Effect of Phytoecdysteroid on Pure Breed Performance of Silkworm Bombyx mori L.

Phytoecdysteroids with moulting hormone (MH) activity induce different responses in silkworms when used on different day of final instar, which can be manipulated for maximum benefit like early and uniform spinning behaviour, reducing crop loss and to increase cocoon yield. The results showed that application of this hormone on seed crop viz., CSR2, CSR4 and BL44 and BL67 in early stage of 5$^{th}$ instar i.e., at 72 hrs and 96 hrs though induced early and uniform spinning behaviour, there was an adverse effect by 9-36% on the economic characters like cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight and also on fecundity etc. Application of this hormone in late stage of $5^th$ instar i.e., at the onset of spinning showed non-significant variations in some of the characters like cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio and fecundity. The physiological implications of phytoecdysteroid in hastening the maturation events and synchronization of spinning activities in different breeds are discussed.