Genetic parameters in traits of productive importance in lines of Bombyx mori L.

In the textile industry, complex cocoon traits are closely related to silk production. The aim of the present study was to estimate genetic parameters of economic importance traits—cocoon length (CL), cocoon weight (CW) and shell weight (SW)—in three B. mori lines—Chinese (C6), Japanese (J7) and Indian (C. Nichi)—reared under different temperature and photoperiod conditions. For each of these lines, data were collected from several generations with a full‐sibling family structure and variance‐covariance component were obtained via restricted maximum likelihood (REML) estimates based on a bi‐trait animal model analysed through the multiple‐trait derivative‐free restricted maximum likelihood (MTDFREML) software. Genetic parameters of the traits varied between the silkworm lines were evaluated. Heritabilities were highest in J7 line (0.71, 0.89 and 0.93 for CL, CW and SW, respectively) followed by C6 (0.48, 0.54 and 0.50 for CL, CW and SW, respectively) and C. Nichi (0.36, 0.43 and 0.40 for CL, CW and SW, respectively). Phenotypic correlations among these lines were positive, with values ranging between 0.36 and 0.767. Similarly, genetic correlations between the analysed silkworm lines were observed to be positive, with high values ranging from 0.86 to 0.94. The evidence for environmental correlation in these lines was found only between CW‐SW traits with moderate to high values ranging from 0.600 to 0.940. The magnitude of heritability and genetic correlations implies that phenotypic variations of the CL, CW and SW traits depend mainly on genotypic variation within the J7, C6 and C. Nichi lines, and that simultaneous genetic gains are possible by implementing selection processes for any of the evaluated traits.