International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences

ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 2 Number 9 (2013) pp. 25-38

Impact of soil fertility and leaf nutrients status on cocoon production of Muga silkworm, Antheraea assamensis (Helfer) in potential muga growing areas of Assam, India

M.C. Sarmah1*, K. Neog1 , A, Das1 , J.C.D. Phukan2

1Central Muga Eri Research & Training Institute, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, Lahdoigarh - 785700, Jorhat, Assam, India 2Research Extension Centre, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India, Tura, Meghalaya, India *Corresponding author e-mail: mridulcsbsarmah@yahoo.co.in

ABSTRACT

The unique golden yarn producing sercigenous insect muga silkworm, Antheraea assamensis (Helfer) is endemic to the Assam, India. The productivity of muga silkworm cocoon is not uniform in different agro-climatic zone. A wide range of variation in total nitrogen, available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, organic carbon, pH and electrical conductivity was observed in the soil samples of the three muga growing districts of Assam. An average of 0.031% total nitrogen, 296.18 kg/ha available nitrogen, 82.80 kg/ha available phosphorus, 252.57 kg / ha available potassium, 1.11% organic carbon, a pH value of 4.96 and electrical conductivity of 43.18 sm -1 was recorded. Leaf nutrient analysis revealed an average of 0.433% total nitrogen, 2.708% crude protein, 5.651% lipid, 51.973% crude fibre, 3.319% sugar and 31.452% carbohydrate content in the leaves of P. bombycina. Correlation between soil and leaf constituents and further soil and leaf constituents with cocoon production did not reveal any definite correlation among and between the parameters under study. However, the pooled data analysis showed positive correlation of available nitrogen of soil with total nitrogen of leaf and leaf sugar with cocoon production

Keywords

Muga silkworm; Antheraea assamensis; Persea bombycina; soil and leaf analysis; cocoon production; correlation