Climate Change Impacts on Sericulture: Evidence from Mulberry Physiology, Silkworm Biology and Northeast Indian Muga Ecosystems

Abstract

Climate change has emerged as a major driver of agro-ecological instability, influencing temperature regimes, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, precipitation patterns, and the frequency of extreme climatic events. This review aims to synthesize current knowledge on the impacts of climate change on sericulture, with particular emphasis on mulberry physiology, silkworm biology, and the vulnerability of non-mulberry silk ecosystems in Northeast India. These environmental changes pose significant challenges to sericulture, a climate-sensitive agro-based industry that depends on the complex interaction between host plant physiology and silkworm biology. Mulberry (Morus spp.), the primary host plant of the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori), follows the C3 photosynthetic pathway and is therefore highly sensitive to variations in temperature and moisture availability. Rising temperatures and altered carbon dioxide dynamics influence photosynthesis, transpiration, and leaf nutritional quality, which directly affect silkworm growth, development, and silk productivity. Silkworms, being poikilothermic organisms, exhibit strong sensitivity to environmental fluctuations throughout their life cycle, and deviations from optimal temperature and humidity conditions can lead to reduced cocoon weight, lower shell ratio, and increased susceptibility to diseases. Climate variability also affects cocoon morphology and silk fiber properties, thereby reducing reeling efficiency and market value. Evidence from Northeast India further demonstrates the vulnerability of non-mulberry sericulture systems, particularly muga silk production in Assam, where rising temperatures, recurrent flooding, and host plant degradation have disrupted traditional rearing practices and reduced productivity. The review also highlights key adaptation and mitigation strategies, including the development of climate-resilient mulberry varieties, stress-tolerant silkworm breeds, improved rearing technologies, and adaptive management practices to sustain sericulture under changing climatic conditions.