Silk to Soil: Repurposing Sericultural Waste for Sustainable Mushroom Cultivation

Sericulture produces large quantities of organic residues, including mulberry leaf waste, silkworm rearing litter and silkworm pupae, which are often underutilized despite their high nutrient potential. Integrating mushroom cultivation with sericulture offers an effective bioconversion strategy for transforming these residues into value-added products within a circular bioeconomy framework. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of selected sericultural by-products as substrates and supplements for edible mushroom cultivation and to evaluate their effects on growth and yield performance. A comparative experimental approach was adopted; wherein sericultural wastes were processed and used alone or in combination with conventional substrates under controlled cultivation conditions. Key parameters such as mycelial growth rate, yield, and biological efficiency were recorded and analyzed. The results revealed that sericultural residues supported efficient mycelial colonization and produced yields comparable to conventional substrates, while reducing dependence on traditional agro-forestry inputs. Furthermore, the spent mushroom substrate derived from sericultural wastes demonstrated potential for reuse as an organic soil amendment, contributing to sustainable nutrient recycling. This integrated silk-to-soil approach highlights a viable strategy for waste valorization, sustainable food production and rural livelihood enhancement, particularly benefiting resource-poor farming communities, women, and youth.