IMPHAL, September 20: Saplings of two new strains of mulberry, which are known to have good yields, have been introduced and planted at the Directorate of Sericulture complex, Sangaipat , by entire staff of the directorate today.
In the sidelines of the mass plantation of these imported varieties of mulberry plants, Director Sericulture Waikhom Ibohal said that the initiative is with the aim of replacing local mulberry plants with these high yielding strains. The new mulberry plants can improve the production of silk in near future in the state, he added.
He further said that two new varieties S1635 and C2038 have good production of yields than the local varieties of mulberry plants.
The indigenous plants can product 34/35 kg yields per plant annually while the S1635 can product 49.5 Kg and latest variety plants C2038 can product 54 kg per plant annually.
The department has been in touch with RAC research centre Imphal and worked jointly to acquire a limited number of the new varieties from Brehampur through Dr. Somen, of the Scientist-C CSD branch office which was opened in Imphal.
The director said that his department hopes that by next year the good varieties of plants can be distributed to sericulture farmers in state as we can multiply the plants through cutting and grafting techniques.
He said that today around a 1000 saplings of C2038 plants, another 1000 saplings of S1635 plants and around 200/300 oath tasar saplings were also planted in and around the complex of Sericulture Directorate.
He further said that Manipur has a good record of sericulture activities and silk production in India. If the experiment with these good varieties is successful, it is hoped that Manipur’s silk production capacity will be augment substantially in the near future.