Synergetic Effect of Minerals Mixture of Potassium Bromide and Nickel Sulphate on the Economic Traits of Crossbreed Races of the Silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

Oral supplementation of minerals mixture of potassium bromide and nickel sulphate on $CSR_2,\;CSR_4\;and\;CSR_2{\times}CSR_4$ crossbreed races with different concentrations (70, 110 and $160\;{\mu}g/ml$) were fed to the fifth instar larvae. Two of the four normal feeds per day was substituted with treated leaves fed to silkworm at fifth instar larvae. The controls were fed with the leaves sprayed with distilled water and normal leaves. The $CSR_4$ race treated larvae showed a significant increase in silkgland weight, cocooning percentage, female cocoon weight, male cocoon weight, male cocoon shell weight, male cocoon shell ratio, filament length, filament weight, denier, fecundity, number of eggs per ovariole and length of the ovariole when compared with those of the corresponding parameters of the carrier control, whereas in $CSR_2\;and\;CSR_2{\times}CSR_4$ crossbreed races showed a significant increase in larva1 weight and other parameters similar to that of $CSR_4$ race. The results suggested that the silkgland showed good response to minerals mixture of potassium bromide and nickel sulphate only in $CSR_4$ race when compared with those of other two races of the silkworm, B. mori.