Gayanand Bharti, Surendra Prasad and V. B. Upadhyay
In the present study, laboratory evaluation of the effect of garlic volatile (Allium sativum) was done at various time intervals on the shell ratio and length of silk filament of Bombyx mori. The shell ratio and length of silk filament were determined for 15, 30, 45 and 60 minute exposure duration with respect to single, double, triple, treatment of 5th, 4th-5th and 3rd, 4th and 5th instar larvae respectively. With the increasing 15 to 45 minute exposure duration and stage of larval treatment from single to triple, the shell ratio and silk filament length increased but further increase exposure of garlic as plant volatile for 60 minute exposure caused declining trend. The shell ratio increased from 12.81±0.52% (control) to 15.34±0.30% and silk filament length increased from 816.41±12.21 m (control) to 989.86±9.75 m in case of the triple treatment with 45 minute exposure duration. Further increase exposure duration cause notable reduction in shell ratio and silk filament length in case of triple treatment for 60 minute exposure. The present study reveals that, if volatile applied tactfully in the silkworm rearing they may be useful to improve the production of silk at commercial scale.
