Vol. 11, Special Issue 7 (2022)

Author(s):
MR Mir, IL Khan, MF Baqual and RK Sharma

Abstract:
Mulberry (Morus Sps), a fast growing, deciduous, woody perennial angiosperm which has an ability to grow as bush, dwarf and tree under varied agro climatic conditions. It produces leaf which is the only food to silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) reared to produce silk, the queen of textiles. Farmers in Kashmir feel reluctant to devote their land to mulberry cultivation because of the subsidiary occupation of sericulture. This is inspite of the fact that unlike other tree species of this region, mulberry provides two flushes of leaf in a year despite remaining bereft of leaf during major portion of a year. This is due to the fact that its annual growth cycle is such that it remains without foliage most of the time thereby causing least interception of solar light for the crops that can be grown underneath. This therefore provides an ideal choice of growing mulberry and short duration vegetables simultaneously for effective land and resource utilization besides round the year cash flow to farmers. The present paper explains how the integration of mulberry and vegetable cultivation can help in improving productivity per unit area through effective land utilization and resource management. This will assure the stakeholders of increased benefits and change their unwillingness to use their land exclusively for mulberry cultivation and will help address the problem of leaf shortage in the region.