R.PriyankaB.Sc Biochemistry

& Biotechnology

Sericulture is the cultivation of silk through rearing of silkworm.

It is an agro based industry.

It involves the raising of food plants for silkworm, rearing of silkworm for production of cocoons, reeling and spinning of cocoon for production of yarn etc.

For value added benefits such as processing and weaving.

SILKWORM – Bombyx mori

a. Mulberry silkworm

b. Tasar silkworm

c. Muga silkworm

d. Eri silkworm

e. Oak silkworm

f. Giant silkworm

This was taken as drowry by married princess during olgage in Tibet.

Slowly it passed on to China and finally to India.

Now India plays a major part in sericulture leading 2nd

position for silk

CATERPILLAR

1. TASAR – Old and Traditional silk ; Rural areas

2. ERI - Eastern parts of India

3. MULBERRY - Non traditional silk

4. MUGA – Golden yellow silk

MULBERRY LEAVES

COCOON

•High employment potential

•Provides vibrancy to village economies

•Low gestation and high returns

•Women friendly occupation

•Ideal program for weaker sections of society

•Eco-friendly activity

HOUSE HOLD WORK

Mainly in textile industry for manufacturing garments

Bags, telephone cable insulations, dyeing & screen printing

•Pebrene – caused by protozoan; larvae become pale yellow, size reduces & no yield

•Grasserie – skin of larvae rough & saliva becomes thick

•Flacherie – indigestion occurs & worm becomes thin, inactive & regenerates

•Muscardine –due to fungi; mortality occurs due to heavy rain & unhygienic

Leads 2nd position in world

Exporting 1/7th of silk products to foreign countries

Govt. of India constituted ‘Central Silk Board’ to protect interest of silk industry

Research institutes

i. Central sericulture research institute, West Bengal

ii. Sericulture research institute, Mysore

In vitro culture of embryo

Tissue culture media- Grace’s medium

Cell line production

Nutrition production