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Abstract
1. INTRODUCTION
Sericulture is one of the important agro-industries. It contributes in the economy of developing countries, which face the problem of unemployment in rural and semi-urban areas. The objectives of scientific studies are considered the proper mean for solving the problems arising when practicing sericulture. Among such problems the most important ones are those related to increase as well as improving the productivity of the silkworm Bombyx mori L. that represented in quality and quantity of produced silk and egg production.
In Egypt, silk industry is retarded and still limited; despite its potentials for development and expansion are promising. It is evident that the development of sericulture is not relying on a single factor but on a composition of results connecting with those found in each step while breeding, i.e., performance and evaluation of new rearing methods, integrated disease and pest control and better handling of harvested cocoons, as well as improved silkworm varieties.
Although, the silkworm Bombyx mori L. has been reared for more than 100 years in Egypt, the local production of silk is not yet sufficient for domestic demand. This local production is amounting to 3-4 tons/year. So, the raw silk has been and stills one of the important demanded commodities because of the local shortage in silk production. More than 100-150 tons of raw silk have to be annually imported to cover all the running processes of silk cloth fabrics and special carpet weaving