Identification of Productive Mulberry Silkworm Hybrids Resistant to Densonucleosis Virus Type 1 (BmDNV1)

The use of commercial silkworm hybrids resistant to important silkworm diseases is economical and better option particularly in tropical areas. This necessitated the evolution of productive bivoltine silkworm breeds non-susceptible to BmDNV₁. Non-susceptibility to BmDNV₁ infection was found to be controlled by a single recessive gene, nsd-l or a dominant gene, Nid-l. A major dominant/recessive gene confers resistance to BmDNV₁, from potent donor parents have been transferred to 10 productive but susceptible bivoltine silkworm strains through conventional breeding methods.