Scanning Electron Microscopic Studies on Leaf Surface Trichomes in Mulberry and Its Influence on Rearing Performance of Silkworm Bombyx mori L.

The type of trichomes, their density and pattern of distribution on leaves of 16 genotypes of mulberry, belonging to both diploid and polyploid categories, were studied by scanning electron microscope. The present investigation was undertaken to find out the relationship of physical attributes, especially the density and trichome types with higher acceptability and better rearing performance by the silkworm Bombyx-mori L. Two types of trichomes glandular and non-glandular types were observed on both the leaf surfaces of all the mulberry genotypes studied. In general, greater densities of trichomes were observed on the abaxial surface than the adaxial surface of leaves in most of the genotypes. Distribution of glandular trichomes were more in abaxial surface and non-glandular trichomes were more in adaxial surface. Overall, distribution of glandular and non-glandular trichomes per unit area of leaf did not follow any regular pattern. When leaves of those genotypes were fed to silkworms, trichome density was found to be significantly negatively correlated with the survival of larvae i.e., effective rate of rearing, but trichome density did not influence the economic characters of rearing. As the distribution of glandular trichomes (GT) and non-glandular trichomes (NGT) did not follow any definite pattern, no relation could be established between the GT and NGT densities with silkworm rearing performance. However, the ratio of GT and NGT in a particular genotype influenced the rearing parameters, higher the ratios better the rearing performance. High GT and NGT ratio (＞1.00) was found positively significant when correlated with economic parameters viz., larval weight, single cocoon weight and single shell weight. The study is useful in screening different mulberry genotypes for their better acceptability to silk-worm and higher rearing performance at the early stage of selection without actually conducting the rearing.