Relationship with Cocoon Number and Grainage Performance in Nucleus Seed Production of DABA BV Race of Antheraea mylitta D.

The tropical tasar silk-moth, Antheraea mylitta D., is a wild lepidopteran sericiginous insect, endemic to India. The silkworms are being reared commercially on natural and systematic block plantations by the rural community in central India. Raw-silk production depends on various factors, mainly quality of host plants, required number of dfls and favorable environmental conditions. DFLs production is highly cumbersome process and it requires scientific knowledge on ecology and physiology of A. mylitta. To cater the huge demand of DFLs by the farmers throughout India, a robust technology is required for the improvement of productivity of nucleus and basic Seed. One such technology is improved grainage system and use of atmospheric conditioning system/devices. The Present study was intended to assess the effect of cocoon preservation numbers on pupal eclosion behavior under grainage system. The nucleus DABA bivoltine grainage conducted from 2013–14 to 2017–18 at CTSSS, Kota was analyzed for various parameters. The study revealed decrease in pupal eclosion, less recovery of gravid females (fit for DFL production), less cocoon: DFL ratio, changes in moth emergence and temperature variations have been observed in the crowded condition of cocoons. From the foregoing observations, it can be recommended that 102.57 m3 area of composite grainage is ideal for preservation of 25000–30000 cocoons.