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Plant Science Today (PST)

Research Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp5 (2026): Recent Advances in Agriculture

Seasonal nutrition dynamics of eri silkworm: A comparative study of eco-races on different host plants

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.12418
Submitted
26 October 2025
Published
29-08-2026

Abstract

Nutritional efficiency plays a crucial role in determining the growth and productivity of eri silkworms (Samia ricini Donovan). The performance of different eco-races largely depends on host plant quality and seasonal conditions, which influence feeding behaviour and nutrient utilisation. The present study was conducted during 2018–19 at the Department of Sericulture, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, to evaluate the nutritional parameters of two commercial eco-races, Borduar and Kokrajhar, reared on castor (Ricinus communis L.) and borpat (Ailanthus grandis Prain) during the spring and autumn seasons. The results showed that castor leaves supported better nutritional efficiency than borpat during both seasons. The Kokrajhar eco-race recorded significantly higher food intake, with mean ingesta values of 7.48 g on castor and 10.66 g on borpat. However, Borduar eco-race exhibited superior digestion and nutrient conversion efficacy, recording higher values of growth rate for both the seasons (1.33 per day on castor), approximate digestibility (35.83 % on castor and 38.58 % on borpat), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI) (23.43 % on castor and 23.18 % on borpat) and efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD) (40.89 % on castor and  40.26 % on borpat). Seasonal variation significantly affected larval performance, with spring-reared larvae exhibiting higher ingestion (8.84 g on castor and 13.61 g on borpat) and digesta (4.65 g on castor and 6.32 g on borpat) than larvae reared during autumn. The study indicates that castor is a superior host plant for eri silkworm rearing and that the Borduar eco-race demonstrates better feed conversion efficiency. Spring rearing provides favourable conditions for improved nutritional performance and growth of eri silkworm larvae.

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