Correlation Between Bio-Chemical Composition of Castor Leaf with Bio-Energetics and Economic Parameters of Selected Eco-Races of Eri Silkworm

Author(s): Pallavi and B. Sannappa*

Abstract: An attempt has been made to work out the correlation co-efficients between bio-chemical composition of castor leaf (DCH-177 hybrid and Local Pink variety) with bio-energetics and economic parameters of selected eco-races (Borduar, Dhanubanga, Khanapara, Kokrajhar, Mendipathar and Titabar) of eri silkworm (Samia cynthia ricini Boisduval) and bio-energetics with economic parameters. The study established that, the bio-chemical composition of castor leaf viz., leaf moisture, total chlorophyll, total protein, sugars, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur were found to have highly significant positive relationship with the bio-energetic indices viz., food consumption, food digestion, consumption index, approximate digestibility, growth rate, efficiency of conversion of ingesta, efficiency of conversion of digesta, coefficient of metabolism, reference ratio and metabolic rate except with that of total protein and total sugars on food consumption, food digestion, ECD and reference ratio. Further, bio-chemical constituents of leaf found significant positive relation with economic characters i.e., matured larval weight, cocoon yield, shell weight, shell yield, shell ratio, silk productivity, rate of pupation and fecundity, while it was significant negative correlation with cocoon weight and rate of pupation and non-significant negative correlation with pupal weight. On the other hand, bio-energetic parameters did show highly significant positive relationship with economic parameters of eri silkworm except for pupal weight, shell yield and fecundity which showed negative significant correlation. The study inferred that, biochemical composition of castor leaf and bio-energetic indices of eri silkworm did play a major role in determining the economic characters and hence efforts must be made to improve the quality of castor leaf and conversion efficiency of food in eri silkworm to improve the economic parameters.

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