Effect of honey on economic traits of silkworm

The present study, titled “Effect of Honey on Development and Economic Traits of Silkworm” investigates the impact of honey on the growth and economic characteristics of silkworms (Bombyx mori). Seven treatments were applied: T1 (2% honey solution), T2 (3% honey solution), T3 (2% sugar solution), T4 (3% sugar solution), T5 (2% jaggery solution), T6 (3% jaggery solution), and T7 (untreated). Silkworm larvae were initially fed with fresh mulberry leaves until the third moult, after which treated leaves were provided on alternate days during the fourth and fifth instars. Results demonstrated that T1 (2% honey solution) yielded the most favourable outcomes, including a mature larval weight of 40.17 g/10 larvae, a single cocoon weight of 1.98 g, shell weight of 0.42 g, and a shell ratio of 21.07%. Additionally, T1 showed significant improvements in cocoon yield (19.39 kg per 10,000 larvae), filament length (1054.67 m), filament weight (0.33 g), effective rate of rearing (94.08%), moth emergence (97.44%), fecundity (562.55), hatching percentage (98.14%), and larval duration (26.00 days). In contrast, T2 (3% honey solution) outperformed other treatments in denier (2.93) and pupal duration (10.35 days). These findings suggest that incorporating honey into the silkworm diet can significantly enhance both development and economic traits, thereby offering valuable insights for improving sericulture practices.