Altitude variation and muga silkworm rearing

Muga silk production is limited by unsuccessful summer and rainy season rearing conducted under high temperature and fluctuating environmental moisture content in Assam plains. Quality seed production and seed supply for autumn commercial rearing is interrupted by diseases. To overcome the situation, roving survey for rearing potential sites was conducted and these revealed the presence of wild form of Antheraea assamensis Helfer and distribution of its naturally grown food-1. plants at the places located between 750–1200 metres above sea level (masl) in Manipur, and 2. rearing conducted showed better performance than the lower elevations in terms of disease free layings in cocoon ratio (Dfl: C) and effective rate of rearing (ERR %). Facultative diapausing pupae from the autumn rearing in higher elevated areas were a means of skipping muscardine disease prevalent period at many places of traditional zones. These places could be considered for conservation of genetic resources during summer and later part of rainy season to ensure uninterrupted seed supply.