Climate change and sericulture sustainability: Impacts on mulberry production, silkworm biology, disease dynamics and silk productivity

Abstract:

Climate change has become a significant challenge to agricultural sustainability, especially in climate-sensitive industries like sericulture, where environmental stability is crucial for both silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) rearing and mulberry cultivation. Mulberry growth, silkworm physiology, disease incidence, cocoon productivity, and silk quality are all greatly impacted by variations in temperature, humidity, rainfall patterns, photoperiod and air quality. The current understanding of how climatic variability affects various parts of the sericulture value chain is summarised in this article. Increased vulnerability to diseases like grasserie, flacherie, muscardine and pebrine results from the detrimental effects of high temperatures and humidity variations on silkworm growth, metabolism, feeding efficiency and immunological response. Similarly, mulberry leaf production and nutritional quality are decreased by drought stress and unpredictable rainfall, which has an indirect impact on larval growth and cocoon formation. Important economic characteristics including cocoon weight, shell ratio, filament length and reeling efficiency are also impacted by climate stress, which lowers the quality and market value of raw silk. Beyond biological effects, climate change has an impact on sericulture farmers socioeconomic stability by lowering output, raising the likelihood of crop failure, and endangering jobs in rural areas. The development of thermotolerant silkworm hybrids, climate-resilient mulberry types, better microclimate management, and the implementation of climate-smart sericulture techniques are just a few of the adaptation and mitigation options that are highlighted in the paper. Climate resilience can be further strengthened by technological interventions including weather-based alert systems, precision rearing, and environmental monitoring.