POSSIBILITIES FOR CONDUCTING SUMMER SILKWORM REARING WITH WINTERED SILKWORM EGGS PRODUCED DURING THE SPRING SEASON OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR

P. Tzenov, K. Avramova, D. Grekov

Abstract: The study aimed to investigate the possibilities for conducting summer silkworm rearing with wintered
silkworm eggs produced during the spring season of the previous year.
It was obtained that the kind of the silkworm eggs used did not influence significantly the values of the
traits larval period and 5th instar duration, silk shell percentage, silk filament length and weight, raw silk
percentage, reelability and filament thickness.
In the wintered silkworm eggs the values of the traits pupation rate, cocoon weight, silk shell weight,
fresh cocoon yield and raw silk yield by one box of silkworm eggs were significantly lower compared to
those in the HCL treated silkworm eggs.
Considering the results obtained from the present study, we recommend the summer silkworm rearing to
be conducted only by silkworm eggs produced during the spring season of the same year by the method of
HCL treatment.
From the silk reeling point of view, it was without significant importance whether the cocoons produced
during the summer rearing season were from wintered or HCL treated silkworm eggs.

Keywords: Bombyx mori L.; eggs, hibernated; HCL, treated; silkworm; summer, rearing

Date published: 2022-08-12