Silk cocoon membrane (SCM) is an insect engineered structure. We studied the electrical properties of mulberry (Bombyx mori) and non-mulberry (Tussar, Antheraea mylitta) SCM. When dry, SCM behaves like an insulator. On absorbing moisture, it generates electrical current, which is modulated by temperature. The current flowing across the SCM is possibly ionic and protonic in nature. We exploited ...

A computer simulation model for the heat pump dehumidified air drying for garlic and white mulberry leaves was developed. The Modified Page model was found suitable in describing the drying curves. The computer simulation model was verified against heat pump dehumidified drying data of garlic and white mulberry leaves. The results revealed that drying air temperature and relative humidity influ...

A viroid-like disease causing mosaic leaves and dwarfism was found on mulberry plants in Zhejiang, China. Grafting of stems from infected plants onto healthy plants resulted in the same symptoms on the healthy plants. A circular small RNA (Mmd-v RNA1) was isolated from the infected plant leaves and caused identical symptoms after more than two years. Nucleotide sequencing indicated that the Mmd...

The white peach scale (WPS), Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti) (Homoptera: Diaspididae), is a world wide polyphagous scale insect. It is widely distributed in north of Iran, near the Caspian Sea areas, where it is the main pest of mulberry and kiwi trees. The development and fecundity of P. pentagona were examined at different temperatures and on different hosts in the laboratory. T...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physiological and biochemical changes that occur in mulberry (cv. local and Sujanpuri) plants under alkaline conditions in order to understand the response of these cultivars to alkalinity. Mulberry plants were subjected to different treatments using NaHCO3 and after 20, 40 and 60 days, different physiological and biochemical parameters were studied...

MR 2 variety mulberry leaves were sterilized with UV light for 5, 10 and 15 minutes. These leaves were fed to PM x NB 4 D 2 hybrid silkworm Bombyx mori Linn. life stages and recorded the macromolecular contents (total protein, reducing sugar and glycogen) and digestive enzymes (amylase, invertase and protease) activities. Results revealed feeding of silkworm B. mori with UV treated mulberry lea...

abstract more than %90 of natural silk in world is produced by means of mulberry silkworm (bombyx mori l.). therefore, it is important that we recognize and collect mulberry varieties which have high quantity and quality leaf performance. for this purpose, an experiment was conducted with five mulberry varieties (kenmochi, kairyonase, ichinose, shinichinose and local varieties) during two seaso...

In mulberry orchards in northern part of Iran, thrips is a dominant pest and causing a lot of damage to the mulberry. The effect of pest on bio-chemical parameters of mulberry leaf of two varieties viz. Kenmochi and Ichenoise and also the effect of feeding of infested leaves on rearing performances have been studied. For the study, six plots of 200 m2 area of both the varieties were selected an...

By consuming mulberry leaves covered with pollen from nearby genetically engineered, insect-resistant rice lines producing Cry proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), larvae of the domestic silkworm, Bombyx mori (Linnaeus) (Lepidoptera: Bombyxidae), could be exposed to insecticidal proteins. Laboratory experiments were conducted to assess the potential effects of Cry1C- or Cry2A-prod...

Abstract Background and Aims: Hop stunt viroid (HSVd, genus Hostuviroid, family Pospiviroidae) has a wide host range among trees and herbaceous plants. The objectives of this study were to compare biological and physical characteristics of three isolates of HSVd from mulberry, fig and citrus and search for other hosts of this viroid in Iran. Materials and Methods: Plant samples were col...