Vol. 9, Issue 1, Part H (2025)

Globally the most important utilization of mulberry is rearing of silkworm, which feeds exclusively on its leaves. Mulberry leaf quality plays a predominant role in healthy growth of silkworm and economic parameters which are highly influenced by the nutritional quality of leaves fed to silkworm. An experiment was undertaken to estimate the nutritional quantity of leaves from different mulberry genotypes viz., MI-012, MI-79, MI-21, MI-139, MI-516, ME-05 and two check varietiesV1 and M5 to select best performing mulberry genotypes for tree cultivation during at Department of Sericulture, UAS, GKVK, Bangalore-65. The genotypes were planted with the spacing (6 × 6 feet) single shoot was maintained. In the present investigation, the parameters viz., nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, crude protein, crude fibre, ash content, chlorophyll, phenols, amino acid, carbohydrates, sugar and starch contents were estimated in leaves from different tree mulberry genotypes. The mean data of all the parameters were subjected to analysis of variance. The biochemical constituents of leaves of eight different tree mulberry genotypes were indicated that, V1 recorded highest nitrogen(3.62%), phosphorous (0.52%), potassium (1.38%), crude protein (22.67%), ash content (9.65%), crude fiber (9.33%), chlorophyll (2.41 mg/g), phenols (3.52 mg/100 g), amino acid (9.39mg/g), carbohydrate (22.39%), sugar (14.13%) and starch content (13.48%). The study indicated that, V-1 mulberry variety performed superior for all the characters studied, hence V1 found better and suits for tree mulberry cultivation with wider spacing. This nutrition content of leaves also increases quality cocoon production in sericulture industry.