Systemic Fungicide Application for the Control of White Muscardine in Silkworm Rearing

Among silkworm diseases, white muscardine is the most virulent and contagious disease caused by Beauveria bassiana and common during winter and rainy seasons. The disease is managed at present by practicing the silkworm body and rearing seat disinfection to prevent the spread of white muscardine during silkworm rearing as the available methods do not cure the silkworms against white muscardine. The use of systemic fungicide was suggested recently to control white muscardine. The present study investigated the practicability of application aspect of systemic fungicide as spray, It is observed that 3 times feeding of systemic fungicide through mulberry leaf, fed immediately after third, fourth moult and on $4^{th}$ day of final instar as most effective in suppressing the multiplication of the fungus in silkworm. Spraying of the systemic fungicide on mulberry in the rearing house, air-dried and feeding was suggested as suitable application method. Alternately the spraying of the systemic fungicide on mulberry in mulberry garden 6 hrs prior to feeding was also suggested as a method for the control of white muscardine in silkworm rearing.