With innovations fuellingevery single field, the Indian Silk Industry is not left behind.
Silk industry occupies a uniqueposition in India. The country is the second largest silk manufacturercontributing to 18% of the total raw silk production. Sericulture is animportant cottage industry in India. This is a labor intensive industryoperating on around 54,000 villages all over the country. An assortment of silkvarieties such as Mulberry, Tasar, Eri, Muga etc are grown. The industry isgenerous enough providing job opportunities, and livelihood for more than 6million people in the rural areas.
The industry has shownsignificant growth both domestically and internationally fuelled by newinnovations in the field. The ability of the industry to grow is combined withhuge innovation opportunities coupled with the skills of the craftsman.
Eco Friendly Silk:
The state of Tamil Nadu has comeup with a new way of extracting silk from cocoons without killing the silkworms. These eco friendly silk saris are made using eco-friendly methods ofcultivating mulberry silk from the Bombyx Mori worms. By the texture, look,and the feel it is seldom possible to differentiate between a conventional andthe eco-friendly sari. These silk fabrics would cost a little more than theones made through the conventional process due to the complex process involvedin its making, but it is worth the cost. As such it is an Ahimsa Sari.
Virus Resistant Silkworms:
The Sericulture ResearchInstitute of Andhra Pradesh has developed a virus-resistant transgenicsilkworm. This silkworm would help in stabilizing silk yield levels by reducinguncertainties like viral outbreaks and this research has also helped inunderstanding the traits which induce silkworms to eat only mulberry leaves.These silk worms were subjected to various tests to confirm if the virusresistant trait would be transferred to the next four generations of worms.
To get an in-depth idea of this,
- Kindly elaborate us about the development of virus resistance silkworms.
There are two methods adoptedfor the development of virus resistance in silkworms. First method is the markerassisted breeding programme where markers identified for nuclear polyhedrosisvirus (NPV) are introgressed to desired bivoltine breed for making thesusceptible silkworms breeds to NPV tolerance.
And second, transgenic silkworm developed by RNAi interference biotechnological method where virus multiplication will be suppressed in the silkworm gut & other organs. This transgenic silkworm was developed by our collaborators at CDFD, Hyderabad. At SBRL, breeding programme has been initiated where these transgenic genes are transferred to desired biovoltine breeds. Through this method susceptible silkworm can be made tolerant to viral diseases.
- How does this process favor sericulture?
The advantage of developing viral resistant silkworms is that the susceptible silkworms will become tolerant to viral diseases so that their survival rate, cocoon quantity, silk yield will increase. In turn farmers income also will increase.
- What is your opinion regarding the outcome of this achievement?
This is one of the systematicbiotechnological methods for controlling the silkworm diseases, particularlyNPV over the conventional methods of disinfection. It will increase thequantity and quality of silk cocoon and silk productivity.
This queen of fabric is one of themajor industries in India. The key to success lies in creating higher valueproducts with the use of innovation. Novelty in the Indian silk sector drivesits performance higher and acquires profits, and satisfaction along the chainfrom the suppliers to the end users.
References:
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