Nutritive Effects of Calcium Carbonate (caco3) on Selected Commercial Traits of Mulberry Silkworm (Bombyx mori L.)

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is the primary producer of silk. It has also been noted that minerals affect the quality of the silkworm. Calcium, a mineral with vital metabolic functions, might be involved in betterment of silkworms resulting in high quality silk production. Hence, this study was designed to evaluate the nutritive effects of Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) on silkworms and subsequent silk production. Immediately after the completion of the third instar stage of silkworm (crossbreed race - BSR-95/14(M)SL), they were divided into the control group and treated groups. Both the treatment and control groups were replicated thrice with 60 larvae each. Then, the effect of Calcium carbonate was studied at 4ᵗʰ and 5ᵗʰ instar larvae of silkworm. The treated and the control group of 4ᵗʰ and 5ᵗʰ instar larvae of silkworm was fed four times a day with Mulberry leaves either dipped into different concentrations of Calcium carbonate (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, 0.4% in distilled water) or dipped into distilled water only respectively. The results showed that the supplementation of Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3) with Mulberry leaves resulted in significantly higher larval, egg, pupal, and cocoon characteristics compared to the control group. Among the different concentrations, 0.2% Calcium Carbonate supplementation showed the most valuable effect on silkworm. It can be concluded that enrichment of mulberry leaves with calcium carbonate is suitable for improvement of economic characteristics of silkworms, hence it might be suggested for usage in boosting farmers' yields.