The Basics
Sericulture, or silk farming, is the rearing of silkworms for the production of silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensively studied silkworm. According to Confucian texts, the discovery of silk production. mori dates to about 2700 BCE, although archaeological records point to silk cultivation as early as the Yangshao period (5000 – 3000 BCE).[1] By about the first half of the 1st century CE it had reached ancient Khotan, and by CE 140 the practice had been established in India.[3] Later it was introduced to Europe, the Mediterranean and other Asiatic countries. Sericulture has become one of the most important cottage industries in a number of countries like China, Japan, India, Korea, Brazil, Russia, Italy and France. Today, China and India are the two main producers, together manufacturing more than 60% of the world production each year.
Sericulture, or silk farming, is the rearing of silkworms for the production of silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, Bombyx mori is the most widely used and intensively studied silkworm. According to Confucian texts, the discovery of silk production. mori dates to about 2700 BCE, although archaeological records point to silk cultivation as early as the Yangshao period (5000 – 3000 BCE).[1] By about the first half of the 1st century CE it had reached ancient Khotan, and by CE 140 the practice had been established in India.[3] Later it was introduced to Europe, the Mediterranean and other Asiatic countries. Sericulture has become one of the most important cottage industries in a number of countries like China, Japan, India, Korea, Brazil, Russia, Italy and France. Today, China and India are the two main producers, together manufacturing more than 60% of the world production each year.