DMMMSU-SRDI TECHNOGUIDE VOL. 2, NO, 2, Updated April 2016 ISSN 2362-8189 MULBERRY. PRODUCTION eR Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University SERICULTURE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTI Bacnotan, La UnionNUM aN Ne INTRODUCTION Sericulture involves four distinct phases namely: (a) mulberry cultivation, (b) silkworm rearing, (c) cocoon reeling and (d) silk weaving. The cultivation of mulbery, moriculfure, is the agriculture part of sericulture. It is the process of growing mulberry for maximum leaf yield. Mulberry, Morus spp., belongs to the family Moraceae and is appropriately known as “Kalpha Vruksha" as all the parts of the plant has many uses. It is essential to feed mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori. Mulberry is a fast growing tree maintained as a bush. It produces voluminous amounts of renewable biomass in the form of branches, shoots, leaves and fruits. Mulberry leaves can also be used as feed supplement for livestock, small ruminants and pouliry while the branches can be used as fuel wood. Its fruits could also be processed into juices, jellies, and jams. (ntip//www.fao.org/docrep/005/x9895e/x9895e004.htm.) The maximization of quality mulberry leaf yield per unit area determines the productivity and profitability of sericulture. This could be achieved through various agronomic practices like irrigation, fertilizer application and intercultivation (Jolly, 1987).CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT Mulberry can be grown in a wide range of agro-climatic conditions in the Philippines ranging from Type 1 to Type 1V. It grows well in areas with temperature ranging from 24-299C, a humidity range of 65 - 80%, a rainfall of 600 - 2500 mm per year , a sunshine range of 9-13 hours a day and can be cultivated to an elevation of 1000m above sea level (FAO, 1987). SOIL REQUIREMENT | Mulberry thrives in any type of soil, but it grows bestin | a sandy loam to clay loam soils with good water holding capacity. Soil with a pH ranging from 6.2-6.8 is ideal for mulberry production. Saline and alkaline soils can be improved by the application of gypsum, sulphur or green | manure, while acid soils or those with a pH of below 5.0canbe _ improved by the application of lime and green manure. — (Jolly, 1987) } Poor soils or marginal lands could be made productive _ through the application of organic matter, compost and | inorganic fertilizers. |MULBERRWERODUGTION VARIETAL SELECTION Batac is a widely adopted variety by sericulture farmers in the country. To date, the Sericulture Research and Development Institute (SRDI) has registered two varieties for commercial production viz: Alfonso (NSIC Mboi) and S54 Plate 1. Batac Variety Yield (kg/ha): 14,782.96 Leaf yield/harvest (g/plt): 221.75 Moisture Content (%): 76.94 Protein Content (%): 23.69 Plate 2, NSIC Mbo: variety Yield (kg/ha): 20,058.83 Leaf yield/narvest (g/plt): 300.83 Moisture Content (%): 78.67. Protein Content (%); 26.17 “* Highly resistant to MRR, CLS, ZLS, and Powdery mildew Plate 3. NSIC Mboa variety Yield (kg/ha); 18,030.25 Leaf yield/harvest (g/plt): 282.46 Moisture Content (%): 78.97 Protein (Content (%). 26.54SITE SELECTION Establish the mulberry plantation in areas with at least 100m away from sources of contaminations such as pollutants, dust, smoke from factories and spray mist of toxic chemicals. Dust and other environmental pollutants reduce the quality of mul- berry leaves. Silkworms fed with poor quality mulberry leaves produce poor quality cocoons. It must have assured irrigation source. Full sunlight is recom- mended but it could be intercropped to a widely spaced fruit trees. CULTURAL MANAGEMENT (First Year) Land Preparation Mulberry is a deep rooted perennial plant, thus it requires deep plowing about 30 - 35cm for better root penetration and faster recovery. Plow and harrow the field two times to loosen and pulverize the soil thoroughly. The land should be properly levelled. A basal dose of well decomposed farm yard manure (FYM) or compost is applied at a rate of 10 tons/ha and thoroughly incorporated into the soil.MUDDERRVDRODUGTION Plate 4. Land preparation Uprooting, Preparation and Disinfection of Saplings Saplings are ready for transplanting after 5-6 months of maintenance and hardening in the nursery. These are slowly uprooted with the aid of a crowbar or a shovel to prevent the primary root from peeling off. Saplings are prepared by cutting to a desired length of the shoot, 50cm from the point of growth. Cut very long roots and immediately disinfect them by dipping the roots to fungicide solution following the manufacturer's recommendation.DUAR TaN Plate 5. 5. Uprooting of mulbeny Sieg: Plate 6. 6. regen of saplings with. Distance of Planting Mulberry varieties with profuse branching — habits require wider spacing. NSIC Mbo2 mulberry variety requires wider spacing of 1.75m between rows and 0.5m between plants. This distance of planting has a total population of 11,428 plants per hectare. On the other hand, NSIC Mboi and Batac varieties can be planted in 1.5m between rows and 0.5m between plants with a population of 13,333 plants per hectare using the single row system of planting.MUUERRVNRONUGTION Plate 7, Single row system of planting. Time of Planting Mulberry field could be established anytime of the year in areas where water is readily available. However, in rainfed or upland areas, mulberry plantation establishment is usually done at the onset of the rainy season to take advantage of the rain. This reduces the cost of irigation during establishment. Transplanting In flatlands, dig planting holes at a depth of 30cm and a diameter of 15cm so that the roots of the plants could penetrate deeply and grow fast and wide into the soils. For rainfed lowlands, the planting holes must have a depth and width of 35cm.For upland with a slope up to 15 degrees, plant the sap- lings following the contour lines. Locate the contour using an A frame. Dig the planting holes with a depth and diameter of 35cm in a single row system with a distance of 50cm between mulberry saplings. The contour lines should be 1.5m apart. Intercropping Crops like mungbean, peanut, cowpea, corn, okra, tomato, pepper and pechay can be planted in between the rows of the mulbery plants immediately after transplanting. Intercropping legumes gives additional nitrogen to mulberry plants and as trap crops for insect pest and diseases (Telan and Gonzales, 1998). Likewise, these provides additional food for the family, feeds for animals and additional. income. Any other intercrops that require spraying with chemicals that are harmful to silkworm should not be intercropped. Replanting Replant the missing hills two weeks after transplanting. Sapling for replanting should be healthy and have the same age as those which have survived to maximize land use and have a uniform crop stand.NM e TN) Weeding Weed the mulberry field one month after transplanting. Weed the field again every after 2 - 3 months or as need arises. Fertilization The rate and time of inorganic fertilization for mulbeny depend on the nutritional status of the farm. The recommended NPK rate for mulberry is 300:120:120. During the first year of mulberry plantation establishment, half of the recommended rate of NPK be applied. First dose will be applied one month after transplanting and the second dose at six months after transplanting or after the first leaf harvest with the same rate and fertilizer material. Mix 4.5 bags of Complete fertilizer (14-14-14) and 2.25 bags of Urea (46-0-0) per hectare. Dibble 10cm away from the base of the plant then apply 25.3 g or 2 tablespoon (tbsp) of the mixed fertilizer (Table 1).Table 1. Fertilizer recommendation per hectare for mulberry during the first year of field establishment. FERTILIZER MATERIAL Inorganic Fertilizer Rate/ha* pave hae WHENTO APPLY 1 month after transplanting 6 months after transplanting or after the first leaf harvesting © Rate of Inorganic fertillzer to be applied varies based on the soll analysis of a certain area. Irrigation Water the plants immediately after transplanting. Water again every after 10 days or as the need arises by furrow or sprinkler method (Supsup and Dacayanan, 1996). Mulching Mulch the mulberry plants by placing rice hay tice hull, dried banana leaves and grasses just after transplanting to conserve soil moisture for plant use (Dacayanan and Galiste, 1996).MULBERRYERODUCTION Plate 8, Mulbery plants muiched with rice hay. Harvesting of Leaves Silkworms of different ages require leaves of different maturity and amount. Each plant produces an average yield of 300g leaves every harvest. Start harvesting leaves at six months after transplanting and 45-60 days thereafter. Leaf harvesting may be done three times during the first year of establishment. Harvest the leaves early in the morning when there is no more dew on them or late in the afternoon. nVTable 2. Estimated leaf yield of mulberry per hectare (first year from establishment). VOLUME OF SILKWORM BOXES SERVED 1" harvest (1" week—3rd week of December) 2" (1" week of February) 3°¢ (1 week of April)Ns NUR Oo Deep plowingand | | + Uprooling ot harrowing the soit mulberry soptings “ ~ ‘a1 30-35cm, + Transplanting ala i Qlecrop ay Dery, + Incorporate 10 tons Lam, distanceot 1.5m an fer Tae Ce, i a a o welldecomposed Rt _belweenrows Repent esha farm yard manure and 0.5m between hills + Replanting of missing hills (1! week of July) + 3 leat harvesting {or silkworm roaring by plucking \ ‘ eS c 5 (1* week of June) A > ener } + Apply of 25.39 or 2 tbsp. of mixed Inorganic fertilizer + ("Week of July) cond . We + Fist leatharvesting | By «2 teathavosting | ee for siliwormreating | oF Smee i a by plucking f (1 week of June) Figure 1, Cultural Management of Newly-Established Mulberry Plantation.Table 3. Schedule of Operations for the Mulberry Production (First year of Establishment) Month Week Operation Deep plowing and harrowing at 30-35cm deep 1. |» Application of well decomposed Farm yarn Manure ©10 tons/ha or 2kg/pit 2 |e — Uprooting , preparation and disinfection of saplings using the manufacturer's recommended dose © Transplanting of saplings at a distance of 1.5 x 0.5m for June 3 NSIC MbO2 and Batac varieties and 1.75 x 0.5m for NSIC Mb02 using single row system of planting © Irigate plants immediately ater transplanting '¢ — Mulch mulberry plants by placing rice straw, rice hull and dried leaves or grasses ° Plant okra, pepper, mungbean, peanut, corn, etc. In between rows of mulberry plants as intercrops [> Replant missing hills with healthy and of the same age of 1 saplings © Irvigate plants using furrow method If there Is no rain 2 +Je Irrigate plants if there Is no rain © Weeding of the mulberry plantation July © Weeding and intercultivation of the mulberry plantation © Apply 25.3g or 2 tbsp of mixed Inorganic fertilizer 7 (14-14-14 and _45-0-0) per plant © Irrigate plants 4 1 - 2 ugust 3 |* Weeding of the mulberry plantation 4 1 2 September : 4 14Month Operation October Weeding of the mulberry plantation November Weeding of the mulberry plantation Irrigate mulberry plants if there Is no raln December Irrigate mulberry plants If there is no rain First leaf harvesting by plucking for silkworm rearing January Harvest mulberry leaves by plucking Harvest mulberry leaves by plucking Weeding and Intercultivation of mulberry plants Apply 25.3g or 2 tbsp of mixed fertilizer per plant Irrigate mulberry plants by sprinkler method ‘February Irrigate mulberry plants Weed the mulberry plantation Irrigate the mulberry plants by furrow method Second leaf harvesting for silkworm rearing Harvest mulberry leaves by plucking Harvest mulberry leaves by plucking Weeding, Intercultivation, Irrigation Irrigate mulberry plants by furrow method Irrigate mulberry plants Third leaf harvesting by plucking for silkworm rearing Harvest mulberry leaves by plucking Harvest mulberry leaves by plucking 1SCARE AND MAINTENANCE (SECOND YEAR ONWARDS) Pruning Pruning is the removal of branches to increase leaf yield and improve its feeding value for silkworm rearing. It regenerates the growth of the plants making them vigorous thus, producing good quality leaves. Prune the mulberry plants one year after transplanting or when the plants are already about 6.5 ft or less than 2 m tall. Prune the plants every 60 days or after leaf harvest or five times in a year (Fig. 2). To prune the mulbery plants, cut them at height of 50-60 cm above the ground. For the next pruning, cut the branch or stem 15 cm from the base of the branch. Use a sharp pruning shear to produce clean cuts without splits on the bark. To sustain the productivity of the mulberry plants, bottom pruning at ground level is recommended every 5-7 years with the use of a pruning saw (Dacayanan, G.P. et.al, 1993).Ne aN) Intercropping Leguminous crops like peanut, cowpea and mungbean can be planted in between the rows of mulberry plants two weeks before pruning. These would contribute additional income and serve as green manures. Allow the intercrops to bear flowers and fruits before harvesting, then uproot and mulch them in between rows of mulberry then incorporate into the soil during intercultivation (Caccam, MM et. al., 2009). NV s Plate 9. Legumes as Intercrops in mulberry plantation.Weeding and Intercultivation Weed the mulbery field immediately after each pruning. Remove any weed that may grow between hills and rows. Intercultivate the mulberry plantation by means of cabarao drawn plow or a tractor drawn tiller to remove the weeds and loosen the soil so as to allow the water to penetrate into the soil for better aeration. Fertilization Apply 10tons/ha of organic matter like animal wastes and manure before the onset of the rainy season and incorporate into the soil to counteract the ill effects of continuous inorganic fertilization such as acidification. Apply the inorganic fertilizer in five split doses. Three to four weeks after pruning, apply the first fertilizer dose. Starting with second until the fifth dosage, apply the fertilizer within two weeks after leaf harvest (Table 4). Drill the fertilizer 10-15 cm from the base of the plant.UMA NICa TN Table 4, Schedule of fertilization and amount of fertilizer that must be applied In a hectare of mulberry plantation during the second year of establishment." NPK RATE TYPE OF FERTILIZER AMOUNT TO BE APPLIED BAG/HA OR G/PLANT ‘WHEN TO APPLY Organic Fertilizer Compost animal manure 200 bags or 750g Just after pruning Inorganic Fertilizer 60-60-60 14-14-14 ‘9 bags or 32.14g or 4tsp 3-4 wks. after pruning, 60-0-0 46-0-0 (Urea) 3 bags or 10.0g or itsp After 2 leaf harvest 60-60-60 14-14-14 9 bags or 32.14g or 4 tsp After 3" leaf harvest Urea 3 bags or 10.0g or 1 tsp After 4" leaf harvest Urea bags or 10.0g or 1 tsp After 5" leaf harvest Irrigation irrigate the mulberry plants regularly at an interval of 10-15 days depending upon the soil condition and its water holding capacity.Plate 10. Leaf Harvesting through branch cutting. Harvesting Harvest mulberry leaves by plucking shoot or branch cutting. A total of 6.665 kg can be harvested in a hectare or 500 grams per plant in every harvest period.AUIDERRY PRODUCTION Figure 2. Cultural Management of mulberry plantation for second year onwards. 2)Table 5. Schedule of Operations for the Second Year of Establishment Onwards. Month Week Operation/Activity 1 __ | + Prune mulberry plants at a helght of S0cm above ground level 2 _ | * Weed and intercultivate mulberry plantation * Apply 200 bags of well compost FYM per hectare or 750g/plant June 3 ~ Apply 9 bags of complete (14-14-14) fertilizer per hectare or 4 32.14g or 4 tsp/plant « Irigate the plants Immediately 1 2 July 3 | © First leaf harvesting for silkworm rearing by plucking 4 | © Harvest mulberry leaves by branch cutting 1 | ¢ Harvest mulberry plants by branch cutting 2 ‘© Prune mulberry plants by cutting the stem/branch 15cm from the August : base of the branch, Maintain 7-8 branch per plant . 'd and Intercultivate the mulberry plantation # Irrigate mulberry plants 1 : ‘© Apply 3 bags of Urea per hectare or 10.0g or 1 tbsp/plant September * Irrigate mulberry plants immediately 3 4 | © Second leaf harvesting for silkworm rearing by plucking 1 | © Harvest mulberry leaves by branch cutting ji 2 | © Harvest mulberry leaves by branch cutting © Prune mulberry plants by cutting the stem/branch 15cm from the October 3 base of the branch, Maintain 7-8 branch per plant © Weed and intercultivate the mulberry plantation * Irrigate mulberry plantsDIT er Operation/Activity November Irrigate mulberry plants December Third leaf harvesting for silkworm rearing by plucking Harvest mulberry leaves by branch cutting Harvest mulberry leaves by branch cutting Prune mulberry plants by cutting the stem/branch 15cm from the base of the branch, Maintain 7-8 branch per plant Weed and Intercultivate the mulberry plantation Irrigate mulberry plants February Apply 3 bags of Urea per hectare or 10.0g or 1 thsp/plant Irrigate mulberry plants Immediately Fourth leaf harvesting by plucking Harvest mulberry leaves by branch cutting Harvest mulberry leaves by branch cutting Prune mulberry plants by cutting the stem/branch 15cm from the base of the branch. Maintain 7-8 branch per plant Weed and Intercultivate the mulberry plantation Irrigate mulberry plants Apply 3 bags of Urea per hectare or 10.0g or 1 tbsp/plant Irrigate mulberry plants immediately Fifth leaf harvesting by plucking Harvest mulberry leaves by branch cutting Harvest mulberry leaves by branch cutting 23