Influence of dietary calcium chloride on development and commercial performance of bombyx moril.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of calcium supplementation on the growth, survival, and commercial traits of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (FC1 × FC2 hybrid). The experiment was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions using calcium concentrations of 100, 150 and 200 ppm along with a control group. The treated group receive the mulberry leaves dipped into different concentrations of calcium chloride 100ppm, 150ppm and 200ppm in distilled water, once a day and the rest of the day larvae fed with normal leaves without any treatment, while the control group receive the normal leaves without any treatment. The parameters were recorded during the study was larval growth parameters including length and weight during the fourth and fifth instar and also recorded the disease incidence, larval survival percentage, cocoon weight, pupal weight, shell weight, and shell ratio. The results indicated that calcium supplementation significantly enhanced larval growth, survival and cocoon characteristics compared to the control. Among the tested concentrations, 100 ppm calcium consistently produced the highest larval length and weight, maximum cocoon and pupal weight, and improved shell ratio, while also reducing disease incidence. These findings demonstrate that calcium-enriched mulberry leaves can positively influence silkworm development and silk productivity, suggesting its potential application in improving sericulture output.