Silkworms

Sericulture combines two linked activities: growing and managing mulberry for a reliable leaf supply, and rearing silkworm larvae through several moults to the point of cocoon spinning. Both activities must be coordinated closely, since larvae feed frequently and require consistently fresh leaves through their roughly month-long growth period before spinning cocoons.

Univoltine races

Complete one generation per year, typically found in cooler climates; often prized for cocoon and silk quality.

Bivoltine races

Complete two generations per year and are widely used commercially for their combination of yield and silk quality.

Multivoltine races

Complete several generations per year, common in warmer tropical regions and generally hardier but lower-yielding.

Commercial sericulture frequently uses hybrid silkworm strains that cross different races to combine desirable traits such as hardiness, cocoon yield, and silk filament quality.

Because Bombyx mori larvae feed almost exclusively on mulberry leaves, sericulture is structured around mulberry as a dedicated feed crop, grown in bush, tree, or intensively pruned hedge form depending on region and system. Leaf harvesting is timed to larval development stages, moving from tender young leaves for early instars to coarser mature leaves as larvae grow.

Silkworm rearing depends on carefully controlled temperature and humidity in the rearing house, clean bedding and equipment, and strict hygiene, since larvae are highly susceptible to viral, bacterial, fungal, and protozoan diseases that can spread rapidly through a rearing batch. Disease prevention through sanitation and disinfection is generally emphasised over treatment, given the difficulty of treating disease once established in a cohort of larvae.

Sericulture is a labour-intensive, smallholder-friendly enterprise in many producing countries, generating income from cocoons over a short rearing cycle that can be repeated several times a year where climate allows multiple mulberry harvests. Cocoon quality and yield feed directly into downstream reeling and silk-textile industries, linking silkworm rearing to broader rural and textile economies.