Performance of peanut cocoon strains of Iranian silkworm (Bombyx mori) germplasm with reference to reproductive characters

This experiment was conducted in order to comparison of all 51 peanut cocoon silkworm strains of Islamic Republic of Iran in gene bank and selection and introduction of the best lines available for next breeding programs. Fifty-one silkworm strains were used in the present study. The batches of 250 silkworm larvae were reared. Based on reproductive characters strains were assessed on different parameters including hatchability percentage, number of laid eggs, number of fertilized eggs, number of unfertilized eggs, and number of unhatched eggs using the evaluation index and sub-ordinate function methods. The hatchability percentage of the 105 (98.400%), M2-6-22-2 (98.400%), B2-09 (97.733%), 101433-1-4 (97.500%) and T5-M (97.400%) strains remained significantly at upper level than that of other strains, respectively. Totally, M2-6-22-2 (330.591), T5-M (329.463), 105 (316.794), 101433-1-4 (299.172) and 1126[111] (297.447) showed higher evaluation index values. Also, 1524 (3.375), M-1-2[5] (3.112), 151 [103×M1-1] (3.083), M2-6-22[107] (2.919) and N19 (2.763) showed higher sub-ordinate function values.