INTEGRATING MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABLE MULBERRY PRODUCTION TO IMPROVE SILKWORM PERFORMANCE AND SILK PRODUCTIVITY UNDER CHANGING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

Abstract

Sericulture represents an important agro-based livelihood system that connects mulberry cultivation, insect physiology, silk production, and rural economic development. However, rising temperatures, irregular rainfall, drought, humidity fluctuations, and increasing environmental variability are creating new challenges for mulberry productivity, silkworm development, disease resistance, and silk quality. Addressing these challenges requires an integrated approach that combines molecular biology, climate-resilient crop management, silkworm genetics, and sustainable agricultural practices. This review examines the molecular and physiological mechanisms governing silkworm responses to environmental stress, with particular emphasis on gene expression regulation, heat-shock proteins, antioxidant defence, immune signalling, hormonal regulation, and molecular pathways associated with silk-gland development and silk-protein synthesis. It also evaluates how mulberry genotype selection, soil management, irrigation efficiency, nutrient recycling, and biological approaches to pest and disease management can contribute to a more resilient sericulture production system. Emerging technologies, including transcriptomics, genomics, epigenetics, metabolomics, and integrated multi-omics, offer opportunities to identify stress-responsive genes, molecular markers, and candidate targets for breeding climate-resilient silkworm strains and high-quality mulberry cultivars. The review further considers the potential of molecular-assisted breeding and environmentally responsible production strategies to improve the stability of cocoon yield, silk filament characteristics, and resource-use efficiency. Important research gaps include the limited integration of molecular responses with long-term field performance, insufficient multi-location validation of stress-tolerant genotypes, and the need to evaluate the interaction between host-plant quality, silkworm microbiota, and environmental stress. A systems-level framework is proposed to connect molecular discoveries with practical sericulture management, supporting climate adaptation, sustainable silk production, and livelihood resilience.