SILKWORM REARING A PROFITABLE BUSINESS

Farhan Ali, Ijaz Ashraf, Umair Talib

Faculty od Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

Silk is a natural fibre and was amongst the earliest fibres discovered by man with others being wool, hemp, linen and cotton. Silk is a fibre made of proteins “fibroin” and “sericin” secreted in the fluid state as single filament by a caterpillar known as “silkworm”. These silkworms feed on the selected food plants and spin cocoons as a protective shell to prolong the life. Being an eco-friendly, biodegradable and self-sustaining material; silk has assumed special relevance in present age.

Silkworm has four stages in its life cycle viz., egg, silkworm (larva), pupa and moth (adult).  Man deals this life cycle at the cocoon stage to obtain the silk. It is a commercial fibre of animal origin other than wool.

Silk is a salivary secretion produced when a full grown silkworm larva spins its cocoon for pupation. It is known as “Golden fibre” or “Golden Queen of textile”. Silk products are wonderfully light, soft, strong and smooth and universally accepted by world top fashion designers for its beauty, colours dyeing affinity, thermo tolerance, and water absorbance. Silk is used in the manufacture of various weaves like plain, crepe, georgette and velvet, knitted goods such as vests, gloves, socks, and stockings. Silk is dyed and printed to prepare ornamental fabrics for saries, ghagraas, lehngaas and dupattas, jackets, shawls and wrappers, cushions, table cloths, curtains, parachutes. Silk is used to manufacture fishing lines, sieve for flour mills, insulation coil for electric and telephone wire. An important function of silk is that it is used in surgical sutures especially in heart surgery because it attaches with heart and become its part after sometime. Silk is used in the manufacturing of insulation coil for electric and telephone wire and also in tyres of racing cars.

Commercial rearing of silk producing silkworms is called sericulture. Sericulture is an agro-based cottage industry involving interdependent rural, semi-urban and urban-based activities in which estimated participation of women is about 60%. So, in contrast to any other agro-based profession the role of women in sericulture industry is dominating which will be helpful for improving the status of women in family enterprises.

Promotion of sericulture can help in ecosystem development as well as high economic returns. Sericulture industry comprising three main components:

i) Cultivation of Food plants of Silkworms

ii) Rearing of silkworms

iii) Reeling and Spinning of silk

First two components are agricultural and last one is the industrial. All these sections or components of sericulture industry provide a large scale employment. It is a source of livelihood for the rural and tribal people.

Silkworm is selected for research studies because the rearing of silkworm is a labour-intensive, welfare oriented, and village-based cottage industry capable to stop the migration of people from villages to cities. It provides employment and helps in improving the socio-economic status of rural inhabitants.

The history of silkworm is as old as the history of mankind. It was started in China nearly 5000 years ago. It was first discovered by Chinese Queen in 2640 B.C. While making tea she accidentally dropped a silkworm cocoon into a cup of hot water and found that the silk fibres could be loosened and unwound. Fibres from several cocoons could be contorted together to make a thread that was strong enough to be woven into cloth. Thereafter, Chinese Queen discovered not only the means of raising silkworms but also the manners of reeling silk and of employing it to make garments. The Chinese kept this discovery secret for about 3000 years and was spread across the world through secret ways.

Now the sericulture is being practiced in many countries. At present Japan, China, Korea, Italy, Soviet Union, France, Brazil and India are the chief silk producing countries in the world.

The annual world production of raw silk is about 65000 tons with China producing half of the world supply followed by the India, Korea and Japan. The worldwide demand for raw silk during 1960-70 was 2.5% per annum which later increased by 5% per annum. Although 46.5% of world demand is met by artificial silk; the demand for natural silk is on rise and the global supply is increasing day by day due to its superiority over artificial silk.

Sericulture in Pakistan is an industry of nomads and the reason is that there are a few research institutions working on this and also because of small land holdings by farmers and untrained persons. It is reported that annual production of silk in Pakistan is about 550 tons while in our neighbour country India the Production is 26500 tons per annum.

A research study was carried out by Department of Agricultural Entomology; University of Agriculture Faisalabad in their sericulture laboratories.

The selected Mulberry plants i.e. Morus levigata were treated in the field with three different methods (stem injection, foliar spray and soil application) with nine doses of micro and macronutrients which are N (0.2pc), P (0.1pc), K (0.3pc), Ca (0.1pc), Mg (0.1pc), Zn (0.15pc), Cu(0.05pc) in various combinations.

The eggs of Pakistani strains are purchased from Forest Department. These eggs can be hatch about 28-30°C for hatching. The newly hatched larvae are of dark brown or blackish in colour and are fed on chopped leaves at 4 hours interval. In next instars as silkworms growing they were fed on whole leaves gregariously or voraciously.

Bioterrorism

Ammara Ramzan, Ijaz Ashraf

Institute of Agri. Extension & Rural Development, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 

When we think about terrorism, immediately things which come in our minds are bomb blasting, firing and attack of human terrorist. Here I used the word “human terrorist” because there is another type of terrorism in which attackers are biological agents released by humans in order to cause disease or death in humans, animals or in plants. This type of terrorism is called Bioterrorism.  Bioterrorism is the intentional release of biological agents such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, insects or pest. Different diseases develop in organisms result in the death of number of organism. The major reason of bioterrorism is to harm the country by affecting its economy.

There are two possibilities, one is that biological agents are already present in nature; some changes are made in them to increase their capability to cause disease, increase their ability to reproduce, or to make them resistant to medicines which are used to cure diseases caused by them or to kill agents. The second possibility is that they can spread through water, air or through food. Effective spread of biological agent/disease is through airports because people of different nations can carry these biological agents with them and take to their countries.  Bioterrorism can be more dangerous because biological agents sometimes cannot be detected easily and they do not show symptoms of that particular disease for several hours to several days but agents are making roots. Some biological agents can spread from person to person.

 Bioterrorism agents are divided into three categories A, B, C, on the basis of their capability to spread, severity of disease they cause or the death by them. Category A includes those agents which are most dangerous to public health and country economy. These also result in high death rate, are easily spreadable and a country require proper actions to fight with them. Category B includes the agents which do not cause severe disease and have low death rate. Category C includes the agents on which work is being done or engineered for mass spread in future. They produce high mortality rate and have major health impact.  

Government should take steps to prepare people for bioterrorism, and in case of attack, should fight with diseases wisely to prevent maximum loss to living organisms (humans, plants or animals) and to economy. In case of disease attack on plants or on any specific crop prevention measures should be taken to eradicate the disease.

Genetically Modified Organisms are hazardous for Human health

Junaid Hassan, Rao Bilal, Ahsan Maroof

Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

There has been a debate raging about geneticaly modified organisms (GMOs) for a long time now. On one side of the debate is the idea that genetic engineering is progress for humanity, and it is a natural extension of more traditional breeding techniques. The other side believes genetically modified foods are unsafe for human consumption and harmful to the environment. 

Biotech companies claim that genetic modification yields more precise control over artificial selection. Studies funded by the industry consistently demonstrate safety, but only over the short term. For years Monsanto, Dow, Syngenta, and other biotech based agricultural companies have told the public that we have nothing to worry about. This will be the technology that will improve food in every conceivable way. Food will be more nutritious, more vigorous, more disease resistant, etc. There are literally thousands of studies demonstrating GMO safety. A pattern has emerged, however. Their glowing, short-term studies are funded or performed by the industry.

As more and more independent scientists complete long-term studies, a very different picture has emerged about the safety of GMOs and their many other drawbacks. When these studies are not funded by industry, the results show us an uncontrollable, uncontainable, and dangerous technology with serious health hazards.Scientists all over the world have suspension about genetically modified thing.

Scientists such as Prof. Ruth Hubbard, Geneticist, Harvard University, USA and 814 other scientists have written an open letter to governments and international forums. These prominent scientists are extremely concerned about the hazards that GMOs pose to biodiversity and food safety. They are "extremely concerned" about the risks GMOs pose to human health and animal health. Experts all over the world are saying it's time to change the way we do agriculture.

These and hundreds of other scientists worldwide are calling for a ban on patents on life. Patents on life forms threaten food security and health around the world. Patents, they argue, have the effect of legally sanctioning biopiracy of indigenous knowledge and genetic resources. Lifeforms such as organisms, seeds, cell-lines, and genes are discoveries. These discoveries should not belong to corporations but rather they should belong to all of us. These discoveries should not be the kind of discoveries that a person or a corporation should be able to patent.

GM pollen from GM crops can travel miles. It is commonplace for birds, insects, and weather to carry GM pollen and seeds. Animals and natural processes can spread patented genes onto other farms. When this happens, hapless farmers are sued, and contrary to all common sense.

GM crops cross-pollinate with other crops so voraciously that we can't seem to get rid of some unapproved GM varieties. Genetically modified wheat keeps popping up in farmers' fields across the country though it was ordered to be completely destroyed 14 years ago, way back in 2001.

Patents are meant to protect property rights, but the patents on genetically modified foods have been used to take farmers lands away from their rightful owners and to control farmers. Instead of protecting the freedom to own property, these patents are eroding the rights of property owners.

The current techniques that are used to genetically modify foods are unreliable, uncontrollable, and unpredictable. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of unwanted mutations result from genetic engineering. These can result in new allergens or toxins, and even new viruses. This makes sense when you consider that GMO foods are made to either be immune to poison or to create their own poisons, or both. Traditional breeding techniques are simply more controllable and predictable.

These are just some of the reasons that GMO foods should not qualify as inventions

GM crops are neither necessary nor beneficial to agriculture. There have been many failures of genetically modified crops. Now that independent research is being done on GM crops, the picture of a failed technology emerges from the research. Genetically modified crops have produced inferior yields when compared to their unmodified counterparts.GM crops have been shown to have poor disease resistance. 

GM crops engineered to contain BT toxins kill beneficial insects such as bees, lacewings, swallowtails, and monarch butterflies. (Monsanto claims they are concerned about this, but so far greenwashing has been their only response).

·         

•           Glufosinate causes birth defects in mammals.
• ·         Fruit abortion (a failure of fruit production).
• ·                   Glyphosate has been linked to cancer.
• ·                 Poor financial returns for farmers.
• ·              GMOs violate farmers rights.

When genetically modifying our food, the biotech industry would have the public believe that they are improving upon life, and doing it sustainably. We are told that the benefits outweigh any risks, or even less believable, that genetic engineering is a risk-free technology.

When put into practice, the benefits accrue to Big Agriculture while the costs are paid for by the consumer and society in the form of higher prices, toxic food, and environmental degradation.

The cost of genetically modifying food is also paid by farmers. They face the threat of GMO contamination, pesticide runoff, soil degradation, and higher seed prices. The same crops that become genetically modified become more expensive, in all of their varieties GM and Non GM. In a successful attempt to manipulate the market, biotech corporations have been buying seed companies for some time. This enables biotech companies to make non-genetically modified seeds more expensive, and harder to obtain after they genetically modify a particular crop such as corn.

 The Importance of GMO cannot be ignorable for the human safety and food production. Companies using the GMO for the products manufacturing should be responsible for human health issues. The use of GMO should be minimum according the security issues.

Use of ICTs for Agriculture and Rural Development

Umair Talib, Ijaz Ashraf, Aqeela Saghir, Gulfam Hassan

Institute of Agri. Extension & Rural Development, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

Survey to assess the ICTs use in Agriculture and Rural Development

According PTA known as  Pakistan Telecommunication Authority Pakistan is ranked 5^th in mobile use in Asia as more than 123 million people use cellular phones in the country. ICTs application in agriculture started after 2000. World Bank declares Pakistan 1^st in telecommunication facilities in south Asia. 

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are an important part of modern technology performing 
multifarious duties in different fields such as education, agriculture, health and entertainment. These are the physical infrastructure developed for facilitating the performance of teaching and learning process. ICTs have the potential to provide an opportunity to the masses for effective communication which was not possible through traditional media. For the ICTs incorporation into the system, there are many factors which are responsible for the success and failure of this process including timing, feasibility of information, comprehensiveness and quality competency of teachers, methods of teaching, funding and the most important-the provision of technology. The use of ICTs in developing countries is gaining importance but still in Pakistan, ICT literacy is not up to the mark and it is the most neglected area which needs to be addressed. Pakistan is facing many problems in effective use of ICTs especially in the field of agricultural extension.

Extension is an instrumental tool for upbringing of crops and animals through modern production, protection and management practices using multiple channels of communication. Organizations and personnel’s engaged in agricultural extension undertake range of diversified socially acceptable and technically valid activities with the purpose to widen and improve the abilities of farmers and professionals. 

Modern extension services can only produce enough quality and quantity of food. In Pakistan farmers are facing numerous problems relating to health of crops and animals specially. The coverage of agricultural advisory services is limited in Pakistan due to lack of professionals in the field. The mobile phones can be used as catalyst to enhance connectivity of extension field staff (EFS) with farmers for two way flow of information. The mobile app can ease out all the processes from production to marketing in the EFS.

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, in the field of agriculture and rural development there was an increasing trend of software application for keeping record of crops and animal disease and treatment history.  Since then, it is continued at increasing rate and is now applied in all lanes of agriculture and rural development practices. Still there is a huge gap between potential and actual meat, poultry, dairy, milk and cereal crops productivity. Main constraint in improvement of agricultural production is unawareness of farmers about new breeds and varieties. Yield can be increased through bridging the serious gaps that exist in transfer of technology system. This gap can be overcome by an effective extension system. 

         In Pakistan, agricultural advisory services are using multiple communication channels for transferring of improved practices to the end users. The limitations of extension system in the country like other developing countries are: low funds allocation, limited technical and locomotive capacities of extension staff, large area and number of farm families, poor access to marginal and small farmers and low literacy rate of farming community. The most appropriate and feasible solution in 21^st century is E-Extension. The most approachable E-instrument is mobile phone in farming community.

        

     Ø  Mobile phones can bridge existing information asymmetry and complement the existing information sources such as radio, television and newspapers.

    Ø  Mobile phones have the potential to significantly reduce communication and information search costs.

        Ø  Phone calls and SMS can also replace the need for face-to-face interaction thereby reducing travel costs.

     Ø  Extension field staff uses mobile phones for exchanging agricultural information through different stages of agricultural value chain.

        Ø  Mobile phone is significantly used in exchanging market information.

       Ø Finally, mobile phone can reduce the awareness gap among farmers, augmenting the capabilities of extension field staff and strengthen the research-extension-farmer liaisons.

Therefore in recent years demand for information delivery via mobile has increased. So far, all the mobile operating companies are providing agricultural information through SMS or Robocall to their registered customers. Followings are the mobile phone services available to farmers:

• Kisan Mobilink services                700
• Tele kisan                                      1350, 700
• U kisan                                          700
• Zong Kisan Portal                         700
• Warid Kisan Line                          2244       

               

Farming community considers these services as less reliable and thereby do not attract much attention of the farmers. Therefore, various public institutions have developed their helplines, which are follows:

• Agi. Punjab                                   0800-15000, 0800-29000
• Liv. and Dairy Development         0800-78686, 0800-78685
• PARC                                           0800-84420
• FAP                                              0472-35710862
• Dairy Care Pak                            0300-4130636

In many countries Mobile-based advisory services are being used to deliver information to farming communities relating to all aspects of agriculture. The scope of mobile phone usage is extremely useful in countries having more number of small farmers with diversified information needs. This tool can transmit information to the farmers within limited time and resources. In the rural areas mobile phones are very effective and interactive in making connectivity with experts. 

Starring Role of Feminine Youth in Agricultural Sphere

This article is contributed by

Umair Talib, Ijaz Ashraf, Kashif Zaheer, Anila Noureen and Kiran Khalil

 

'O people! Fear your Lord Who shaped you from a soul and made its mate from within it, and from that couple extended many men and women and fear Allah in whose name you ask for (your rights) and pay attention to the ties of relationship(male and female). Undoubtedly, Allah is watching you all time. (Al-Nisa 4:1)

Today woman is more safe & secure. She acquire her rights on the dint of her meticulously work, fastidiousness, consistency and determination. The actual credit goes to rural women who devote herself from

Ø  Sowing to harvesting of crops

Ø  Kitchen management to household chores

Ø  Look after of her children’s to raring of animals

Anyhow she turns every stone to prove her worth in all walks of life. She works side by side with their male partners on farm. According to the economic survey of Pakistan 2012-13 population of Pakistan is 184.35 million out of it 48 % are women. Accord to another survey 79.4% woman and 60.8% men in villages engaged with agricultural practices. Woman in any facet; mother, wife, sister or daughter seems arbitrating with her work. She stood along with her male partner to manage crops and rare animals. She also helps him in breadwinning. Anyhow she supports him in all thick & thins of life. Her office is her fields and she daily attends her office. sometimes there is no assistant in her office, she have to cater all her official works i.e. cutting of fodder for animals, their bathing, management of their dung properly, sowing and then application of irrigation, pesticide & fertilizer to crops and at the time of harvesting carefully transport to home. No doubt only men operate the heavy machinery but the more laborious work is her responsibility i.e. manual or hand sowing mostly of vegetables, earthing up, weeding and hand picking. Actually woman’s contribution from seed bed preparation to post harvest management is above 60%.  

Ironically, there is no clean drinking water in most of the countryside areas of Pakistan, so it is also her responsibility to brought pitchers of fresh water from far furlong areas. She also covers many miles to collect fuel wood.

Women always steadfast to her work but lack technical skills. Its investment of energies is manifolds more than that of her return. Almost she invest 10 hour of the day in activities pertinent to crop & animal farming but hardly able to manage daily food. It is need of the hour to teach her these required technical skills. Unfortunately there is great paucity of agricultural women learning & training institutes in country. The major reason of dearth of these institutes is that woman is unaware of her vested rights. Our parochial social system also fuels to the fire. Nevertheless, Islam not only allows but also bound her to get education. It is clearly defined in hadith 

“To be an educated is duty of all Muslims either male or female”. 

Significance of women education is also clearly manifests by this saying 

 “If we educate a man mean educate a man and if educate a woman mean educate a family”

There is significant gender discrimination in our country particularly in countryside areas. Rural women are subjected to male chauvinism, feudal mindset; unlawful customs and socio-cultural segregation are deemed a symbol of pride. While Prophet SAW says that 

“Accept my advice in doing well with your female counter parts”

Our rural social system also dislikes the women education and 114.78 (62%) million population resides in rural areas. Therefore, Pakistan is developing country in spite of having 110 million (60%) work force out of which 56 million are women. Nevertheless, women join the public and private institutes but participation in agricultural extension department is almost zero percent.

Who someone join the department are confined to official work and as aforementioned in rural areas 79.4% women engaged with agriculture but our rural social system does not allow them to interact with unknown male counterpart even for her own benefit. Therefore, it is order of the day to recruit female extension workers and appreciate rural women for their gross contribution in development of country. As with increasing population and inflation it is difficult for a man to run a family prosperously until her female partner stood along. Due to lack of education and awareness she is unable to play her vested role. So it is dire need to educate & train her about her ascending family, economical and socio-political role in national and international development. As Pakistan is an agro based economy and 79.4% women engaged with agriculture. So capacity building of woman is synonymous to development of agriculture. Women have more potential and also more committed to her job than man in each and every walk of life i.e. Irfa kareem, Malala Yousafzai etc. she can also perform very well in agriculture department but she lacks technical skills. 

“For men there is share in what their parents and relatives have left behind, and for women there is share in what their parents and relatives have left behind, be the bequest little or be it much, it is a share estimated, determined.” (Al-Nisa 4:7)

Therefore, Govt. should restructured the agricultural extension department through recruiting female extension workers that they train the rural women about better & recommended sowing and harvesting of crops, crop residue management, raring of animals, kitchen gardening, domestic poultry farming, washing and pasteurization of milk. Extension department not only should remunerate them equal to men but also pay extra allowances to encourage rural women. Also train these workers about how a woman can install and run cottage industries for betterment of her living stander.

Govt. is required to promote a women-friendly mindset and lessen the influence of patriarchal setup in societies.

Establish such community centers where female extension workers can trained the rural women. Set up the female societies at union council level which help and guide the women about solution of their problem. Also provides them marketing facilities for their self-prepared products. Proper mobilization of feminine stuff (48%) of country can set it on the way to developed nation.       

 “I have always maintained that no nation can ever be worthy of its existence that cannot take its women along with men. No struggle can ever be succeed without women participating side by side with men. There are two powers in the world: one is the sword and other is the pen. There is great competition and rivalry between the two. There is a third power stronger than both, that of the women”

Qaid-e-Azam

Islamia college for women

March 25, 1940