South Asian Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (SARJET)
Volume-3 | Issue-04
Original Research Article
Site-Suitability Analysis for Sericulture Development in Sub-Himalayan Region of Haryana, India
Ritesh Kumar, Nitin Chauhan, Bijoy K. Handique, V. S. Arya
Published : Aug. 24, 2021
Abstract
Sericulture is the practice of producing silk through the cultivation of silkworms. India ranks second in silk production after China, producing about 15% of the global silk. Traditionally sericulture is practiced in limited areas of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and North-eastern states. There is tremendous scope for enhancing the production and quality of silk through increasing area under Mulberry host plant for Silkworms. Adoption of Sericulture as an alternative to agriculture is possible under suitable agro-climatic conditions in non-traditional state like Haryana. Multi-criteria analysis of slope, soil, LULC and climatic limiting factors for Silkworm and its food plants resulted in identification of potential area and suitable season for sericulture practices. The total available wasteland in the study area was targeted for the suitability analysis. The multi-criteria spatial analysis shows that the sub-Himalayan regions falling in three districts of Haryana (viz. Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar), Panchkula district have 3260.93 ha of suitable waste land for Mulberry sericulture practice. Moreover, the sub-Himalayan region falling in Ambala and Yamunanagar district have an area of 1535.81 ha and 1695.95 ha respectively as suitable wasteland for Mulberry sericulture. The remote sensing and GIS technology have proven its capability in finding out the suitable site for mulberry sericulture in the study area. The database thus generated in the project is published online along with other layers at Sericulture Information Linkages Knowledge Systems (SILKS), http://silks.csb.gov.in as well as information on good practices for mulberry sericulture rearing and production for farmers and entrepreneurs.