Regional Sericultural Research Station, Central Silk Board, Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, Vinod Villa, West End Park, P.O. Hehal, Ranchi - 835 303. India.
Present address: * Central Tasar Research and Training Institute, Central Silk Board, P.O. Piska, Nagri, Ranchi, Jharkhand, Pin 835303 India/Also corresponding author.
** Retired from the above institute.
*** R.S.R.S. Sahaspur, Dehradun, Uttaranchal, India.
**** C.S.R. and T I Berhampore, Dist. Murshidabad, W.S., India.
The paper deals with studies done at research station as well as at farmer's field, covering various relevant aspects of use of vermiculture in sericulture like standardization and evaluation of an economic non tank technique of vermiculture, using Eisenia foetida, a non diapausing earthworm species, and efficacy of vermicompost in substituting NPK and FYM requirements of mulberry (MOTUS alba). It also takes into account the impact of vermicompost on growth and leaf out put and also the quality of leaf of Morus alba, as assessed through rearing of mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori, on the leaf produced i.e. through bioassay. The reeling aspects of cocoon produced were also studied. These investigations suggest up to 70% substitution of chemical fertilizer, which is not only expensive but is being considered now days as soil pollutants and are known of having ill effects on the soil properties, as well as complete substitution of FYM for mulberry cultivation, without affecting the quantity and quality of leaf produced. The quality of the silk produced was also not affected by this substitution. This may come handy for that major sector of rain-fed mulberry sericulture, which is associated with non-productive land of farmers coming from economically weaker sections.
