The Official Website of Sericulture Department of Nagaland

TOPIC:- PROCESS ON SILKWORM EGG PRODUCTION:- Alemkumzuk Asstt. Sericulture Officer.

             The silkworm eggs production consists of procurement of seed cocoons, sorting, sexing, moth emergence, coupling, decoupling, oviposition and mother moth examination.

            Thus, the series of steps are followed for successful production of eggs. Firstly, the cocoon preservation rooms along with the equipments should be thoroughly disinfected with 5% bleaching powder or 2-3% formalin. Soon after receiving the seed cocoon, the silkworm egg producer should observe the following aspects:-

1. Check/record the quality and quantity of cocoon received.
2. Cocoons of each breed and batches of different farmers, lot number are to be labeled systematically and preserve separately.
3. Defloss the cocoons and sent out flimsy, Uzi infested, deformed, melted, thin and open end etc. and keep only good cocoons conforming to the breed characteristics for egg production.
4. Pack the seed cocoons loosely in perforated boxes or bamboo baskets in small quantity.
5. Preserve the cocoons in single layer in the trays.
6. Provide good ventilation in the cocoons preservation room.
7. Preserve seed cocoons/pupae at optimum temperature (25ºc) and humidity (70%).
8. Conduct pupal gut examination immediately after the arrival of seed cocoons for the incidence of pebrine disease.
9. Subject a sample of cocoons from each lot to high temperature of 35ºc for early detection of pebrine disease. Test the emerged moths for pebrine disease to eliminate risk and wastage of labour.
10. Cut open at one end of the cocoon to remove the pupae for determining the sex.
11. Normally sexing is done manually by visual examination of their sexual marking.
12. Cut and separate the cocoons at least three days before emergence.
13. Preserve the seed pupae in tray in single layer on corrugated paper or powdered paddy husk.
14. Cover the pupae with perforated news paper one day prior to emergence to facilitate the emerged moths come on the paper and collection of moth become easy. Besides, this help in absorption of urine while picking.
15. Moth emerges 12-13 days at room temperature of 24-25ºc from the day of spinning.
16. Keep coupled moth undisturbed for 3-4 hours in illuminated and well ventilated place. Maintain temperature and humidity at 23-25ºc and 70-75% respectively.
17. Gently tap the decoupled female moths to induce urination.
18. Cold store the male moths immediately after separation at 5ºc upto 3-4 days.
19. Place the mother moth on the egg sheets after urination.
20. Provide darkness in the oviposition room as the light disturbs the moth during egg laying.
21. Maintain 25ºc temperature and 75% humidity in the ovoposotion room.
22. To ensure that the eggs are free from pebrine disease, the mother moths are subjected for microscopic examination.
23. After egg lying, soak the egg sheet under running water to separate eggs from the sheet.
24. Disinfect the egg in 2% formalin solution, thereafter wash the egg in water and spread them on blotting paper for drying.
25. Collect the eggs in a thin muslin bag or perforated plastic container

Paste a slip indicating race, weight of the eggs, date of laying, probable date of hatching etc.

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