SERICULTURE
What is Sericulture?
History of Sericulture
Silk
Important Species of Silkworm
Naming of Races of Silkworm
Silk Producing Centers
Raw or Reeled Silk
Rearing of Silkworm
Three Steps of Sericulture
Incubation Trays
Spun Silk
Mulberry Silk Production
Band
Degumming
Rearing of Silkworm
Steps of Sericulture
Improvement of Sericulture
CSRTI
Commercial production of raw silk by rearing and caring of silkworm;
it has now acquired status of Industry (agro-based; improved rural
economy).
Sericulture first developed in China; in 2697 BC, by Lotzu, Empress of
Kwang-Ti; kept the art of sericulture as closely guarded secret for
2,000 years; Eggs smuggled out (concealed in Pilgrim’s staff) by
monks (2; sent as spies by Europe) to Europe and then to Asia in 552
AD.
A strong glossy very fine natural fiber got from the cocoons of
silkworm; in fact hardened secretions of silk glands (modified salivary
glands); inner core of fibroin protein and outer of sericin protein
There are 4 Important species:
 Mulberry Silkworm – Bombyx mori; no more wild, as completely
domesticated
 Tassa(e)r Silkworm – Antheraea paphia
 Muga Silkworm – Antheraea assama
 Eri Silkworm – Attacus ricini
Based on number of crops produced – Uni-voltine, Bi-voltine, Multi-
voltine
Assam, Bengal, Tamilnadu (Madras), Karnataka (Mysore)
Twisted thread form of unbroken silk fibers got from cocoon which is
wound around a wheel. It is later boiled, stretched and purified (by
acids or fermentation); superficial fibers of cocoons are rejected
Continuous care – from egg laying – aestivation – hibernation –
incubation – Larval Instars to Cocoon Formation; not just feeding of
Caterpillars.
 Grainage Management.
 Spinning of Cocoon.
 Post-cocoon Processing – Stifling, Reeling and Spinning
Made of Paper lined Split Bamboo
Fibers separated from cocoon surface and damaged cocoons (pierced
cocoons- from which moths have emerged) are combed, teased and
finally spun to get threads; Eri silk is obtained in this form only.
Crop of the silk produced by one generation of silkworm; Indian
climate permits 6 while in England only one band is produced.
Keeping of cocoon in warm water for some time to soften gum binding
the silk fibers. This helps in unwinding silk fiber
 Hybridization to Improve Races
 Control of Parasites and Predators (e.g., Uzifly)
 Improved Rearing Techniques (e.g., proper spacing of Larvae)
 Improved Reeling Methods
Central Sericulture Research Training Institute
Diseases of Silkworm  Pebrine Disease. Caused by a sporozoan Protozoans Nosema
bombyces; infects adults, enter eggs and effect developing
caterpillars – turn brown, shrink and die.
Green Mascardine Disease. Fungal
Polyhedrosis .Virus
Flacherie Diseases. Viral and not Polyhedrosis
Maggot Disease. Tricholyga sorbillans
Silk Thread Length got from one 300 meters (1,000 – 1200 feet); completed in 3 days
Cocoon
One Kg of Silk About 6,000 Cocoons have to be sacrificed.
India’s Ranking in Mulberry Silk 3rd ?
Production
Supply of Food to Caterpillars Need continuous supply as are voracious feeders; generally 5-9 times
feed is given; 1st Instars need very soft chopped leaves
Technique Healthy Silk moths allowed to mate for 4 hours.
 In 24 Hours female moth lays 300 – 500 eggs on plastic sheet
in darkness
 Female crushed to see presence of any kind of disease; if disease
free only then eggs are reared
 Eggs hatched in incubator
 Hatched larvae kept in paper lined bamboo trays in rearing House
at 20 – 25 C.
 Fed on chopped mulberry leaves.
 When fully grown larvae spin cocoon by moving head 65
times/minute side to side.
 Cocoons are gathered 8 days after spinning had begun
 Cocoons are put in boiling water or steam to kill the pupa inside
 Cocoons are soaked in hot water (95 – 97 C) for 15 minutes for
Degumming the silk thread (Cooking)
 Cooked cocoons are kept in hot water and the loose ends of thread
are caught by hand
 Threads from several cocoons are wound together on wheels
(Charkhas) to form the reels of raw silk
 Raw silk is further processed to get lustrous final silk