Late age worm (bombyx mori l.) rearing performance as influenced by feeding schedules of mulberry leaf raised through the concept of organic based nutrient management

Bivoltine silkworm breed CSR2 was reared at Main Research Station, Hebbal, Bangalore on mulberry grown with the application of at nitrogen at recommended level through organic manures and inorganic fertilizers in different combination with four feeding schedules, treatments and interactions. Among these FS2 (Chawki worms fed with S36 leaf + Late age worm fed with M5 leaf) and T12 (recommended 20 tonnes of compost + 300: 120: 120 kg of NPK / ha / year through fertilizer) exhibited significantly higher mature larval weight (40.42 and 40.62 g/10 larvae) and silkgland weights (0.777 and 0.788 g), effective rate of rearing (85.95 and 94.16 %), while the lower disease incidence (14.17 and 14.17 %), moulting duration (4.98 and 4.30 days) and larval duration (26.83 and 26.12 days) respectively. Among interactions, FS2T12 contributed more towards matured larval weight, silkgland weight and also effective rate of rearing (42.21 g/10 larvae; 0.836 g and 94.16 %). However, lower disease incidence and larval duration was recorded in FS2T12 (5.83 % and 26.08 days), but FS2T11 (FS2- chawki worms fed with S36+ Late age worm fed with M5 T11 combination of Bio-fertilizers 10 kg each of Azospirillum + Aspergillus awamori/ha/yr + 20 % recommended N through each of Compost, Green manure (Glyricidia maculata), Oil cake (Castor cake), vermicompost and fertilizer, remaining PK through fertilizer) exhibited significantly lower moulting duration (4.13 days).