Biological inputs for climate smart sericulture: current status, mechanisms and future prospects: A review

Sericulture, based on mulberry (Morus spp.) cultivation and silkworm (Bombyx mori L.) rearing, is a high value agro-industry vital for rural livelihoods and silk production. However, long-term dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides has resulted in soil degradation, declining leaf quality, and environmental concerns. Biological inputs such as biofertilizers, organic amendments, microbial consortia, and biopesticides provide sustainable alternatives for enhancing mulberry productivity while safeguarding ecosystem health. These inputs improve nutrient mobilization, soil physical and chemical properties, leaf biochemical quality, and plant physiological processes, while enhancing stress tolerance, pest suppression, and induced resistance. Evidence from multi-location demonstrations and farmer-participatory trials indicates that biologically managed systems increase leaf yield, improve silkworm growth and cocoon quality, and generate favorable economic returns through reduced chemical input costs. Integration of biological inputs also supports climate-smart sericulture by improving soil moisture retention, carbon sequestration, and system resilience under variable agro-climatic conditions. Despite these advances, challenges remain, including inconsistent field performance, quality standardization issues, limited mechanistic understanding, and adoption barriers. Future priorities should focus on long-term field validation, mechanistic plant–microbe–pest studies, formulation optimization, and participatory extension strategies. This review synthesizes current evidence to guide researchers, extension personnel, and farmers toward biologically based, sustainable, and climate-resilient sericulture systems.