Vol. 11, Special Issue 11 (2022)

The grasserie of silkworm is a devastating serious disease to mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori L. which causes considerable economic loss to sericulture industry. The usage of chemicals as room and bed disinfectants for the management of diseases are reported to be carcinogenic, non-biodegradable and posing potential threat to environment. The botanicals possessing antimicrobial and antiviral activities can be used in silkworm rearing which are non-toxic, non-hazardous and eco-friendly in nature. Hence attempts were made to manage the disease through effective botanicals. The chloroform leaf extract of Psoralea corylifolia (1000 ppm) was found to be most effective against BmNPV with the larval mortality value 19.23 per cent followed by Phyllanthus niruri (1000 ppm) (24.45%). The cocoon weight, shell weight and shell ratio of P. corylifolia (1000 ppm) treated larvae showed the values of 2.08 g, 0.39 g and 18.75 per cent respectively. BmNPV treated silkworm larvae recorded highest filament length in the treatment of chloroform extract of P. corylifolia (1000 ppm) when applied. The filament length of P. corylifolia (1000 ppm) (967.00 m) was on par with untreated control (987.33 m) and P. corylifolia (500 ppm) (946.33 m). Emblica offcinalis (500 ppm) recorded lowest value of filament length (868.00 m).