Silkworm Food Plant Production Technology

Mulberry Crop Production Technology

Nursery raising

• Season: June-July and November-December.

Land Preparation

• Select elevated, flat, well drained light textured, deep loamy or clay loamy soil.
• Give deep digging two times in both the directions.
• Give a fine tilt after 10-15 days of digging.
• Divide the total land into 8 feet wide stripes of convenient length.
• Provide drain of 1.5 feet width between the stripes.
• Apply FYM @ 20 MT/ha.

Preparation of cutting

• Use eight month old twigs as planting material.
• Prepare cutting of 15 cm (6 inches) length and 1-1.5 cm diameter with 4-5 active buds.
• Store the cutting in shade wrapping with a wet gunny bag.
• Frequently sprinkle water if transplantation is extended/postponed.

Planting Techniques

• Provide 10 cm spacing between rows and 10 cm between cuttings.
• Make holes with a stock in the soil to insert cuttings.
• Plant the cutting in erect position.
• Press the soil firmly around the cuttings.
• Provide mulching with dried mulberry twigs, thatch etc.
• Irrigate the nursery once in a week during dry period.

Maintenance of mulberry nursery

• Irrigate the nursery once in a week during dry period.
• Keep the nursery bed clean.

Disease and pest management in the mulberry nursery

• Spray 0.1% rogor against thrips, mite and tukra.
• Spray 0.1% bavistin against powdery mildew.

Uprooting

• After six to eight months; saplings become ready for uprooting/ transplanting.
• Irrigate the nursery beds prior to uprooting.
• Uproot the saplings with a spade or pick-axe.
• Sprinkle with water in case for shorter duration preservation.
• Pack the sapling in convenient size with wet gunny bag to avoid desiccation of roots if long distance transportation is required.

Plantation in the main field

Season: May- June.

Land preparation

• Prepare the land to a depth of 30 cm by ploughing and cross ploughing with powder tiller or tractor during pre monsoon showers.
• Level the land if necessary.

Preparation of pits

• Dig out pits of 35cm x 35cm x 35cm at spacing of 90cm x 90cm spacing.
• Apply 3 kg FYM per pit and incorporate in soil properly.
• Apply 5 kg Titafen per pit to check termite attack.
• Plant the cuttings/ saplings during May- June in the pit and press the soil firmly around the sapling.
• Mulch the base of the cutting/ sapling with dry leaves/ thatch/ weeds/mulberry twigs.
• Water the cutting/ sapling immediately after transplanting.

Crop management practices

• Give a light hoeing after one month of plantation to eliminate weed and for aeration.
• Give two more weeding and light digging at an interval of one month.
• Irrigate the saplings as and when necessary.
• Apply FYM @ 10 MT/ha/year.
• From 2nd year onwards apply NPK @ 150:75:75/ha/year in two splits after one month of pruning.
• Three leaf harvests can be taken from BC-259 in a year; during April- May, July-August and October-November.
• Prune the plants twice in a year during June & November at 30 cm above ground level.

Source

• Package of practices of Muga, Eri and Mulberry Sericulture for North Eastern region of India, 2005, Central Muga Eri Research & Training Institute, Lahdoigarh, Jorhat, Assam.
• Directory of Sericulture Technology 2008, Karnataka State Sericulture Research and Development Institute, Bangalore- 560 062.