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Mulberry cultivation for sericulture

Mulberry (Morus spp.) is the sole food plant of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori and the foundation crop for the Indian sericulture industry. It is grown as a perennial bush or tree crop in dedicated mulberry gardens whose output of leaf or whole shoot is calibrated to the silkworm rearing schedule.

Key characteristics

In South India the most widely adopted irrigated variety is V-1 (Victory-1), released by CSRTI Mysore. V-1 has thick, glossy, unlobed leaves, partial tolerance to leaf rust and tolerance to leaf spot, and produces about 60,000 kg of leaf per hectare per year under irrigation — approximately 56% more than the earlier S-36 variety it largely replaced. Other regional varieties include S-36, S-13, and BC2-59.

Cultivation

Mulberry is propagated by stem cuttings about 22-23 cm long bearing 3-4 buds. Cuttings are planted in well-prepared, ploughed soil at recommended spacing for either pit-system or paired-row systems, the latter being preferred where whole-shoot feeding (Whole Shoot Feeding) is practiced. Recommended package of practices includes balanced NPK fertilisation with farmyard manure or poultry manure, irrigation by drip or rain-gun systems, and harvest of leaf or whole shoot on roughly 60-70 day cycles to coincide with successive silkworm rearing batches.

Pest and disease profile

Common diseases include leaf spot (Cercospora moricola), powdery mildew, and leaf rust (Cerotelium fici). Major pests include the mulberry thrips, leaf roller and root-knot nematode. Tolerant varieties such as V-1 reduce, but do not eliminate, the need for routine plant protection.

Adoption and use

Mulberry leaf is fed to all silkworm races including bivoltine hybrids (Bivoltine Silkworm) and crossbreeds. Chawki Rearing Centres (Chawki Rearing Centre) maintain dedicated young-leaf gardens, while commercial rearers feed late-instar worms in their rearing sheds (Silkworm Rearing Shed). Leaf quality directly determines cocoon yield, shell ratio and ultimately the price received at cocoon auctions (Cocoon Marketing Csb Auction). The Central Silk Board (parent body of CSRTI Mysore) coordinates variety release and extension.

See also: Bivoltine Silkworm, Whole Shoot Feeding, Chawki Rearing Centre, Disease Free Layings Dfl, Silkworm Rearing Shed, Cocoon Marketing Csb Auction.

References

  1. Mulberry cultivation and utilization in India. FAO.
  2. Common Indian Varieties of Mulberry Plants. Sericulture extension presentation.
  3. Moriculture / Mulberry Cultivation. IndiaAgroNet.