Evaluation of a Suitable Silkworm Bed Disinfectant against silkworm diseases and survivability under Temperate Conditions of Kashmir

Abstract

Crop loss due to the presence of silkworm diseases has been a regular feature of Indian sericulture. Diseases caused by various infectious pathogens viz., viruses, fungi, bacteria and microsporodia take a heavy toll of cocoon crops in the field every year. Improper disinfections, unhygienic rearing conditions result in wide spread contaminations due to various silkworm diseases. Therefore use of the bed disinfectants became a novel tool in the recent time to arrest this contamination in the rearing beds. In the present study the minimum disease incidence percentage of 51.80 percent was recorded in case of T10 (Vijetha), and the maximum disease incidence percentage of 85.76 percent was recorded by T9 where no disinfectant was applied. The highest survival percentage of 45.00 percent was registered by T10 (Vijetha) followed by T7 (Lime + Captan + Walnut hull) which recorded a survival percentage of 40.23 percent.