• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.27-31
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• 2003

Infectious flacherie of silkworm Bombyx mori is caused by B. mori infectious flacherie virus (BmIFV) and causes severe crop loss to sericulturists. In the present study, a colloidal textile dye-based dipstick immunoassay is developed for the detection of infectious flacherie in silkworms. Colloidal textile dye (blue D2R) with Aλ$_{max}$ at 620 nm was sensitised with 500 $\mu\textrm{g}$/ml of purified anti-BmIFV IgG. The dye-antibody reagent detects purified antigen up to 10 ng/ml and BmIFV infection in diseased larval extracts $(up to a dilution of {10^-5})$ and faecal matter extracts $(up to a dilution of {10^-2})$ by forming clear blue dot within 30 min. It was observed to be stable for three months period at $4^{\circ}C$. The efficacy of textile dye-based dipstick immunoassay was on pay with HRP-based dipstick immunoassay and fluorescent antibody test, and better than latex agglutination and ouchterlony tests in the detection of BmIFV The dye-based dipstick immunoassay method provides a simple, sensitive and less expensive test for the detection of BmIFV infection in silkworms.s.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 2006

Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Mysore have evolved several highly productive bivoltine hybrids which can produce international grade raw silk. Among them $CSR2{\times}CSR4,\;CSR2{\times}CSR5,\;CSR3{\times}CSR6,\;CSR17{\times}CSR16,\;CSR18{\times}CSR19$ and $CSR12{\times}CSR6$ are being popularized in the field. There is a minimum difference in their economic characters but they appear to differ in survival. Though they are productive under high input management conditions, they are very susceptible to different diseases under normal rearing practices. No systematic attempts have been made to test their susceptibility status / resistance. Thus the present study is a modest attempt to screen the above six productive bivoltine hybrids to two important pathogens viz., Bombyx mori Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus (BmNPV) and Bombyx mori Infectious Flacherie Virus (BmIFV) along with existing hybrid, $KA{\times}NB4D2$ to assess their susceptibility / resistance. The results shows that the productive hybrid $CSR2{\times}CSR4$ is the most resistant to BmNPV and it is suggested by its highest $LC_{50}$ value followed by $CSR12{\times}CSR6,\;KA{\times}NB4D2,\;CSR3{\times}CSR6,\;CSR17{\times}CSR16,\;CSR18{\times}CSR19,\;CSR2{\times}CSR5$. Based on the $LC_{50}$ value and $LT_{50}$ values for BmIFV, the hybrid $KA{\times}NB4D2$ was found to be the most resistant (1st position) one followed by $CSR3{\times}CSR6$ (2nd position) $CSR2{\times}CSR$ (3rd position) and $CSR12{\times}CSR6$ (4th position) $CSR17{\times}CSR16$, $CSR18{\times}CSR19$ (5th position) and $CSR2{\times}CSR5$ being the least. The response of 7 bivoltine hybrids to both the pathogens BmNPV and BmIFV indicates that, the hybrids $CSR2{\times}CSR4$, $CSR12{\times}CSR6$ and $KA{\times}NB4D2$ were found to be the most resistant when compared to others. Further, $KA{\times}NB4D2$ being less productive hybrid with a shell ratio of 20.08%, the other two hybrids $CSR2{\times}CSR4$ (Cocoon shell ratio, 21.44%) and $CSR12{\times}CSR6$ (cocoon shell ratio, 23.45%) can be considered to be most productive with superior quality cocoon and resistant to both BmNPV and BmIFV pathogens. The overall study indicated that the hybrid $CSR2{\times}CSR5$ is the most susceptible hybrid to both the pathogens.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 2009

A study has been made to know the effect of a phytoecdysteroid 'Sampoorna' on uniform maturation of silkworms during spinning and its effect on diseased silkworms infected by major silkworm disease viruses, Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) and Bombyx mori infectious flacherie virus (BmIFV). In the present investigation, the effect of the phytoecdysteroid "Sampoorna" on Grasserie disease caused by BmNPV have shown an average cocoon melting of 11.91% with a disease incidence of 5.83%. The values of 't' test for different treatments of BmNPV indicated low survival rate and cocoon traits were drastically reduced. Another major disease Flacherie caused by BmIFV has shown considerable levels of larval disease incidence (22-32%) and cocoon melting (3-7.67%) with an average melting of 12.95% and 20.24% disease incidence. There is a drastic reduction in survival rate, cocoon yield and other economic traits. The control batches were indicated negligible values for disease incidence and cocoon melting with Sapoorna application and without the inoculation of the two disease-causing viruses. The application of Sampoorna on already infected batches with major pathogens triggered high mortality and disease incidence and melting percentage was also significantly increased with reduced economic traits. Hence, it is suggested that application of Sampoorna in infected batches should be done only in the extreme conditions of rearing. Application of Sampoorna on healthy batches led to uniform maturation and improvement in productivity with the added advantage of better quality cocoons and labour saving.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.73-77
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• 2006

Combining ability and hybrid vigour analysis was carried out in hybrids between newly developed non-susceptible lines to BmDNV1 and popular bivoltine breeds for certain quantitative traits viz. Pupation rate, Cocoon yield, Cocoon weight, Cocoon shell weight and Cocoon shell ratio, Survival rate against BmIFV and BmNPV. General combining ability (GCA) effects revealed that among the lines CSR2DR was found good general combiner exhibiting significant GCA effects for six characters, out of seven traits evaluated. Among testers CSR28DR was found as good combiner exhibiting significant GCA effects for six traits. Out of 36 hybrids made between $resistant{\times}resistant,\;resistant{\times}susceptible\;and\;susceptible{\times}susceptible$ breeds, one hybrid $CSR21DR{\times}CSR28DR$ exhibited significant SCA effects for six traits. The selected hybrid $CSR21DR{\times}CSR28DR$ also exhibited significant positive heterosis and heterobeltiosis expressions for maximum traits and could be exploited as commercial silkworm hybrid resistant to important viral diseases.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.35-40
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• 2004

Bombyx mori densonucleosis virus type 1 (BmDNV1)- a non occluded virus causes flacherie disease in the susceptible stocks of the silkworm, Bombyx mori. However, some stocks are non-susceptible. Non-susceptibility to BmDNV1 in B. mori is a unique case where the virus infection is completely inhibited by a single gene of the host. A survey conducted by this institute in some parts of Karnataka state has revealed that, 43.05% of the total incidence of flacherie disease caused by non-occluded viruses, are due to the synergistic infection of B. mori densonucleosis and infectious flacherie virus. Earlier study indicated that rearing of BmDNV1 resistant silkworm stock is effective in protecting silkworm against BmIFV also. In the present study the response of 78 silkworm stocks which include 42 of non-diapausing and 36 of diapausing groups, to BmDNV1 is investigated. Newly ecdysed third instar larvae were inoculated per-os with 10% inoculum of BmDNV1 extracted from the mid-gut of infected silkworm. One non-diapausing and three diapausing silkworm stocks were found to be resistant to BmDNV1. Eleven silkworm stocks were found to possess moderate resistance whereas rest sixty three were found to be susceptible to BmDNV1. Genetic analysis has shown that the resistance to BmDNV1 is autosomally inherited and controlled by a major dominant or a major recessive gene in different silkworm stocks. These resistant stocks can be utilized as the resource material to develop BmDNV1 resistant commercial hybrids. The selection strategies, depending upon the mode of inheritance of resistance in the resource material chosen, are discussed.