Answer:
India is the only country which produces all four types of silk in the world. Mulberry silkworms are fed with mulberry leaves. Eri silkworms are fed with Castor/ Tapioca leaves. Tasar and Muga are wild type silkworms and are available in North-eastern hilly forest regions of India.
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Sericulture is the art of entire process of silk production in a scientific manner. It is an agro-based cottage industry, providing employment and income at regular intervals to the rural people, especially women.
It ensures monthly income to the farmers, as one crop of silkworm can be reared within 25–27 days and the farmers can realise income by selling their produce, the cocoons.
Sericulture can generate employment of about 11 mandays (in on-farm and off-farm activities) for the production of one kilogram of raw silk. It is also estimated that, one acre of mulberry cultivation can create direct employment to 5 persons throughout the year. The estimated quantity of employment generation denotes the stage of mulberry cultivation to the manufacturing of silk fabrics.
Sericulture comprises cultivation of food plants such as mulberry, castor, etc., rearing of silkworms and silk reeling along with other processes.
Silk is called as ‘Queen of Textiles’. There are four types of commercially used silk: Mulberry, Eri, Tasar and Muga. India is the only country which produces all four types of silk in the world. Mulberry silkworms are fed with mulberry leaves. Eri silkworms are fed with Castor/ Tapioca leaves. Tasar and Muga are wild type silkworms and are available in North-eastern hilly forest regions of India. Muga silk is precious one and produced only in Assam and nearby States in India.
Ind ia stands second in world’s Silk Production, next to China. Tamil Nadu stands at fourth position in India, practicing Mulberry sericulture. Rearing of Eri silkworms for production of spun silk has also picked up recently.
There are four stages in the life cycle of silkworms: Egg, Larva, Pupa and Moth. In the matured 5th stage, silkworm larvae spin their silken cocoons. The silk is a continuous filament comprising fibroin protein secreted from the salivary glands in the body of silkworms and a gum called sericin, which cements the filaments. This sericin is removed by sinking the cocoons in hot water which frees the silk filaments and readies them for reeling. This is known as the degumming process. The immersion in hot water also kills the Silk moth pupae. Single filaments are combined to form thread, which is drawn under tension through several guides and wound onto reels. The silk threads are plied to form silk yarn. After drying, the raw silk is packed for further processes.
Sarees, dhoties, dress materials, scarves / stoles, readymade garments, furnishings, carpets, upholsteries, etc., are the diversified textiles produced using silk yarn. This silk yarn is also blended with other yarns and blended textiles are produced.
The discovery of silk dates to 2700 BC, although, archaeological records point to silk production as early as 5000 to 3000 BC. By about AD 140, it had reached India along the ‘Silk Route’ and the sericulture practice had been established in India. Historical evidences indicate that a flourishing silk trade existed between India and Rome / Greece during Kanishka period. The use of silk in Tamil Nadu could be traced from Sangam literature like Kaliththogai & Paripaadal (Ettuththogai) and Thirumurugaatruppadai (Patthuppaattu).
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