NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF MULBERRY LEAF PRODUCED THROUGH ORGANIC FARMING AND ITS IMPACT ON COCOON PRODUCTION.

The sustained production of quality cocoons is adversely affected due to the scare use of chemical fertilizer in mulberry cultivation by small and marginal sericultural farmers, mainly due to the escalating prices and non-availability in appropriate time. The required quantity of NPK nutrients for mulberry was supplemented through locally available different organic sources viz., farm yard manure (FYM), sericompost, poultry manure, neem cake, green manure, bio-inoculants (Azotobacter biofertilizer, vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM), rock phosphate and phosphate solubilizing bacterial biofertilizer (PSB)). The nutritional status of mulberry leaf produced through organic cultivation is on par with that of leaf produced in the chemical fertilizer based farming as the results showed the leaf NPK, chlorophyll, carbohydrate and protein contents from the organic treatment are on par with that of control. Similarly, the bioassay studies also revealed that there is no compromise in the quality of cocoon production as cocoon parameters did not showed any statistical significant difference between treatments and control. Thus, the present study confirms that by adopting absolute organic farming in mulberry cultivation, it is possible to produce quality mulberry leaf suitable for silkworm rearing which in turn produces quality cocoons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]