Navaratna Rama Rao & M. Yonemura
2. From silkworm
experiment to commercial production
In 1925, co-operation between Rama Rao & Yonemura was
demonstrated by the appearance of the first volume of A
Handbook of Sericulture, Rearing of Silkworms on which they had both worked. By then Rama Rao must have accumulated considerable
experience in the field, and he was also well known for his demonstrable skill
with English.[1] It
was certainly Yonemura who mainly contributed the technical and scientific
information, Rama Rao who turned it into a fluent English text.
The future was now coming into focus, as experimental
results of direct relevance were slotted into place. In the first place,
results from the rearing section suggested that the limits of improvement of
Pure Mysore were now in sight, or were at least compatible with thinking so. It
was apparently impossible to shorten its rearing period or get a better ratio
of silk to leaves fed. On the other hand, it was apparently essential for the
cross breeding of cocoons for reeling: 'it will not do to have cocoons of a
colour different from that of the Mysore cocoons, for that would lead to
complications in reeling and marketing'. This was one of the drawbacks of the
fixed races which so much effort had been put into creating. A solution would
be a back-cross between them and Mysore, but the back-cross hybrid with the
fixed races is far inferior to the hybrid that can be got in the first
generation between a pure foreign race, and the Mysore race. This hybrid, if
white races are employed, gives a cocoon which, while practically the same
colour as the Mysore, is over 100 percent superior to it in reeling quality'.
The rearing period was about four days shorter in its most expensive part, i.e.
in the worms’ final voracious stage before spinning.’
To be able to make F1 hybrids the basis for
commercial rearing required the solving of technical problems. It had to be
possible to rear pure univoltine or bivoltine races throughout the year in good
quantities; it had to be possible to get them to emerge out of hibernation at
will when required; and it had to be possible to regulate emergence so that
Mysore and Foreign race moths would be available simultaneously to mate. All
these problems had by now been solved. It had been shown that the Foreign pure
races could be reared in Mysore conditions throughout the year and from year to
year. It was thought that they retained their vigour over the years but
suffered a 'seasonal enfeeblement'. This could be dealt with by rearing in the
hot season in hill stations like the Bababudan Hills (Chamundiguddi) north of
Chikmagalur, and 'renewing the stock occasionally by importing fresh seed from
Japan'. In a result 'of great scientific interest', the artificial treatment of
hibernating eggs to make them hatch had been achieved for the first time in
India. And it had been found possible to control the time of emergence by
regulating temperature even without refrigeration, which was not yet readily
available.
Technically
therefore, a new system of more productive rearing was in sight. It required
also to be acceptable to rearers and for it to be possible to separate entirely
the production of cocoons for seed from those for reeling. Fortunately, the
greater productivity of the F1 quickly dealt with the former’s problem:
'Raiyats, who were rather shy of the hybrids at first, soon recognised their
value, and the demand for them rose so rapidly that the grainage at
Channapatna, which devoted itself to this work, could never fully meet it'.
There seemed to be no problem of getting the new cocoons reeled, and the
organisation needed to produce the huge quantities required of pure races both
for commercial use for seed and for grainage work was at least clear, if an
inevitable challenge. The future pattern of the industry could be clearly
envisioned:
‘There is undoubtedly
a great future for this development, which is in strict accord with Japanese
practice, and in a very few years it will be possible to solve the seed problem
satisfactorily. Seed production will be specialised and will afford an
occupation to educated sericulturists, pure races will be reared by selected
breeders, F1 seed will be prepared by controlled grainages
[Government and aided private], and the rearers will produce larger harvests at
less cost.’ (p.4/5)
In 1926/7, the Mysore grainage began in a small way to
produce 'Cross-Breeds', joining Channapatna in the task. The following year it
produced 23,000 to Channapatna's nearly 2 lakhs (200,000), and Kolar made a
beginning too. The first cold storage plants were installed in the two main CB
grainages, and experiments in their use in preserving moths and eggs began.
They were to be used in production the following year. (p.2/3)
Rearing CB was not, however, proving quite as free of
troubles as had been anticipated. One was the appearance of double or dupion
cocoons, to the production of which the F1 worms were prone whereas
they were scarcely found with Pure Mysore. Experiments were going on to try to
reduce the proportion produced, as well as to solve 'some of the difficulties
which sericulturists came across in rearing cross breeds'. There was also still
an interest in suitable breeding combinations for the different rearing
seasons. A need to import fresh seed from Japan, which should be possible with
the help of Yonemura, was also addressed. To start with, the eggs hatched on
the way; they would have to try again. (1926/7:2/4/5) In the following year's
report there is, however, no mention of the Japanese seed, but new Chinese
races made their appearance. The CB experiments seem likewise to have
disappeared, perhaps deemed successfully concluded, perhaps unnecessary. (p.5)
In 1929/30, Yonemura was appointed a correspondent in
Japan for the Department, to keep up with developments there. The apparent
result was that fresh seed of 19 Japanese and Korean races was obtained,
presumably chiefly for experimental work. Now the cold stores were working, and
the only trouble was the shortage of Mysore Race seed because of an outbreak of
plague and shortage of rain in the seed areas. Perhaps under the impetus of
this shortage, the observation that Mysore seed sometimes gave 'a large
percentage' of hibernating layings was noted. They had been being destroyed,
but new experiments now showed that they could be got to hatch and produce
well. (p.2/3)
The Yonemura period had been momentous, the Mysore silk
industry transformed. The complexity of the many other intertwining elements needing
to achieve equal success would however
continue. They were to provide engaging challenges aplenty for further
generations of enthusiasts and experts.
[1] It should be noted that the official language of the
Department was English from the beginning. Apart from the numerous reports and
other work in English he published, his friend C. Rajagopalachari, popularly and
affectionately remembered as Rajaji, ‘lawyer, independence activist,
politician, writer and statesman’, credited Rama Rao with revising for him the
text of his English version of the Ramayana
: ‘My friend Sri Navaratna Rama Rao has thoroughly revised the English
rendering and if it is found to be good reading it is due to his affectionate
labour on this book. The faults such as may be noticed are entirely mine.’ Rajagopalachari,
a native of Salem District,was amongst the most eminent of South Indians of the
first half of the 20th century: Premier of Madras in the 1930s; first
and only Indian Governor-General after Independence; and Chief Minister of
Madras in the 1950s. See Wikipedia entry for Navaratna Rama Rao, accessed
7.3.2013, and, for the multiple directions of achievement and eminence of C. Rajagopalachari, accessed
15.3.2013.
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