. Sericulture Silk is Nature’s gift to mankind and a commercial fiber of animal origin other than wool. Being eco-friendly, biodegradable and self-sustaining material; silk has assumed special relevance in present age. Sericulture is an agro –based industry, the term which denotes commercial production of silk through silkworm rearing.
Historical evidence reveals that sericulture was practiced in China long back and they preserved the secret for more than years and maintained monopoly in silk trade with the rest of the world. According to Western historians, mulberry cultivation spread to India about 140BC from China through Tibet. The fabulous silk from China and India were carried to European countries. The mile lengthy road, historically called the “ Silk road ” passing through Baghdad, Tashkent, Damascus and Istanbul was used for silk transport.
Today more than countries in the world are practicing sericulture and producing different kinds of silk. India stands second in silk production next to China. Production of silk from the silk worm, by rearing practices on a commercial XI Std Biology-Zoology Chapter- scale is called sericulture. It is an agro- based industry comprising three main components: i) cultivation of food plants for the silkworms, ii) rearing of silkworms, and iii) reeling and spinning of silk.
The first two are agricultural and the last one is an industrial component. Only few species of silkworms are used in the sericulture industry (Table . and Figure . ).
Life cycle of Bombyx mori The adult of Bombyx mori is about . cm in length and pale creamy white in colour. Due to heavy body and feeble wings, flight is not possible by the female moth. This moth is unisexual in nature and does not feed during its very short life period of - days.
Just after emergence, male moth copulates with female for about - hours and if not separated, they may die after few hours of copulating with female. Just after copulation, female starts egg laying which is completed in1- hours. A single female moth lays to eggs depending upon