What is Sericulture? (Silk Farming)

Sericulture is the commercial rearing of silkworms to produce raw silk. The word comes from Latin Sericum (silk) + Culture (cultivation).

The silkworm most commonly used is Bombyx mori, which feeds exclusively on fresh mulberry leaves.

1. Egg Stage: Female moths lay hundreds of tiny eggs on mulberry leaves.
2. Larva (Silkworm) Stage: The eggs hatch into caterpillars (silkworms) that voraciously eat mulberry leaves.
3. Cocoon Stage: After about 4 weeks, the larva spins a protective cocoon around itself using a single continuous silk thread (up to 1500 meters long!).
4. Extraction: The cocoons are boiled in hot water to kill the pupa inside and loosen the silk thread, which is then carefully reeled off.
5. Weaving: Multiple threads are twisted together to form strong silk yarn, which is woven into fabric.

India is the second largest producer of silk in the world after China. The states of Karnataka, West Bengal, and Jammu & Kashmir are the biggest silk-producing regions. Silk forms an integral part of Indian culture — used in sarees, sherwanis, and religious ceremonies.