UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS
B.Sc. DEGREE COURSE IN Zoology
SEMESTER SYSTEM WITH CREDITS
(Effective from the Academic Year 2003-2004)

SYLLABUS

Semester VI - Application Oriented Subject II - Sericulture and Apiculture II

Duration of Examination: 3 hrs
Maximum Marks: 100
Credits: 4

Unit I

History of Sericulture; Nature and economic importance of sericulture in India; Types of silkworm - Mulberry, tasar, muga and eri - Embryology and Life cycle of silkworms. Races of Mulberry Silkworms, morphology and Life cycle of silkworms. Races of Mulberry Silkworms; morphology of silkworms, adults, larvae and pupae. Genetics of silkworm - Linkage - sex linked inheritance - Maternal inheritance - sex determination - artificial mutation. Moriculture: Distribution of mulberry; selection of land and cultivation of mulberry by different methods; manuring, pruning; preservation of leaves. Chemical constituents of mulberry leaves (steroid hormones).

Unit II

Silkworm rearing: Rearing house and equipments; preparation for rearing; environmental conditions fit for rearing; hatching; brushing. Rearing techniques; Chawki rearing and late age rearing: quality of mulberry leaves for different age; mounting and harvesting of cocoons. Silkworm pathology: Disinfection of rearing houses and the equipments; Silkworm diseases - Pebrine, Flacheries, Muscardine and Grasserie - Other natural enemies of silkworms.

Unit III

Breeding of silkworms: Silkworm races; distinct characters of races; aims of silkworm breeding, Selection - Bed selection and family selection. Methods of selection - Breeding of resistant varieties. Grainage techniques: Preservation of seed cocoons - Emergence of moths - Preparation of layings - Acid treatment: Egg production Hibernation - Cold storage - Artificial hatching - Preservation and incubation of eggs.

Unit IV

Silk reeling: Selection of raw material for reeling - Storage and preservation of raw materials. Physical and commercial characters of cocoons Stuffing and drying - Cooking. Various systems of reeling - Charka - Cottage basin - Filature system. Importance of water in silk reeling - Re-reeling - Raw silk examination. Cleaning, lacking, skeining - Book making - Baling - Byproducts of reeling. Marketing and the role of Central Silk Board in the Development of sericulture.

Unit V

Economics of Sericulture. Silk yield - national and international marketing. Preparing proposals for financial assistance. (Layout and budget) from different funding agencies. Prospects of Sericulture as a self-employment venture Hormonal treatment to increase silk-production and Field exposure: Students must be exposed to sericulture unit and submit a report along with practical record.

REFERENCE:

1. Manual of Silkworm Rearing: Manual of Mulberry Cultivation by Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), United States.

2. Yoshimaro Tanaka. Sericology, Central Silk Board, 99-B, Meghdoot, Merine Drive, Bombay-2.

3. Yokoyama, T. Synthesised Science of Sericulture.

4. Kovaleve, P.A. Silkworm Breeding Stocks, Central Silk Board, Merine Drive, Bombay.