EVALUATION OF LEAF QUALITY OF SELECTED MULBERRY VARIETIES THROUGH BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOASSAY STUDIES

Growth and development of eight races of bivoltine silkworm. Bombyx mori L. viz. Alps yellow. Meigitsu. Yaknel. King Haung. Hauchi, JD-6. PAM-102 and CA-2were studied on four varieties of mulberry, Morus alba in southern district of Tamil Nadu to evaluate the leaf quality. The mulberry varieties included V1. MR2. S36 and Kanva-2. These varieties were Screened through biochemical and bioassay. Among the mulberry varieties VI has higher chl-a, chl-b, and total chl (a + b), total protein, total carbohydrates and total lipid contents except LWC and LWR which were higher in S36 mulberry varieties. The leaves were fed to eight pure bivoltine races separately to know the rearing performance and cocoon production. The moulting percentage, larval weight, single cocoon weight, single cocoon shell weight and PECS were significantly higher in silkworm fed on V1 mulberry leaves. However, among the four mulberry varieties. Vi stood first followed by MR2. Kanva-2 and S36 with respect to biochemical and bioassay parameters. Hence. VI could be submitted as a qualitative leaf yield variety to the southern district of Tamil Nadu.