Sericulture

Masina Da Ferrara

For the WinterKingdom:

Jan 23rd, 2021, 10:00-11:55a.m.

This presentation focuses on my Comparative Study between June 18 – December 10, 2020.

What is Sericulture?

Sericulture is a production process of raw silk by means of raising caterpillars (larvae), particularly those of the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori).

https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-1-4020-6359-6_4136

Silk

• Silk is an animal fibre, produced by caterpillars belonging to the genus Bombyx. A single silk filament is the product of a series of stages derived from the cultivation of mulberry trees for feed to the propagation of the domesticated silkworm, Bombyx mori.

http://www.fao.org/3/x2099e/x2099e02.htm

4 Types of Silkworms

Food for Each Silkworm

Life-cycle of Bombyx Mori

Objectives

• To study a silk rearing process,

• To compare the differences mulberry types for rearing silkworms,

• To compare the timeline for caring of the silkworm from the egg stage through completion of the cocoon.

The production of silk generally involves two processes:

1) Care of the silkworm from the egg stage through completion of the cocoon.

1) Production of mulberry trees that provide leaves upon which the worms feed.

This session will cover my previous experiment between June 18 and December 10, 2020.

Care of the silkworm from the

egg stage through completion of

the cocoon.

Production of mulberry trees

that provide leaves upon which

the worms feed.

Mulberry leaves for my experiments

• The first group is Red and White Mulberry.

• The second group is White Mulberry.

• The third group is Paper Mulberry & Red and White Mulberry.

• The fourth group is Red Mulberry.

My White Mulberry trees in Summer

The comparative research

• Sericulture, or silk farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk. There are several commercial species of silkworms.

• Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensively studied silkworm.

• The following sections were my silkworm rearing process for my comparative research between June and August 2020, which is considered as the Spring season in Oklahoma, USA.

Silk rearing period

• My silk rearing process began after I received the silkworm eggs on June 18, 2020 afternoon.

• My silkworms first hatched on June 28, 2020 early in the morning between 6-7 am.

• It took about 10 days for the first group of my silkworms to hatch in the room temperature in my house.

• They continued hatching daily between June 28, 29, 30 and July 1-9, 2020.

• I divided each group based on the day that they hatched and the type of mulberries that I fed them. This way I could monitor how well they grow and identify if they were weak or unwell silkworms in each stage.

When I feed and how much I feed my silkworms

• I fed fresh mulberry leaves to my silkworms all they can eat and clean their bed daily. I utilized Michael Cook's "Netting Up" method.

• I will use different materials next time for netting up. I washed and dried the leaves for them each time I fed them. I checked their tray every 2-3 hours between 7:00 a.m. and before 10:00 p.m. or before midnight.

• If they were moulting, I did not feed them or disturb them. I measured the size of my silk worm in each group daily and kept the record for comparisons.

• It took 21 days for each group of my silkworms to grow about 2.5-3 inches long. The first group started a spinning process on July 19 and 20, 2020. The following groups followed each day based on the date that they hatched.

Background of my silkworm eggs

• I was given silkworm eggs by the Medieval Studies Professor at the local university near my house.

• According to the professor, the silkworm eggs were purchased from Mulberry Farms in 2019. One of his students raised the silkworms and moths.

• After the silk moths laid eggs, the student kept the eggs both light and dark colors in the refrigerator between March and April 2020.

My research outcomes

My research outcomes

Next experiments in 2021

• I have about 6,000 – 8,000 eggs.

• They can be kept only 1 year in a home condition.

The next sericulture focuses on the comparative study between different seasons.

• Early Spring 2,000 (April-May 2021)

• Late Spring 2,000 (May-June, 2021)

• *Early Summer 2,000 (June-July 2021)

• Late Summer 2,000 (July –August 2021)

On March 27, 2020

Thank you.

Masina Da Ferrara