Drought hits mulberry yield in Karnataka by about 50%

Around 50% of the mulberry yield in Karnataka has been impacted owing to the thrips and mites attack during the drought, farmers and officials of the Department of Sericulture said.

While the department is yet to technically assess the extent of loss of plants and silk cocoons, farmers across the silk belt have complained that the dry spell and reduced greenery have increased thrips (Pseudodendrothrips mori) and mites (such as the yellow mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus) across all their fields, reducing the yield by about half.

According to officials, farmers in Karnataka can typically harvest five to six silk cocoon crops per year under tropical irrigated conditions. The total mulberry area is spread over more than one lakh hectares, and the silk production is recorded at 13,275 tonnes on average every year. Chikkaballapura, Kolar, Ramanagara and Mandya top the list in sericulture.

Goutham Gowda from Byramangala, president of the Silk Farmers’ Association in Ramanagara, explained that usually drip irrigation or a sprinkler system is used to provide water to mulberry plants. “However, due to the reduced greenery and dry spell, the mite attack has increased, reducing the yield of mulberry leaves,” he said.

Mr. Gowda added, “If there is cultivation of other crops and lots of trees around, these mites don’t attack leaves. Other crops, plants and trees will act as hosts for these mites. Now, the production of leaves has reduced by nearly 50%.”