EVALUATION OF ECONOMIC CHARACTERS OF C2 BREED OF ERI SILKWORM (Samia ricini, DONOVAN) REARED ON CASTOR (Ricinus communis) AND KESSERU (Heteropanax fragrans ROXB.) FOOD PLANT

Eri-silkworm Samia ricini (Donovan) is multivoltine and polyphagus in nature that can feed on various food plants and the yield of silkworm largely depends on the availability and supply of preferred food plants having good agronomics and nutritional value. Among all food plants, castor (Ricinus communis) is the primary food plant for eri-silkworm and kesseru stands second. The rearing performance of a high yielding breed of eri-silkworm C2 developed by central silk board, CMER&TI, Ladoigarh, Jorhat also differ significantly when reared on different food plants. As successful production of eri silk rely on nutritive value of castor leaves and the economic parameters of eri silkworm are influenced by the food plant and their nutritive contents. Thus the study evaluation of economic characters of C2 breed of Eri-silkworm (Samia ricini, Donovan) reared on castor (Ricinus communis) and kesseru (Heteropanax fragrans) food plant was carried out in the laboratory of Nowgong College and all the quantitative parameters are noted accordingly. The results of the study revealed that performance of C2 breed with Castor leaves and it shows higher productivity in larval and cocoon parameters in comparison to Kesseru as a food plant.