Sericulture

Sericulture is a traditional and age-old cottage industry rooted in the life and culture of the people of North East India. The industry constitutes an important aspect and holds a unique position in the economy of North Eastern region. The region has got favorable climate to practice sericulture and has unique distinction in the country producing all the four varieties of natural silk namely mulberry, eri, muga and oak-tasar. With the richest tradition of silkworm rearing, the region contributes 99percent of muga silk and 98 percent of eri silk production in India and shares about 14.67 percent of total silk production of the country.

Assam Agricultural University with its striving endeavour to generate technically competent human resource in the field of sericulture started M.Sc. Sericulture Programme in 1986. The programme was initially attached to the Department of Entomology,AAU,Jorhat which later started functioning independently as a full fledged Department under the Faculty of Agriculture. This is the only University offering M.Sc (Agri) degree in Sericulture in North East India.The department also offers courses on sericulture at undergraduate level for the College of Sericulture, Titabar started under the University from the academic session 2014-15.

Mandate

· The mandate of the Department is to develop skilled human resource in the diverse field of sericulture through formal education at post-graduate level.

· Conduct research to generate improved technologies for enhancing production and productivity of silk .

· Develop technically skilled human resource to disseminate the latest sericulture technologies to the grass root level through training on modern methods of sericulture farming including product processing and value addition.

Vision

· Introduction of Ph.D. course in sericulture under course credit system.

· Establishment of silk testing and grading unit for quality assessment of silk.

· Establishment Germ Plasm Bank for silkworm and host plants.