The production of silk, which is formed by the silkworm (Bombyx mori), when building the cocoon, is an important income for many farmers in Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. The rearing of the valuable silkworms is labor intensive and the farmers try to protect the larvae against any disease. Like many lepidopteran larvae, the silkworm is susceptible to a specific baculovirus, in this case the Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV). A BmNPV infection is lethal and is considered a high risks for silk producing farmers. In collaboration with the Mahasarakham University in Thailand, the Institute for Biological Control has investigated the distribution of BmNPV in silk producing areas in Thailand. The study used molecular and bioinformatic techniques (partially developed at the Institute for Biological Control) to analyze the phylogenetic and geographic distribution of BmNPV samples in Thailand. The results of this study allowed conclusions about the pathways of BmNPV dispersal and future strategies for the protection of the silkworm in Thailand. 

Study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022201124001642?via%3Dihub

Kontakt: joerg.wennmann@  julius-kuehn.  de