Vol. 8, Special Issue 8, Part R (2024)

The present investigation aimed to evaluate the impact of different host plants (green castor, Pink castor and Tapioca) on the economic traits of three strains of eri silkworm viz., Yellow Plain, Green Plain and Hybrid (Green × Yellow). Results revealed significant variation in matured larval weight, pupal weight, cocoon yield, cocoon weight, shell weight, shell ratio, shell yield and silk productivity across host plants, silkworm strains and their interactions. The Yellow strain reared on Local Pink during early instars and Local Green during late instars recorded superior performance in most economic traits including cocoon and pupal weight. The Green strain on Local Pink + Local Green castor showed highest matured larval weight and shortest larval duration. The Hybrid strain with Local Pink + Local Green castor performed best in terms of shell weight and silk productivity. Shell ratio was highest in the Green strain reared on Local Pink + Local Pink castor. The findings suggest that host plant combination and strain selection play a pivotal role in enhancing the productivity of eri silkworms, offering a practical approach to improve cocoon yield under tropical conditions.