SERICULTURE

Silkworm Rearing

Silkworm breeds

Multi x Bivoltine (cross breeds) :
Irrigated areas : BL24 x NB4D2, PM x CSR2, PM x NB4D2, APM1x APS8
(Swarnaandhra), BL43xNB4D2,
Rainfed areas : PM x C.Nichi, BL23 x NB4D2

Bivoltine hybrids: CSR2 x CSR 4, CSR 18 x CSR 19, KSO1 x NP2.

Requirements for silkworm rearing

1. Good quality mulberry leaves
2. Rearing house of approximately 20 m² for 100 dfls (disease free layings), with good ventilation, mild temperature (24-28ºC) and humidity (65-85%).
3. Rearing equipments like chawki stand (one), wooden trays (10), rearing racks (5), chopping board (one) and knife, wooden / bamboo rearing trays (50), chandrika / netrika (mountage) (40), leaf chamber, feeding stands, ant wells, rocker sprayer, wet and dry bulb thermometer and materials like formaldehyde / bleaching powder, paraffin paper, cleaning nets, foam rubber strips, and Resham Keet Oushadh (RKO) powder are required.

Feeding schedule (for 100 laying)

At the end of each instar, larvae stop feeding and cast off old skin in 18-30 hours. When the worms set for moulting, paraffin paper should be removed and spread on the bed to dry up. If there are more feeding worms, a light and thin feeding may be given. All the worms settle in 6-8 hours. During moulting, worms should not be disturbed and full ventilation should be provided. Feeding is resumed when 90% of worms have moulted. Resham Keet Oushadh (RKO) powder is dusted over the worms 30 minutes before feeding.

After two consecutive feedings, the larvae with the net are transferred to a new tray. Mature larvae stop feeding and prepare themselves for spinning. Its body becomes translucent, shrinks in length and constrictions appear on fourth and fifth segments. They move towards the periphery of the trays. Such worms are picked and transferred to Chandrika / Netrakae. About 1000 worms (400-450 larvae/m²) can be mounted in a mountage. Mount the entire larvae within a maximum period of 48 hours and provide sufficient ventilation during spinning. Cocoon should be harvested on the fifth and sixth day after mounting. In rainy and cold seasons, it should be delayed for one more day. The cocoons are collected from Chandrika and transported in light gunny bags to cocoon market. The cocoon should be marketed immediately after harvest, so as to avoid adult emergence. Under average conditions, 100 dfls of bivoltine will yield 40-60 kg cocoons and cross breed will yield 30-50 kg cocoons.

Last updated: 26-4-2007