Alfonso a standout in sericulture sector

In the local sericulture world these days, Alfonso is a standout.

No, Alfonso is not a "macho man".

It is a mulberry plant that is resistant to mulberry red rust (MRR), one of the most destructive fungal diseases attacking the plant’s leaves, the exclusive food of silkworms.

This is borne by a study conducted by researchers of the Don Mariano Marcos Memoarial State University (DMMMSU), a multi-campus tertiary institution in La Union.

The research was done by Angelino Gonzales, Oscar Opina, Lilia Ancheta, and Modesto Nillo of the DMMMSU-Sericulture Research and Development Institute (SRDI).

Among 19 mulberry cultivars commonly used in sericulture (the science of culturing silkworm), only Alfonso has been found resistant to MRR, as reported by Junelyn S. de la Rosa of the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR).

Five others – S12, SRDC2, C6, Malba, and S36 – were moderately resistant while the others were susceptible to the disease.

"Sanitary pruning or cutting all the leaves of an infected mulberry plant significantly reduced the severity of the disease," the researchers noted.

For chemical control, they recommended spraying a fungicide (Thiobicarbamate) as early as seven days after pruning to control the disease.

Silk is made from the cocoons of silkworms (Bombyx mori), a yellowish caterpillar or the larva of an Asian moth.

A cocoon is the silky covering that a silkworm weaves around itself before it becomes an adult. It usually takes two days for silkworms to completely develop into cocoons.

One cocoon can produce 1.5 kilometers of yarn. About 2,500 cocoons are needed to make one meter of silk cloth, the undisputed "queen of textiles" and one of the most sought-after fibers in the world.

Earlier studios have shown that mulberry leaves contain all the important nutrients silkworms need for growth. Fresh mulberry leaf contains 70-80 percent water and 20-30 percent dry matter (crude protein, crude fiber, and ash).

Mulberry red rust is caused by a fungus called Aecidium mori, considered the most destructive enemy of mulberry. The disease can strip mulberry trees of their leaves and the trees may cease to grow, shrivel, and die.

To effectively manage the disease, the DMMMSU-SRDI researchers recommend an integrated post management scheme that include the use of resistant cultivars, pruning and branch density management, and chemical control. — Rudy A. Fernandez