CENTRAL SERICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING

INSTITUTE,BERHAMPORE(W.B)
CENTRAL SIL BOARD
Ministy of Textile-Govt. Of India

CSR&TI, Berhampore is a premier research station established during

early 1943 to provide the research and development support for
promotion of silk industry in the Eastern and Northeastern region.
Presently, it functions under the administrative control of central silk
board, a statutory body under the ministry of textiles, Govt. of India.
The institute is located in the historic district of Murshidabad in West
Bengal, where the silk industry has bloomed, flourished and reached
it’s pinnacle.

INTRODUCTION:-The reduction of rural poverty continues to be a

paramount goal of the developing countries like India as the majority
of the poor population still resides in the countryside.

Sericulture is both and art and science of raising silkworms for silk
production.
Fashion is a fine art then silk is its biggest canvas, and if silk is the
canvas, then all its weavers,dyers,designers,embroiderers,are the
greatest artists.

Mulberry Varieties Developed:-

AUTHORIZED VARIETIES:-

Prior to 1970 only local mulberry varieties such as, Kajli, Bombai local
were available for cultivation by the farmers with a leaf yield
potential of 8 – 10 mt/ha/ year.

Year Suitable agro Variety Recommendation/ Area covered

climates description
1970 for Gangetic S1 28-29 mt/ha/yr Authorized for
alluvial (Irrigated)and all Eastern and
soil(Irrigated 16-18 NEstate
&Rainfed mt/ha/yr(Rainfed)
conditions) s-799 24-25 mt/ha/yr
1982- For sub-tropical Tr10 13-14 mt/ha/yr Hills of west
85 hills of BC259 16-17 mt/ha/yr Bengal and
Darjeeling and Sikkim
Sikkim
1995 For irrigated S1635 40-45 mt/ha/yr All Eastern and
conditions NE area
1998 For red C1730 13-14 mt/ha/yr Jharhand,Odisha
&lateritic soil & Bihar
2005 For flood prone C2028 35-36 mt/ha/yr Under field trial
areas in W.B
With the development of S-1635 variety, mulberry leaf yield has
been increased from 8-10 mt/ha/yr (kajli) to 40-45 mt/ha/yr which is
around 5 times productivity increase a leaf yield during last 6
decades.
PRODUCTION:-Silkworm larvae are fed with mulberry leaves, and,
after the fourth moult, climb a twig placed near them and spin their
silken cocoons. This process is achieved by the worm through a
dense fluid secreted from its structural glands, resulting in the fiber
of the cocoon.

Stages of production:-

The stages of production are as follows:

1.The silk moth lays thousands of eggs.

2.The silk moth eggs hatch to form larvae or caterpillars, known as

silkworms.
3.The larvae feed on mulberry leaves.

4.Having grown and moulted several times silkworm weaves a net to

hold itself

5. It swings its head from side to side in a distributing the saliva that
will form silk.

6.The silk solidifies when it contacts the air.

7.The silkworm spins approximately one mile of filament and

completely encloses itself in a cocoon in about two or three days.

8.The intact cocoons are boiled, killing the silkworm pupae.

9.The silk is obtained by brushing the undamaged cocoon to find the

outside end of the filament.

MULBERRY CULTIVATION:-

Land preparation:-

1) Flat or slightly sloppy land is suitable for mulberry cultivation.

2) If the place needs to be freshly prepared, land is cleaned by
removing the existing plants along with their roots.

3) Land should be ploughed deep (30 to 45 cm), followed by 2 to 3

times light ploughing to ensure fine tilth of soil. The land should be
made free of weeds and levelled subsequently.

4) If the land is thickly populated with trees in hill-area, the same is

prepared after removing the trees, shrubs and other vegetation.

5)pH of the soils should be carefully checked and if necessary, lime

should be mixed with the soil of acidic reaction.

Spacing for Mulberry plantation:- Spacing of mulberry plantation is

dependent on topography of the region.Generally, 60 cm x 60 cm for
irrigated and 90 cm x 90 cm for rain fed conditions are

recommended.

Application of manure and fertilizers:-

 Organic manure has great role in improvement of soil properties. It
improves structure of soil and thereby increases water retention
capacity. It provides suitable environment for multiplication of
microbes in the soil and makes the soils of mulberry garden
healthier. Chemical fertilizer readily supplies essential nutrient
elements to the mulberry plant for augmenting its growth and
production. It should be applied in furrow and should be cover
immediately.

Recommendation of chemical fertilizers for mulberry:-

1) Farm Yard Manure: Irrigated @ 20 t /ha/year; rain fed @ 10

t/ha/year,

2) Chemical fertilizers: N:P:K@336:180:112 kg/ha/year (Irrigated)

N:P: K @ 150:50:50 kg/ha/year (Rain fed)

USE OF BIOFERTILIZERS:-

Nitrofert - a Nitrogen fixing bio-fertilizer (Azotobacterchorococcum)

It is an eco-friendly biofertilizer containing free-living nitrogen fixing
bacteria (Azotobacterchrorococcum).

DISEASES OF MULBERRY AND MANAGEMENT:-

Mulberry is prone to various diseases caused by fungi, bacteria,

virus, mycoplasma and nematode. Three major diseases i.e.,
powdery mildew, fungal leaf spot, bacterial leaf spot, leaf rust
are available in North Eastern states. Disease symptoms, causal
organisms, and management practices, disease are discussed
below.

INSECT PESTS OF MULBERRY AND MANAGEMENT:-

There are a large number of insects which are harmful to
mulberry plants. Some of the important insect pests are
discussed here.

Mealy bug

WhiteflyThrips
SILKWORM REARING PRACTICES:-
Sericulture is one of the important sources of income for the
rural populace, in India. It being the agro-based labour intensive
industry a large number of farming families are involved in
sericulture. It is the complex structure of silkworm host plant
management i.e. mulberry (Morus spp.) cultivation and silkworm
(Bombyxmori L.) rearing, production of cocoons and silk.
Mulberry silkworm (Bombyxmori L.) being monophagous, it
 solely depends on mulberry for its food. Besides, management of
silkworm rearing is important for successful production of
cocoon and thereby quality silk production.

Mulberry leaf quality, harvest & preservation:-

1.Quality of mulberry leaves plays a vital role for growth and

development of the young silkworms.

2.Tender mulberry leaves with 75 to 80% moisture and high nutrient

content (protein 27%, carbohydrate 11%) are ideal for young age
silkworms.

3.Plucked leaves should be kept in a basket or leaf chamber covered

with wet gunny cloth.

4.During dry seasons water should be sprinkled on the gunny cloth.

REARING HOUSE:-

1) A rearing house should be established nearer to the mulberry

garden that reduces the excess expenditure for man power,
transportation, communication as well as it provides better
management.

2) It should be established in a comparatively high land and in

considerable distance from any stagnant water.
Brushing:-

1.Brushing is the separation of newly hatched larvae gently and

carefully from the egg sheets to rearing trays.

2.Silkworm egg hatching generally starts in the early hours of the day
after one or two hours of exposure to light in the morning and ideal
time for brushing is at 9 AM to 10 AM.

3.Tender mulberry leaves of suitable quality are selected, chopped at

a size of 0.5 cm square and sprinkled in a thin layer on the newly
hatched larvae. After 15 -20 minutes when all the larvae gather on
the leaves, the egg sheets are turned upside down to transfer the
worms along with the leaves on the rearing tray and the 1st feed is
given to the larvae.

4.The rearing bed should be provided with wet foam pad around the
bed and covered with another sheet of paraffin paper to complete
the operation of brushing.

5.Tapping of worms or direct brushing of larvae to rearing bed

should be avoided. The use of chop sticks or feathers for stretching
the rearing bed or making the rearing bed is advised 6.Chop sticks or
feathers should be used for stretching the rearing bed or making the
bed.
Reeling the Filament:-

Once hatched, the larvae are placed under a fine layer of gauze and
fed huge amounts of chopped mulberry leaves during which time
they shed their skin four times. The larvae may also feed on Osage
orange or lettuce. Larvae fed on mulberry leaves produce the very
finest silk. The larva will eat 50,000 times its initial weight in plant
material.
Silkworm Hybrid:

WHY SILK IS SO LUXURIOUS?

What makes silk fibric so spectacular?

Silk fibers are triangluar and so reflect like prism.Layers of protein

build up to a partly sheen, Making silk a Luxurious sensuous febric
designers revel its feel,its look even its small.
SILK IS THE FINEST IN NATURE!