1. Mechanisation in
sericulture
By
A.Suresh.

2. Why mechanisation?
The sericulture industry in india is
highly labour intensive. In india
over 65-70 % cost of cocoon
production accounts for labour
wages for different activities.
Hence ,we should reduce labour
dependency to reduce cost of
cocoon.

3. MECHANISATION IN
MULBERRY
CULTIVATION

4. Land preparation:
Tractor operated
Mouldboard
Disk plough
Cultivators
Harrows
Prepared the land fast
and less cast.

5. Mulberry cutting:
Worker -1500-2000 cuttings/day.
Machine-1400-1500 cuttings/hour.
Developed by CSRTI,Mysore.

6. Intercultural operations:
Power tiller
Power weeder
Tractor operated cultivators

7. Cost of intercultural operations in mulberry gardens
Method of
Operation
Time/ Manpower
Required
Operation Cost
(Rs./ha)
Cost Reduction (%)
Manual weeding 42-mandays 3,360.00 --
Bullock ploughing 80 h/ha bullock
ploughing + 8 man-
days/ha
2,560.00 30
Power tiller
operated weeder in
Paired row
plantation
21 h/ha tiller
ploughing + 40 h/ha
Bullock ploughing
2,680.00 25
Tractor ploughing in
Paired row
plantation
5 h/ha tractor+ 40
h/ha Bullock
ploughing
2,250.00 50
Tractor ploughing in
3M plantation
6.6 h/ha tractor 1,650.00 100

8. Spraying:
Self propelled CSRTI sprayer
TNAU power tiller mounted sprayer
ASPEE tractor mounted sprayer
Less time and uniform spray.

9. Cost of chemical application in mulberry gardens
Type of
Sprayer
Time required
/ hectare
Spraying COST
(RS./HA)
COST
REDUCTION
thru
Mechanization
1. Knapsack –
Hand operated
12.5 Hrs 600.00 --
2. Knapsack –
Power
operated
4.0 Hrs 175.00 250
3. TNAU power
tiller sprayer
2.0 Hrs 300.00 100
4. CSRTI – self
propelled
sprayer
2.2 Hrs 150.00 300
5. ASPEE tractor
mounted
sprayer
0.6 Hrs 170.00 250

10. Shoot Harvesting:
 Knapsack type bush cutters for mulberry
shoot harvesting.
 It works well in paired row plantation and
can harvest 1,000-1,200 kg shoots per hour.
 Mostly used in medium and large farms.

11. MECHANISATION
IN
SILKWORM REARING

12. Rearing house disinfection:
 Electricity and engine operated sprayer.
 Flame gun developed by CSRTI,Mysore.
 Highly cost and time effective tool

13. Leaf chopping:
 CSRTI leaf chopper-225-250 kg leaves/hour
 Different sizes for different age silkworms.
 Most useful for Chawki rearing centres-large
scale young age rearing.

14. Silkworm separator:
Separate 100
dfls(40,000-45,000
silkworms)/hour
Avoid spinning of
cocoons in bed
Reduce the cost of
manual picking

15. Deflossing of the cocoon:
 The outer layer of unreelable silk
floss removed before reeling.
 Deflossing the cocoons at very fast
rate &save labour charges.
 Marketing price will increase.
 Deflossers, CSRTI,Mysore.
Hand operated deflossers-small
rearer
Motorised deflossers-medium
&large rearer

16. Tray washing machine:
Large no of plastic
trays are to be
washed in a
Chawki Rearing
Centre.
Capasity-60-70
trays/hr.

17. Collapsible mountage pressing tool:
 Quick & proper
folding & pressing
of the plastic
collapsible
mountages.
 Developed by
CSRTI,Mysore.
 Fast bundling of the
plastic moundages.

18. THANK YOU