyx mori were studied.The obtained results indicated that the feeding of 5th instar larvae of B. mori on mulberry leaves treated with the tested chemicals or their mixtures significantly increased the weight of larvae, pupae and cocoon shells. Cupper sulphate (100 µg / ml) caused the most significant increase in both silk production and female fecundity 94.23 % and 94.08 %. respectively. Moreover, the effects of these chemicals and their mixtures on some physiological parameters such as the total haemolymph proteins and corpora allata size were studied.

Keywords