Evaluation of Self-mounting Spiral Mountage on Cocooning of Silkworm, Bombyx mori

Abstract

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a self-mounting spiral bamboo mountage for silkworm cocooning compared to traditional bamboo and plastic collapsible mountages. Key metrics analyzed include larval density, cocooning percentage, cocoon count, weight, and defect rates. The traditional bamboo mountage exhibited the highest larval density and cocoon count. The self-mounting bamboo spiral mountage, however, showed a high cocooning percentage (98.48%) and substantial cocoon weight, outperforming the plastic collapsible mountage. The spiral bamboo mountage also provided labor and time savings by facilitating natural larval crawling and efficient moisture absorption, critical for high-quality cocoon production. These findings highlight the bamboo spiral mountage as a viable and efficient alternative, optimizing labour use and maintaining cocoon quality in sericulture. Key Words: Self-mounting, spiral mountage, spinning, cocooning, labour efficiency