EFFECT OF BLUE GREEN MICRO ALGAE (SPIRULINA) ON COCOON QUANTITATIVE PARAMETERS OF SILKWORM (Bombyx mori L.)

Spirulina is blue-green micro algae. It contains 18 amino acids and vital vitamins like biotin, tocopherol, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folic acid, pyrodozoic acid, beta-carotene and vitamin B12 etc. These nutrients which are very easy to digest protein (biliprotein), carbohydrates (mucopolysaccharides, rhamnose and glycogen), 50 different minerals and trace minerals, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, GLA omega-3 fatty acid, and many other nutrients found in spirulina. Under the present investigation the effect of blue green algae (Spirulina) on cocoon quantitative parameters (cocoon weight, shell weight, pupal weight, shell percentage and silk filament length) of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) was studied. Three treatments (100ppm, 200ppm and 300ppm foliar spray) one control were taken for the study. Data were collected and subjected to the statistical analysis on comparative analysis of the results. Differences between the treatments were found significant in all the quantitative cocoon characters except shell percentage. Single cocoon weight, single shell weight, pupal weight, and silk filament length are significantly higher at 300ppm concentration compared to control, 100ppm and 200ppm.