M. Talebi Esfandarani, M.a. Edriss, R. Ebadi,
Volume 5, Issue 1 (4-2001)
This experiment was conducted to estimate genetic parameters of some of the important traits of silkworm in two populations, namely, Japanese and Chinese lines in Iranian Silkworm Rearing Co-Natanz. Based on single pair mating method, 9 male moths mated with 9 female moths and then raised under standard environmental conditions. Performance of 30 progenies of each pair was recorded.
Heritability coefficients (parental full-sib method) of single cocoon weight (CW), shell weight (SW), pupal weight (PW) and shell ratio (SR) were estimated to be 0.209±0.123, 0.228±0.129, 0.174±0.109 and 0.044±0.042 in the Japanese race and 0.196±0.1l8, 0.234±0.132, 0.159±0.103 and 0.00, in the Chinese race, respectively. Genetic and phenotypic correlation between CW & SW were 0.645 & 0.957, CW & PW, 0.962 & 0.982, CW & SR -0.351 & 0.123, SW & PW, 0.496 & 0.871, SW & SR, 0.265 & 0.457, PW & SR, -0.446 & 0.169, respectively. Selection, based on heritability coefficients of single cocoon weight and shell weight, can be applied successfully to genetic-gain in this trait. Based on correlation coefficients between traits, selection for shell weight can be applied successfully to improve other traits such as single cocoon weight and shell ratio.