Assessment of the Impact of Abiotic Factors on Sustainable Sericulture Development in Jammu Division.

Sericulture is one of the oldest subsidiary agriculture based occupation in Jammu. Sericulture industry rely on the rearing performances of silkworm. Silkworm is one of the most important domesticated insects, which produced luxuriant and glorious silk thread in the form of cocoon by ingesting mulberry leaves. The biological as well as cocoon related characters were highly influenced by optimum temperature, rearing seasons and quality of mulberry leaf. The seasonal differences considerably affect the physiological and morphological characteristics of Bombyx mori L. The variations in the environmental conditions during past years, strongly recommended the need of management of the temperature and humidity for sustainable cocoon production. The present study was therefore carried out at two levels (field and laboratory) in sericulture potential districts (Udhampur and Kathua) of Jammu region during 2022-2023 to evaluate the role of abiotic factors on sericulture development. Around 200 cocoon growers were selected randomly and interviewed. For experimentation, Bivoltine silkworm hybrid FC1XFC2 was selected and reared under different temperature and humidity treatments to assure the field data. Results obtained during rearing of this breed showed a significant and key role of abiotic factors in survivability of silkworm larvae. During step wise correlation method 5% C.D was depicted in survival rate of larvae. Along with this average weight of single cocoon was evaluated as 1.5 gm in Kathua followed by 1.39 gm in Udhampur. Filament length was observed to be 740 and 664 mts respectively which directly have a great effect on cocoon quality and quantity. The data revealed that the mortality rate increased with continuous variation in different abiotic factors, causing great threat to sericulture industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]