RAJSHAHI, Oct 23 (BSS): Golden tradition of silk industries is expected to revive within a shortest possible time with breakthrough innovation of high yielding varieties of silkworms and mulberry plants.
Bangladesh Sericulture Research and Training Institute (BSRTI) has innovated 20 silkworm and 15 mulberry plant varieties after a long research creating massive hope of revitalization of the prestigious silk sector.
BSRTI Senior Scientific Officer (SSO) Faruque Ahmed told the news agency that silk production will be enhanced by around 12 to 15 per cent together with decreasing the dependence on import of silk yarn amid the variety innovation recently. Farmers will also be benefited enormously by virtue of the innovation.
Since the immemorial time, Rajshahi has been famous for silk but its legacy was on the wane for the last couple of decades. BSRTI has started showing the dreams of the golden day's silks again in the region.
Faruque Ahmed said they conducted the research under a five-year project for production enhancement of silk through technology development expansion and skilled manpower generation. Through the Taka 356.59 million (35.66 crore) project, 20 silkworms and 15 mulberry plants have been added to the present stock cumulating the number of silkworms to 114, while mulberry plants to 38.
Apart from this, mulberry variety has been elevated to 84 from 60, while silkworm variety to 114, including 27 high yielding ones, from 85 in BSRTI's germplasm bank with the development of the 35 new varieties.
By dint of the innovation of 20 silkworm varieties, production of 70 to 75 kilograms of silk could be possible from per 100 disinfectant eggs within less time, while the previous figure was 60 to 65 kilograms.
Besides, 40 to 47 tonnes of mulberry leaves could be produced per hectare of land yearly amid innovation of the 15 mulberry varieties, whereas the previous figure was 30 to 37 tonnes.
Another SSO Rumana Ferdus Bint-A-Rahman said the newly developed varieties will be expanded to the grassroots farmers as soon as possible so that they can derive total benefits of the research outcomes.
BSRTI Director Kazi Rafiqul Islam told the news agency that they are encouraging the farmers towards mulberry farming as main crop with the ultimate goal of boosting silk production. Currently, mulberry plants are being cultivated on homesteads and roadside vacant places.
