Sericulture
Also called: Sericulture in India, Muga silk · Topic: Major Crops of India: Distribution and Conditions · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 4 "Agriculture"
Meaning
Sericulture is the rearing of silkworms to get silk. The worms feed on leaves and spin cocoons, and the silk thread is taken from these cocoons. Silk is a fibre from an animal, not from a crop. India is the second-largest silk producer in the world. It is the only country that makes all four commercial silks. Sericulture gives income to many rural and tribal families.
Example
The four silks grow in different regions:
- mulberry silk: mostly Karnataka
- tasar silk: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha
- eri silk: Assam and Meghalaya
- muga silk, a golden silk: only Assam
Don't confuse with
- Horticulture: horticulture means growing plants such as fruits and flowers. Sericulture means raising insects (silkworms) to get fibre.