Introduction
Cultivation of mulberry plants is known as moriculture. There are about 20 species of mulberry, out of which four are most common- Morus alba, M. indica, M. serrata and M. latifolia. Mulberry can be propagated either via seeds, root- grafts or stem cuttings; the last one is the most common. Cuttings, of about 22-23 cm long with 3-4 buds each and pencil thick, can be obtained from mature stems. These are then planted directly in the field or first in nurseries and then to be transplanted later. Pruning can be carried out routinely once the plants have grown, this mainly helps in serving two purposes, induction of growth and sprouting of new shoots.
Harvesting of leaves for feeding larva can be done via three ways: leaf picking, branch cutting and top shoot harvesting. Individual leaves are handpicked in leaf picking. In the branch cutting method, the whole branch along with leaves is cut and is offered to the third instar larva. In top shoot harvesting, the tops of shoots are clipped and then given to the fourth and fifth instars. The yield and quality of leaf depends upon the agronomic practices for cultivation of mulberry trees, named irrigation, application of fertilizers etc. It can be estimated that about 20,000 to 25,000 kg of leaves are harvested per hectare per year under optimum conditions. It has also been estimated that in the rear one box of 20,000 eggs, 600-650 kg of leaves are required mainly for spring rearing and 500-550 kg for autumn rearing in Japan. Whereas in India, to rear 20,000 eggs the quantity of leaves required was about 350-400 kg.
Conditions Necessary for Moriculture
The climatic conditions that are required for moriculture are almost prevalent in all the states of India. The ideal temperature for the growth of mulberry plants is taken to be 24°C. Whereas, these plants can thrive in the temperature range of 18 to 38 °C. The pre-monsoon season is found to be the most suitable season for the plantation of mulberry plants. The space between mulberry plants should always be 8 to 12 feet apart depending upon the cultivar.
Soil Conditions
The conditions of soil plays a vital role in the optimum and healthy growth of any plant. Though these plants can be cultivated in a range of soils, they require few specific conditions for their growth. They requires a kind of soil that possess a sensible capability to carry water since this plant thrives in comparatively porous soils in which the air can penetrate to a greater depths in the soil.
Propagation of Mulberry Plants in Moriculture
The mulberry plant can be propagated using two different strategies- sexual mulberry propagation and nonsexual mulberry propagation. Seeds are planted in the sexual propagation of mulberry plants. Before the plantation of seeds, the land must be ready and the seeds should be perfectly filtered by maintaining their quality. The nonsexual propagation of the mulberry plant can be achieved using any one of the following three strategies, as discussed below:
-
Propagation of mulberry plants via cutting
-
Propagation of mulberry plants by the process of grafting
-
Propagation of mulberry plant via budding
Moreover, it is important to notice that the most common technique which is used for the nonsexual propagation of the mulberry plant is via mulberry cuttings.
Fertilisers used in Moriculture
Use of fertilizers in moriculture helps to increase the growth of the Mora tree. There are three most common types of fertilizers used: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Two doses of fertilizer is required in one season. Suphala fertilizer is mainly used after two months of planting the mulberry saplings. During this time, weeding can also be done. The second time of weeding is done after 2 – 3 months of planting.
Preservation of Leaves
The leaves of a plant are very important for photosynthesis, gaseous exchange, and water balance. In order to maintain these functions, leaves should be able to open and close to the sun and wind.
Leaves are mainly preserved in museums after drying them. The leaves are cut into small pieces and then placed on the screen. This screen is placed in an oven at a low temperature. These leaves are dried slowly so that they do not shrink.
Sericulture
Sericulture refers to the cultivation of silkworms for the production of raw silk. The silkworms are kept on a diet of mulberry leaves, and the silk they produce is wounded around their bodies. When these worms are ready to form pupa, they are then boiled in hot water that kills them and separates the silk from their bodies.
Process of Sericulture
The production of mulberry silk requires three primary steps of sericulture:
-
Moriculture – which is the cultivation of mulberry leaves
-
Silkworm rearing – it promotes the growth of the silkworm
-
Silk reeling – it is the extraction of silk filaments from the silkworm cocoons
Lastly, the silk filaments are woven together in order to form a thread. These threads are then plied together to form a yarn.
Conclusion
Pruning of Mulberry trees is very important to keep them from growing into a bush, this is not needed or is less required in case it is grown in pots. Covering Mulberry fruits is required since birds love to feed on their fruits. The mulberry leaves must be kept in a basket full of water. The basket must be lined by a clean, wet cotton cloth. It must also be covered with a damp and clean cloth. If one wants to store a large number of mulberry leaves, a storage room can be used. Moist green mulberry leaves are required for feeding silk moths. Here we come to an end of this topic. We hope that you were able to clear all your concepts regarding moriculture.