Constraints faced by bivoltine sericulture farmers to manage pests and diseases in mulberry cultivation and silkworm rearing – An experimental study in Tamil Nadu

The study aims to elucidate the constraints faced by sericulturists to pests and disease
management in Tamil Nadu. An ex-post-facto research design was followed for the study
conducted during 2022-2023 in purposively selected blocks of Erode, Tirupur and Coimbatore
districts. Samples of 120 farmers were selected using a proportionate sampling procedure and
information was gathered and analyzed by Garrette’s ranking technique. The results of this study
revealed majority of the sericulturists faced major constraints such as a lack of technical
knowledge regarding the use of recommended IDM and IPM, high mortality of silkworms due to
improper use of insecticides and fungicides, high cost of insecticides and fungicides and less
availability of bio-control agents. In addition, suggestions given by respondents to overcome the
constraints in adopting IDM and IPM were also recorded and ranked.