Content area
Full text
ABSTRACT
A field evaluation was conducted to study the effect of UAS Serisuvarna technology on soil fertility, mulberry leaf and cocoon production under semi irrigated and tail end command area from 2007 to 2009 in the established V1 (Victory-1) variety mulberry garden. Practicing of UAS Serisuvarna technology (UASST) increased the Organic carbon (0.43 %), available nitrogen (146.8 kg/acre), Phosporus(18.3 kg/ac) and Potassium (103.5kg/ac) in the soil as compared to Recommended practices (RP) viz.,0.33 %, 101.8 kg/ac, 12.6 kg / ac and 96.7 kg/ac respectively. Further, UAS ST recorded significantly high leaf yield per plant (564.6 g), number of shoots per plant (15.9), number of leaves per plant (354.5) and leaf yield per hectare (6674 kg/crop) as compared to RP viz., 491.6g, 14.67, 329.1 and 5,899 kg per crop, respectively. The substantial increase in NPK content in the soil helped to cut down the fertilizer application through inorganic sources. Similarly, the leaf obtained by practicing UAS ST also recorded significantly high N (2.83%), P(0.37 %), K(2.54%), Ca(2.40 %), Mg(0.55 %) and S(0.34%) content as compared to RP viz., 2.6 %, 0.34 %, 2.32 %, 2.31 %, 0.46 % and 0.29 %, respectively. The effect of UAS ST and RP on leaf nutrition also investigated through bioassay by feeding silkworm cross breed (PM X CSR2), indicated that feeding silkworm with leaf obtained by Serisuvarna technology practices recorded significantly higher average 10 mature worm weight (39.8g), single cocoon weight (2.0 g) and cocoon yield (76.9 kg / 100 dfls) than to recommended practices viz., 38.8 g, 1.9 g and 73.4 kg/ 100 dfls, respectively. Similarly BC ratio was also high (1:1.44) as compared to Recommended practices (1:1.36). It is recorded that UAS Serisuvarna practices resulted in greener leaves and highly palatable to silkworm.
Key words : Mulberry production, Silkworms, Serisuvarna technology, Bioassay
INTRODUCTION
Mulberry being a perennial crop nutrients get depleted in the soil and hence requires a continuous and adequate supply of nutrients through external source to soil to get sustained yield and quality of leaf. So balanced application of nutrients is essential for the growth and yield of mulberry along a with farm yard manure (Ray et al 1973). Similarly, due to non adoption of soil and water conservation practices, soil erosion is leading...