Effects of combined artificial feed and mulberry leaf feeding on silkworm growth

Abstract

The silkworm (Bombyx mori) is an economically significant insect that traditionally feeds on mulberry leaves, though seasonal variations often limit their availability. To address this challenge, artificial diets have been developed. However, growth retardation and weight loss are commonly observed when artificial diet is fed throughout the entire larval stage. This study aimed to assess whether a transition from artificial diet to mulberry leaves could alleviate these issues. Rearing experiments were conducted with Baekokjam, Daehwangjam, and Dodamnuye under both optimal and general temperature conditions. Three feeding conditions were tested. The first involved providing mulberry leaves throughout the entire larval stage, the second consisted of an artificial diet until the 3rd instar followed by mulberry leaves from the 4th to 5th instar, and the third involved providing an artificial diet until the 4th instar followed by an artificial diet until the 5th instar. The results showed that there were no significant differences in weight, nutritional, and amino acid composition between the groups fed only mulberry leaves and those with the diet transition. However, slight numerical differences were observed in the larval period depending on the variety. These findings suggest that the transition from artificial diet to mulberry leaves can be effectively utilized in large-scale silkworm farming, offering valuable insights for developing optimal rearing strategies in economically efficient sericulture.