Mulberry Farming India — Organic Cultivation and Sericulture Guide

Mulberry (Morus alba, Morus indica) is Karnataka’s most strategically important crop after paddy and sugarcane — the state produces 60% of India’s silk, and silk production starts with mulberry leaves as the sole food source for silkworms (Bombyx mori). Karnataka’s Central Silk Board, the Department of Sericulture, and multiple reeling units provide farmers a complete ecosystem: planting material, technical support, silkworm eggs (seeds), and guaranteed cocoon purchase through Ramanagara and other silk markets. For Mandya district farmers — especially near Srirangapatna, Pandavapura, and Mandya town — mulberry sericulture integrated with organic cultivation is one of the most reliably profitable crop systems, delivering ₹1–2 lakh/acre/year with established plantations.

What Are the Two Business Models for Mulberry Farming?

Leaf sale (silkworm rearing): Grow mulberry leaves; rear silkworms; sell cocoons at silk market. This integrates crop (leaf production) with livestock (silkworm rearing). Income: ₹60,000–1.2 lakh/acre/year from cocoon sales.

Mulberry fruit production: Some newer varieties produce large, sweet mulberry fruits (like Kali shahtoot) suitable for fresh fruit market, jam, wine, and dried berry production. Income: ₹80,000–2 lakh/acre/year from fruit sales at urban organic retail.

Many Karnataka farmers do both — leaf harvesting for silkworms at 30–35 day intervals; fruit harvesting during the fruiting season. This guide covers primarily the sericulture model.

Which Varieties Should You Plant for Mulberry?

For sericulture (leaf production):

• V-1: Highest leaf yield; recommended by Central Silk Board for irrigated conditions; used across Mandya and Mysuru districts
• S-36: Good leaf quality and yield; drought-tolerant; suitable for less-irrigated plots
• S-54: High chlorophyll content; preferred for raising early-age silkworm larvae; good root system
• M-5: Recommended by CSB for upland and semi-irrigated conditions

For fruit production:

• Kali shahtoot (Black mulberry, Morus nigra types): Large black fruits; excellent eating quality; ₹120–300/kg at organic retail
• White mulberry (Morus alba): Smaller, sweeter fruits; fresh market at ₹80–150/kg

For Karnataka sericulture: V-1 with drip irrigation. For fruit production in dry areas: S-36 or local ecotypes.

How Do You Prepare the Field and Plant Mulberry?

Spacing:

• Irrigated sericulture: 3 ft × 3 ft (0.9 m × 0.9 m) — approximately 4,800 plants/acre; harvested as bushy plants
• Drip-irrigated: 5 ft × 5 ft (1.5 m × 1.5 m) — 2,000 plants/acre; better air circulation

Planting material: Stem cuttings (20–25 cm, 3–4 nodes) planted directly or rooted in nursery bags. Success rate above 85% with proper care. Cuttings available from Department of Sericulture nurseries free or at subsidised cost.

Pit or furrow planting:

• Furrow method (common): Open furrows 30 cm deep; apply 2 tonnes vermicompost/acre into furrows; plant cuttings directly
• Pit method: 30 cm × 30 cm × 30 cm pits; 1 kg FYM + Trichoderma 10g per pit

Organic soil preparation:

• Vermicompost 2 tonnes/acre broadcast + incorporated before planting
• Neem cake 200 kg/acre for nematode suppression
• No chemical fertilisers — the silkworm rearing requires pesticide-free leaves (chemical residues kill silkworms)

What Organic Nutrition Produces High-Quality Mulberry Leaves?

Silkworm feeding requires leaves with high water content, high protein, and zero pesticide/chemical residue. Organic management is therefore not just beneficial but essentially mandatory for silkworm health:

• Monthly jeevamrutha drench: 200 litres/acre — critical; promotes leaf nitrogen content and tenderness
• Panchagavya foliar: 3% spray every 30 days — improves leaf size, chlorophyll, and protein
• Vermicompost top-dress: 1 tonne/acre every 3 months
• Neem cake: 150 kg/acre every 6 months — provides slow nitrogen + nematode control
• Drip irrigation at 4–6 litres/plant/day during summer months

How Do You Harvest Leaves for Silkworm Rearing?

Harvest leaves every 30–35 days by shoot pruning (cut entire shoots at 20–30 cm from ground). One harvest cycle corresponds to one silkworm batch (rearing duration 28–30 days).

Leaf quality check before offering to silkworms: leaves should be fresh, dark green, firm, and free of pesticide spray or dust. Never offer wilted, yellow, or chemically contaminated leaves.

Yield: 3,000–4,000 kg leaf/acre/harvest cycle; 8–10 harvests per year = 25,000–40,000 kg leaf/acre/year.

How Does Silkworm Rearing Work with Mulberry?

• Obtain dfls (disease-free layings) from state sericulture department or CSB-approved suppliers: cost ₹30–50 per dfls
• One dfls produces approximately 50–60 kg cocoons from 120–130 kg leaves
• Rearing takes 28–30 days; temperature 24–28°C optimal
• Cocoons sold at Ramanagara market or bought by local reelers: ₹350–600/kg depending on cocoon quality

Income per rearing: 1 batch (50 dfls) produces approximately 2,500 kg cocoons; at ₹400/kg: ₹1,00,000 gross per rearing; net after dfls cost, electricity, labour: ₹70,000–80,000 per 30-day batch.

What Is the Income Potential from Mulberry Sericulture?

Activity	Annual income/acre
Cocoon sales (8 batches/year)	₹1.2–1.5 lakh
Mulberry fruit (seasonal bonus)	₹20,000–40,000
Input costs	₹25,000–35,000
Net income	₹1.1–1.9 lakh/acre/year

Government subsidies from Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation and Central Silk Board can reduce establishment cost by 30–50% for new growers.