2024 Volume 32 Pages 43-47
Silk is a natural fiber with excellent mechanical properties. However, the development of higher strength silk is anticipated to expand its applications. The F1-hybrid of the high-strength silk thread producing silkworm strain MC502 developed through selective breeding and standard silkworm strain J137 exhibits retention of high-strength characteristics of MC502, with markedly better raw silk yield compared to MC502. However, the feeding response of artificial diet and mounting efficiency, which are important for practical use, have not been evaluated. Therefore, we investigated the feeding response of artificial diet and mounting efficiency, in MC502×J137 and J137×MC502. Because both strains ate an artificial diet for general strains of silkworm and reached second instar development, they can use artificial diet rearing during young instars of silkworms: the current mainstream sericultural practice. Furthermore, the mounting efficiency of MC502×J137 and J137×MC502 was better than that of the standard strain, J137×C146. These results demonstrate that no important difficulties exist to hinder the practical use of the F1-hybrid of MC502 and J137.
