The major constraint in achieving high silk cocoon productivity is the frequent occurrence of silkworm diseases during silkworm rearing. To address this constraint, Silkworm Pathology Section was established in the year 1971 for conducting basic and applied research in the field of Silkworm Pathology so as to ensure stability in mulberry cocoon production.

To develop technologies for the management of silkworm diseases by the following approaches:

• Periodic survey on silkworm diseases
• Identification of factors responsible for crop loss
• Development of silkworm disease diagnostic methods
• Development of preventive/curative methods
• Evolving disease tolerant/resistant silkworm breeds

• Prevention of white muscardine disease
• Application of Formalin chaff
• Application of Captan / Dithane-M45
• Application of Vijetha Supplement
• Prevention of Nuclear polyhedrosis
• Application of PBL mixture
• Prevention of Nuclear polyhedrosis and Muscardine
• Application of Reshamkeet Oushadh.
• Prevention of diseases in silkworm rearing
• Disinfection and hygiene using bleaching powder
• Disinfection and hygiene using Chlorine dioxide
• Disinfection and hygiene using Asthra
• Silkworm body and rearing seat disinfection using Vijetha
• Silkworm body and rearing seat disinfection using Ankush
• Technology for determination of health status of Chawki silkworms
• Control of Grasserie and Flacherie diseases in silkworm
• Use of Amruth
• Production of pebrine free layings
• Mass mother moth examination method for commercial seed production.
• Immunodiagnosis of silkworm diseases
• Protein A Linked latex anti-sera (PALLAS) test for the detection of BmNPV and Nosema bombycis.
• Colloidal textile dye based dipstick Immunoassay for the detection of BmIFV in silkworm.

Vijetha	Vijetha Supplement	Ankush

Amruth	Asthra

The basic and applied research carried out in Silkworm Pathology Section has made significant contributions in the identification of the causes of different diseases in silkworm, disease diagnosis, and disease management.

During the initial period the section has recommended the usage of Capan/Dithane M 45 in Kaolin and Formalin Chaff for the management of muscardine diseases at the filed level. A silkworm body and rearing seat disinfectant called Reshamkeet Oushad (RKO) was developed for preventing the spread of Muscardine and Grasserie diseases and this was the first ever bed disinfectant commercialized in India. Bleaching powder, Slaked Lime and Foramlin were also recommended for the disinfection of rearing houses and rearing appliances for effectively eradicating the silkworm pathogens before start of rearing. Prevalence of viral diseases viz., Infectious flacherie and Densonucleosis were reported for the first time and was distinguished from bacterial flacherie. Flacherie, was diagnosed to be caused by synergistic association of non-occluded parvovirus and picarnovirus with Streptococci and Staphylococci spp. of bacteria. Pebrine disease was identified to be caused by three different strains of Nosema bombycis and other microsporidians. Developed statistical sampling and moth examination procedure for pebrine inspection in large-scale commercial seed production. Identified the occurrence of alternate hosts of Nosema bombycis. Identified two systemic fungicides for chemotherapeutic control of muscardine disease in silkworm.

Later immunodiagnostic methods for detection of diseases, Chawki Certification method at CRC level and several innovative approaches such as 'Chlorine dioxide' as a disinfectant, Vijetha and Vijetha supplement as silkworm body and rearing seat disinfectants were developed and integrated into "A practical technology for diseases diagnosis and management of silkworm diseases".This technology was test verified at farmers level in the three southern sericultural states under JICA and IVLP project periods. It was very successful in ensuring crop stability at the field level and the productivity was increased to 65-70Kg cocoons/100 dfls.

Recently in the integrated technology for disease management new products viz., Asthra (disinfectant) and Ankush (bed disinfectant) for prevention of diseases and Amruth (an eco-freindly botanical based formulation) for the control of Grasserie and Flacherie diseases in silkworm were introduced after the large scale testing and popularization. Presently these products are very familiar in the field. The section is also developed Disease resistant/tolerant breeds viz., Chamaraja (CSR50 × CSR51), CSR21DR × CSR28DR and NDV6 × CSR2 in collaboration with Breeding sections and are under race authorization trials at different locations.

Prevention is better than cure was the motto in the management of diseases in silkworm. Having achieved this through efficient prophylactory measures, the R & D focus has been shifted to develop curative measures in case of out break of specific diseases in silkworm rearing. A product 'Amruth' is developed to control Grasserie and Flacherie diseases and is released for commercial production. The laboratory has also developed productive 'Flacherie and grasserie disease resistant / tolerant breeds' which are being tested at farmers level. New thrust is being given in management of muscardine diseases, Low cost, Eco and user-friendly technologies for prevention / cure of diseases were also developed.

1. Silkworm pathology.
2. Silkworm disease management.
3. Breeding silkworm for disease resistance / tolerance.
4. Insect cell culture and Immunology.
5. Microbiology.

1. Maintenance of Silkworm pathogens and testing their virulence at Periodical intervals.
2. Identification of DNA markers linked to infectious flacherie virus (IFV) resistance in silkworm Bombyx mori (Collaborative project with Molecular Biology).
3. Investigations on the new microsporidian (NIK-7Bm) isolated from silkworm, Bombyx mori L.
4. Development of productive polyvoltine breeds of the silkworm Bombyx mori L. tolerant to high temperature and BmNPV (Collaborative project with MBL).
5. Application of silver and MgO Nanoparticles to control bacterial disease and to understand modus operandi of natural colour pigments in silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Collaborative project with NCL, Pune).
6. Control of Pebrine disease in silkworm, Bombyx mori L. (Collaborative project with Molecular Biology).

• Offers training on silkworm disease management.
• Teachng to M.Sc (Sericulture) and other courses in sericulture.
• Guidance in dissertation work for M. Sc. Microbiology and Biotechnology students.
• Research guidance to students for Ph. D. degree in Sericulture.
• Acting as resource persons in various extension programmes.
• Consultancy service on silkworm disease diagnosis.
• Consultancy services in testing and certifying the disinfectants/ bed disinfectants/ products related to silkworm diseases management.
• Quality analysis of the products. related to silkworm diseases management.
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• Silkworm pathology section is housed in a separate building with laboratory and rearing facilities for different silkworm pathogens (Bacteria, Fungus, Viruses and Microsporidia),
• Cold storage rooms (4 and 15ºC)
• Experimental animal house.
• Insect cell culture, Immunology, and microbiology.
• Laboratory instruments - Phase contrast and Fluorescent microscope, Inverted microscope, High speed and Micro centrifuges, Liquid chromatography system, Spectrophotometer, Sonicator, Precession incubator, Incubator with Shaker, CO2 incubator, Micro injector, Micro pipettes, Clean Bench and Autoclaves.

Scientific papers: 205, Ph.D. thesis: 8, Dissertations: 43, Books: 19 and Know how documents: 07

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