Vol. 12, Special Issue 12 (2023)

Author(s):
Sakiba Saleem, MF Baqual, MR Mir, I Murtaza, Sameera Qayoom and Tariq Raja

Abstract:
Sericulture in the Valley of Kashmir is mainly restricted to spring crop only which commences from May to ending June every year. Although efforts are on to take up many crops, yet it is not picking up owing to least availability of mulberry under field conditions. Further because of harsh winter mulberry enters into dormancy after senescence sets in. However, autumn crop is practiced with certain limitations as the leaf to be fed to silkworms needs to be plucked individually from mulberry trees which is not a healthy practice. In order to ascertain and assess the damage of leaf harvest, study was taken where mulberry plants were subjected to different levels of leaf harvest and it was observed that least damage during succeeding spring season was found in the torments where no harvest was done, followed by laminar harvest and subsequently by 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% leaf cut. The quantitative parameters of plants which were subject to leaf harvest indicated varied levels of damage depending upon level of harvest. Number of shootlets/plant, leaf area and number of leaves along with leaf yield got impacted by the extent of leaf harvest.