STUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF SILKWORM REARING STRUCTURES ON FLACHERIE INCIDENCE IN Bombyx mori L

Tamil Nadu is one of the leading silk producers in India, and much of the sericulture activity in Tamil Nadu is restricted to the north. After the implementation of sericulture extension programs aided by World Bank funds, sericulture has moved to nontraditional belts, such as the southern districts of Tamil Nadu, which includes the districts of Dindigul & Madurai. These regions are identified by their hot climates and high rates of occurrence of bacterial and other diseases. Silkworms are susceptible to a variety of disease, Viral & Bacterial diseases are no exception [1, 2]. In the current study the effect of silkworm rearing structures on the incidence of flacherie disease & cocoon yield was studied. There was a significant difference in cocoon yield between the well-ventilated and less ventilated structures. The well ventilated houses recorded higher cocoon yield up to 85 kg/ 100 dfls.