Archives of Current Research International

Sericulture represents an important agro-based rural sector, particularly in North-East India where eri silk production is widely practiced. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of digestive enzyme-enriched castor leaves on the quality of eri spun yarn produced by the eri silkworm (Samia ricini Donovan) during the spring (March–April) and autumn (September–October) seasons of 2024–2025. Completely Randomised Design (CRD) were used to set up the experiment. Three α-amylase and lipase concentrations (1%, 3%, and 5%) as well as a combination treatment (1% α-amylase + 1% lipase) were assessed and evaluated with an untreated control. Twist per inch (T.P.I), yarn size, breaking load, tenacity, elongation %, and other aspects of yarn quality were examined. Among treatments, α-amylase at 3% concentration consistently recorded superior performance. In spring, it produced the highest yarn size (19.22 S), breaking load (0.72 kg), tenacity (0.81 g/d), elongation (18.38%), and TPI (18). Similar trends were observed in autumn, though overall values were comparatively lower than spring. The combination treatment also showed improvement over control, particularly in tenacity and elongation. Across all parameters, the control group recorded the lowest values, confirming the beneficial role of digestive enzymes in enhancing silk fibre characteristics. Seasonal comparison indicated that spring conditions were more favourable than autumn, resulting in better yarn quality traits. The study concludes that fortification of castor leaves with digestive enzymes, especially α-amylase at 3% concentration, significantly enhances eri spun yarn quality. This nutritional supplementation strategy offers a practical and effective approach for improving silk productivity and yarn performance under varying seasonal conditions.