Chawki rearing

What is Chawki rearing?

Chawki means the first two stages of silkworm rearing. If the chawki worms are not reared properly, the later stages will result in crop losses. Hence, chawki is the most crucial period of silkworm rearing that demands optimum temperature and humidity, hygienic conditions, quality tender leaf, good rearing facilities and above all technical skills.

Commercial Chawki Rearing Centres

A commercial Chawki Rearing Model was established at CSRTI, Mysore with the capacity to brush 1, 60, 000 dfls (disease-free-layings) per annum @ 5000 dfls per batch for 32 batches in a year. After testing this model successfully for 2 years, the same model has been popularized in major silk growing areas of the country.

Essentials for Commercial Chawki Rearing Centres

• Commercial chawki rearing centre requires separate chawki irrigated mulberry garden, chawki rearing house with essential rearing equipments and above all trained / skilled manpower with rearing experience for scientific chawki rearing.
• Silkworm eggs have to be procured from grainages and also mulberry garden of about 120 to 150 acres owned by 80 to 100 sericulturists is essential around the chawki rearing center.

Advantages of Commercial Chawki Rearing Centre

• Raising of healthy and robust young age worms, which ensure stabilization of cocoon crop and increase cocoon yield.
• Producing uniform and healthy silkworm larvae and cocoon.
• Reducing the chances of contamination and spread of diseases.
• Proper incubation of eggs leads to good hatching.
• During rearing, there is reduction in missing percentage of larvae and hence the crop yield is increased.

Source: Central Sericulture Research & Training Institute, Mysore