Textile Glossary

Sericulture

Definition

Sericulture (also called silk farming) refers to the complete process of silk production.

Use in the textile industry

In the textile industry, sericulture supplies the raw material natural silk, which is used primarily for high-quality woven fabrics, apparel, and home textiles. The filament obtained from silkworm cocoons is characterized by a natural luster, high tensile strength, and good moisture management. Major producing countries are China, India, and Uzbekistan, from which raw silk is shipped to spinning mills and weaving mills worldwide.

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Frequently asked question

Sericulture encompasses the entire process, from cultivating the mulberry tree and rearing the silkworms to reeling the long, continuous filaments from intact cocoons. Spun silk, by contrast, is produced from cocoon waste or damaged cocoons that cannot be reeled and must instead be spun. The result is a shorter, less uniform fiber with a matte appearance, which is lower in quality than the reeled filament of regular sericulture.

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