Amid the clamour for shifting from tobacco crop to other crops in view of the serious health hazards tobacco consumption poses, sericulture has been mooted as a viable alternative.
But, scientists are Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute (CSRTI) in Mysuru were guarded at the prospect. For, the soil on which tobacco has been cultivated would contain toxic elements and cannot be straightaway used for growing mulberry, whose leaves are the only source of food for the silkworms, pointed out Dr. R. Bhagya, a scientist at CSRTI, who leads the extension activities of the Institute.
However, a senior scientist at CSRTI Dr. K.B. Chandrashekar pointed out that a shift from tobacco to mulberry can happen only after the tobacco contaminants and toxicity in the soil is removed by growing crops like maize for a year or two.
