EFFECT OF ECONOMIC VALUE CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWLY CREATED MULBERRY VARIETIES ON BIOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF SILKWORM

sericulture is one of the important branches of agriculture that plays a significant role in the development of rural economies and the production of natural silk fiber. The productivity of silkworms largely depends on the quality and nutritional composition of mulberry leaves, which serve as the primary food source for silkworm larvae. The present study examines the influence of economic value characteristics of newly created mulberry varieties on the biological indicators of silkworm productivity. Particular attention is given to the nutritional composition of mulberry leaves and its effect on larval growth dynamics, survival rate, cocoon weight, and silk productivity. The research is based on comparative experimental analysis of several improved mulberry varieties cultivated under similar agro-ecological conditions. Silkworm larvae were fed with leaves from different mulberry varieties, and their biological performance was evaluated throughout the larval development stages. The results of the study demonstrate that mulberry varieties with improved biochemical composition significantly enhance silkworm biological indicators, including larval growth rate, cocoon weight, and cocoon shell ratio. The findings confirm that the introduction of high-value mulberry varieties into sericulture production systems can improve both biological efficiency and economic sustainability of silk production.