Sericulture farmers, primarily in southern states, are worried as the silk production may fall this season following the new pest attacks in mulberry plantation.
Mulberry leaves are main feed for silkworm, from which silk has been produced. According to sources in Central Silk Board (CSB), the apex body for the Indian silk industry, a new pest named ‘long tailed papaya mealy bug’ (Pseudococcus longispinus) started infesting mulberry plantations in Tamil Nadu.
Similarly in Karnataka, the ‘giant African snail’ has revisited in traditional sericulture belt of Hoskote, Bangalore rural, Ramanagaram, Mandya and Tumkur region. Karnataka ranks first in silk production among other states in the country. It accounts for 50% of the country’s total silk production that stood at around 19,000 tonne per annum.
The presence of ‘giant African snail’ will pose a serious threat to sericulture industry in the forthcoming monsoon, which would commence at the end of May and pass into Karnataka in the first week of June. An official attached to CSB said, ?The situation presently may not be alarming, but potential enough to cause considerable damage, if left uncared.?
A recent study conducted at Bangalore University revealed that when mulberry leaves from snail infested garden were provided to silkworms, leaf consumption was drastically reduced due to the presence of mucus like substance on the leaves secreted by the pest. This led to reduction in growth and development of silkworms besides considerable reduction in the weight of cocoons.
The recent outbreak of ‘papaya mealy bug’ (Paracoccus marginatus) in mulberry plantaion in Tamil Nadu had spread vary fast and caused heavy loss to sericulture farmers. The joint efforts taken by the CSB and Department of Sericulture in Tamil Nadu has checked the disease. But the pest has spread into other neighbouring states like Karnataka. However the CSB officials said adequate chemical, physical and bio-control techniques also available to check the menace.
The demand-supply gap for the silk has been widening in India. Raw silk demand in India stood at 28,000 tonne a year while the country could produce only 19,000 tonne.
