STUDIES ON COCOON SIZE VARIABILITY IN MULTIVOLTINE X BIVOLTINE HYBRIDS OF THE SILKWORM, BOMBYX MORI L. TOLERANT TO HIGH TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY

In the present study an attempt has been made to evaluate Cocoon size variation in multivoltineX bivoltine hybrids comprising of fifteen oval X oval and fifteen oval X dumb- bell type silkworm hybrids. Results indicated that six hybrids viz., UDK2 x CSR3, UDK3 x, CSR3, UDK4 x CSR2, UDK4 x CSR3. UDK3 X CSR17. UDK5 X CSR2 among oval X oval type and one hybrid viz., UDK1 X CSR16 among oval x dumb-bell type produced uniform cocoons showing standard deviation of cocoon length/width ratio less than eight. These hybrids can be commercially exploited for the production cf uniform silk.