Phyto-Nutrient Optimization: A New Paradigm for Organic Sericulture Systems

Abstract

Organic sericulture has usually been discussed in terms of input substitution, certification, residue avoidance and ecological stewardship, yet the biological engine of the system remains the mulberry leaf itself. Because the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori, is strongly dependent on leaf-fed nutrition, improvements in soil management, cultivar choice or on-farm ecology have practical value only insofar as they are translated into a leaf phenotype that supports larval growth, gut homeostasis, cocoon formation and silk quality. This review argues that organic sericulture now requires a more explicit and mechanistically grounded framework centred on phyto-nutrient optimisation. In this article, phyto-nutrient optimisation is defined as the deliberate management of the primary nutrient matrix, mineral balance, specialised metabolites, antioxidant capacity, moisture status, structural digestibility and microbiome-shaping chemistry of mulberry leaves so that leaf quantity and leaf function are improved together. Searches were conducted in Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, PubMed and Google Scholar, with the primary date range set from January 2005 to March 2026.The reviewed literature shows that mulberry leaves are not nutritionally static; their biochemical value changes with genotype, harvest stage, soil biological activity, drought exposure, post-harvest handling and interactions between plant and microbial metabolism. In parallel, silkworm studies demonstrate that dietary chemistry affects midgut metabolism, microbial assembly, antioxidant status, immune competence, cocoon yield and fibre properties. Taken together, these findings suggest that leaf quality in organic sericulture should be interpreted not simply as crude protein or biomass yield, but as a dynamic metabolic trait linking soil processes, plant physiology and insect performance. The review develops an integrative framework for plant-side and insect-side determinants of performance, identifies operational levers that are compatible with organic production, and outlines research priorities for metabolomics-guided breeding, soil–microbiome engineering, post-harvest quality assurance and precision diagnostics. A phyto-nutrient perspective does not replace established principles of organic farming; rather, it provides a more functionally precise way of translating those principles into consistently high biological and textile outcomes.