Climate change and its impact on sericulture: A brief review

Abstract

Sericulture, a vital agro-based industry intricately linked to climatic factors, particularly temperature and humidity. Climate change has emerged as a critical threat to sericulture, an agro-based industry highly sensitive to environmental variables such as temperature and humidity. Rising global temperature, erratic rainfall and increased frequency of extreme weather events have adversely impacted mulberry (Morus spp.) cultivation and silkworm (Bombyx mori) rearing. Elevated temperatures can reduce leaf yield and nutritional quality in mulberry, while also causing physiological stress in silkworms, leading to decreased cocoon quality and survival rates. Additionally, seasonal shifts due to climate change are altering the voltinism patterns of silkworms, resulting in mismatched breeding cycles and reduced synchronization with mulberry availability. To ensure sustainable silk production, there is an urgent need to develop drought and heat tolerant mulberry varieties and climate-resilient silkworm breeds This review paper presents a concise synthesis of the influence of climate change on sericulture, focusing on the physiological and developmental impacts of temperature and humidity on mulberry and silkworms, shifts in voltinism patterns due to seasonal variations, and the development of drought and heat-tolerant mulberry genotypes