Improving silkworm (Bombyx mori) growth and survival through mulberry leaves: A study on sustainable sericulture and biodiversity

The mulberry leaves (Morus spp.) are the primary source of food for silkworms, and it’s quality heavily influences the rearing of silkworms. A randomized block design was used with silkworm larvae (1000 per treatment group) fed on Morus alba, Morus nigra, and a mixture of both. The proximate analysis of the mulberry leaves showed significant differences in moisture, protein, and fat contents. Morus alba exhibited higher protein content, fat, and total ash contents as 26.16 ± 0.20%, 4.53 ± 0.12% and 17.38 ± 0.06% respectively. Silkworms fed on Morus alba demonstrated significantly better growth (final body weight of 2101.50 ± 3.50 mg and body length of 31.35 ± 0.03 mm) as compared to those fed on Morus nigra (final weight of 1993.00 ± 5.67 mg and body length of 28.78 ± 0.02 mm). The survival rate was also higher in the Morus alba group, particularly during the early molting stages. The absence of extreme temperature-humidity Index (THI) values suggests that no additional environmental stressors were imposed during the trial. The data showed that silkworms fed with Morus alba exhibited a high survival probability, followed by mixed leaves and Morus nigra, which had the lowest survival. Survival probability was significantly low during specific molting stages, especially in later instars, confirming that molting represents a major biological stressor. The data revealed that both diet and molting stage significantly influence silkworm survival. The research also highlighted the significance of maintaining optimum temperature and humidity for silkworm growth. The semi-controlled environmental conditions proved to be effective in mitigating environmental stress during the experiment. It is recommended that future studies should explore the potential of other mulberry species for sericulture under diverse environmental conditions. Moreover, investigating how extreme environmental conditions, such as heat waves or excessive rainfall, can influence silkworm productivity would provide valuable insights into optimizing sericulture practices and contribute to the sustainability of the industry.