Najme Najafi - Animal Science Department, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran
Alireza Seidavi - گروه علوم دامی، واحد رشت، دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی، رشت، ایران
Seyed-Ziaeddin Mirhosseini - Animal Science Department, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
Shahabodin Gharahveysi - Animal Science Department, Qaemshahr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qaemshahr, Iran
Anuradha H Jingade - Central Sericultural Germplasm Resources Centre, Central Silk Board, Thally Road, Hosur, Tamil Nadu-۶۳۵ ۱۰۹, India

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is an important economic insect which is used as experimental material for the evolution of economically important silkworm breeds. Breeds/strains thus evolved are maintained in germplasm stations for breeders and researchers to use. The Islamic Republic of Iran has valuable silkworm genetic resources which differ in cocoon shape. Fifty-four oval cocoon strains maintained by the Iran Silkworm Research Station (ISRC) were analyzed for the estimation of evaluation index to study their genetic divergence. Larval growth parameters revealed higher evaluation index and higher sub-ordinate function values for strains ۱۰۴×۱۱۰ (۱۹۷.۲۷۲ and ۲.۸۵۷), ۱۰۰۱ (۱۹۳.۲۶۸ and ۲.۷۸۰), BH-۴ (۱۸۶.۳۶۵ and ۲.۶۴۷), ۱۲۴-۱۶-۹[۱۱۶] (۱۸۳.۰۲۳ and ۲.۶۰۲), and Shown (۱۸۰.۷۴۴ and ۲.۵۵۶). ANOVA indicated significant variations among the silkworm strains. Silkworm (Bombyx mori) is an important economic insect which is used as experimental material for the evolution of economically important silkworm breeds. Breeds/strains thus evolved are maintained in germplasm stations for breeders and researchers to use. The Islamic Republic of Iran has valuable silkworm genetic resources which differ in cocoon shape. Fifty-four oval cocoon strains maintained by the Iran Silkworm Research Station (ISRC) were analyzed for the estimation of evaluation index to study their genetic divergence. Larval growth parameters revealed higher evaluation index and higher sub-ordinate function values for strains ۱۰۴×۱۱۰ (۱۹۷.۲۷۲ and ۲.۸۵۷), ۱۰۰۱ (۱۹۳.۲۶۸ and ۲.۷۸۰), BH-۴ (۱۸۶.۳۶۵ and ۲.۶۴۷), ۱۲۴-۱۶-۹[۱۱۶] (۱۸۳.۰۲۳ and ۲.۶۰۲), and Shown (۱۸۰.۷۴۴ and ۲.۵۵۶). ANOVA indicated significant variations among the silkworm strains. ۱۰۰۱ (۱۹۳.۲۶۸ and ۲.۷۸۰), BH-۴ (۱۸۶.۳۶۵ and ۲.۶۴۷), ۱۲۴-۱۶-۹[۱۱۶] (۱۸۳.۰۲۳ and ۲.۶۰۲), and Shown (۱۸۰.۷۴۴ and ۲.۵۵۶). ANOVA indicated significant variations among the silkworm strains.

larval growth, Genetic Diversity, evaluation index, sub ordinate function, commercial exploitation, Bombyx mori