sericulture

Sericulture is the cultivation of silkworms, primarily the domesticated mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori, to harvest silk fiber from their cocoons. The practice involves controlled breeding, feeding, housing, and processing of larvae through their complete life cycle, from egg to cocoon formation. A single cocoon yields approximately 600 to 900 meters of raw silk filament wound continuously by the larva before pupation.

The mulberry silkworm is almost entirely dependent on mulberry leaves as feed. Sericulture operations maintain dedicated mulberry plantations or source leaves daily from suppliers; a kilogram of cocoons requires roughly 10 kilograms of fresh leaves. Larvae are reared indoors on shelves or racks in climate-controlled spaces, typically at 24 to 26 degrees Celsius with humidity between 65 and 75 percent. The cycle from egg hatch to cocoon formation takes approximately 35 to 40 days under standard conditions.

Cocoon processing follows two main methods: stifling (killing pupae with heat or steam) before or after silk extraction, and sericulture reeling (unwinding filament from cocoons). Raw silk must be degummed to remove sericin, a gum-like protein that binds the fibers; this involves boiling cocoons in soap and water. The resulting single filament is too fine for use; typically 4 to 8 filaments are twisted together to form a single strand of thrown silk suitable for weaving.

Sericulture remains concentrated in Asia, particularly China, India, and Vietnam, which together account for over 90 percent of global silk production. Japan historically dominated the trade but now produces specialty and high-grade silk in much smaller volumes. Disease management is critical; microscopic infections such as pebrine and flacherie can destroy entire crops. Modern sericulture relies on certified disease-free eggs, strict sanitation protocols, and disposal of infected cocoons.

The term derives from Latin sericum (silk) and the suffix -culture (cultivation). Unlike most animal agriculture, sericulture produces both a primary product (silk fiber) and secondary by-products: pupae used as animal feed or fertilizer, and silk waste fibers spun into lower-grade yarns. The practice remains labor-intensive at the cocoon production stage, though mechanical reeling has replaced hand-work in most industrial operations.