Mulberry - a multi purpose tree species for varied climate.

Mulberry (Morus spp., family Moraceae) is a popular fruit of India. It is cultivated in various climatic conditions, however, the major cultivation area is in the tropical zone covering Karnataka. Mulberry is a truly multipurpose tree, grown for fresh fruits, foliage for rearing silkworm and animal fodder during lean period. Therefore, it is a recommended as multi purpose tree species (MPTS) for agroforestry in small farms of semi-arid India. Mulberry is a fast growing deciduous woody perennial of varying sizes with a deep root system. There are three types of mulberry - red, white and black. Plants are either dioecious or monoecious. The fruit is a sorosis, which is not a berry but a collective fruit. There are 68 species of the genus Morus. Most of the Indian varieties of mulberry belong to M. indica. Some recommended cultivars for rainfed regions of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are: Kanya-2, S-13 and S-34. It can be propagated by seeds, stem cuttings, layering and grafting. Mulberry thrives well under varied climatic conditions ranging from temperate to tropical, located north of the equator between 28° N and 55° N latitude. The ideal range of temperature is from 24 to 28° C. Mulberry flourishes well in soils that are deep, fertile, well drained, loamy to clayey, with good moisture holding capacity. Land for mulberry cultivation is ploughed deep (30–35 cm). It requires full sun for controlling growth and leaf quality, however, a closer spacing is recommended for foliage cultivation. Seedlings are transplanted in December-January. It grows well in places with an annual rainfall between 600 to 2500 mm. No irrigation is required in well-grown trees. Mulberry generally thrives well with minimal fertilization. However, application of compost (20 t/ha/yr) during December-January is helpful for good fruiting. Under Indian conditions, it is ready for harvest in May-June in north India, while in the northeast it is harvested in October-November. After six months of planting, mulberry attains a height of 1.5 to 1.75 m and is ready for foliage harvesting. Generally the expected foliage yield is 100–125 t/ha/yr. Mulberry can be successfully grown as an intercrop between rows of tea/coffee as shade plants. Mulberry is a hardy multipurpose tree and can be grown successfully in semiarid region with natural vegetation.