ABSTRACT
Silkworm breeding is a discipline studying the silkworm genetic structure, the theory, method and technology of breeding new silkworm varieties for the need of continuous changing silk consumers traditionally, and now also of the growing requirement as biofactory. The silkworm is one of organisms wherein the principles of genetics and breeding are applied to harvest maximum output in exploiting the principles of heterosis and cross breeding. Silkworm breeding has made great contribution to the improvement of silk quality and sustainable development of sericulture in the past and still today. This chapter will briefly introduce the silkworm germplasm resources including its conservation, innovation and information system. Traditional silkworm breeding techniques on set up of breeding goals, choice of parental materials for cross breeding, design of breeding environmental conditions, selection of filial generation and mating control are elucidated in detail and further demonstrated through examples of silkworm breeding for special utilization integrate new trend of the silkworm as biofactory.
