Effect of probiotic feed supplements to mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L. for larval growth and development parameters

Abstract

The silkworm larvae were fed on mulberry leaves treated with four different kinds of probiotics feed supplementsviz., spirulina, azolla, yeast and soy milk at five different concentrations (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5%) each was supplemented to silkworm hybrid, PM × CSR-2 from fourth instar onwards through mulberry leaves every day once in the morning till the spinning stage during both June-July and March-April rearings. Among the probiotics tested azolla was found to be superior for all larval parameters such as larval weight a day before spinning, fifth instar and total larval duration, effective rate of rearing and fresh weight of silk glands on the day of 50 per cent spinning followed by soy milk and yeast in comparison with control (unsupplementation) in both the rearings. Among the concentrations tried, two per cent concentration was found superior in both the rearings. The interaction of feed additives (probiotics) along with their concentrations indicated that azolla at two per cent was superior for all larval parameters studied in both the rearings.