Effect of nano micronutrients on mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L. for larval and cocoon traits

Abstract

An experiment was conducted in a well established mulberry garden with V-1 mulberry grown as per package of practices to know the effect of nano micronutrients on silkworms for grainage and silk technological parameters. The experiment was laid out in completely randomized block design with 13 treatments replicated thrice at Sericulture unit, Department of Agricultural Entomology, College of Agriculture, UAS, Raichur, Karnataka during 2018-19. Nano micronutrients were sprayed to mulberry as per treatment details to mulberry on 25th and 35th day after pruning. Mulberry leaves were harvested from 45th day after pruning and fed to silkworms replication and treatment wise from hatching till spinning stage as per standard package. The results indicated that nano ZnO + nano Cu each @ 500 ppm resulted in significant superiority for full grown larval weight, total larval duration, effective rearing rate, fifth instar larval duration, silk productivity and cocoon parameters. Therefore, the nano size of micronutrients and its unique property of more surface area, the nano might penetrate more efficiently and effectively when applied through foliar compared to foliar spray of chemical micronutrients.