Adoption of Innovative Technologies for Labour Saving in Silkworm Seed Crop Rearing by the Progressive Farmer – A Case Study

Abstract

Sericulture is labour oriented agro industry, with mounting labour problem it is difficult to manage mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing. Further, bivoltine seed crop rearing is a sensitive and labour oriented which needs utmost care at all stages of rearing. Sri. Manje Gowda is one of the progressive bivoltine rearer who is harvesting consistent cocoon yield for last ten years. Keeping labour problem as one of the major constrain, the rearer has adopted various innovative methods of which the first and the foremost is tractor ploughing technique where he has removed one row of mulberry plantation thus increasing the space between the rows to 8ft from 5ft. Further, he has increased the stem height to 4ft from 2 ft., so that the removal of weak branches and harvesting of shoots is convenient thus saving labour. The application of chemical fertilizers (NPK) is by dissolving fertilizers in the tank and providing to the plant through drip pipes. In order to maintain required humidity and temperature in the rearing house, he has designed the opening and closing of windows by connecting the shutters to a pulley through the rope. To maintain hygienic conditions during rearing, he has fabricated metal trolley to carry mulberry shoot in the rearing house thus avoid placing shoots on the floor. The silkworm bed cleaning is partially mechanized by using small electrical operated cutting blades and the bed refuge is bundled with ropes and transported to litter pit in a specially fabricated metal trolley wrapped with polythene sheet so that no litter falls on the floor. The trolley is pulled till litter pit and one side of the trolley is opened and silkworm shoots are pushed to the pit. For the longevity of the plastic collapsible mountages, after harvesting cocoons, the floss stuck to the mountages has to be removed manually. To avoid labour for floss removal, he has designed floss removing unit which operates with 0.5hp motor and one person cleans more than 600 plastic mountages per day. The role of seri innovations made by Sri. Manje Gowda on the seed crop rearing and the economics behind this will be discussed.