Journal of Experimental Agriculture International

Sericulture is often described as a “green” rural enterprise because mulberry-based systems are perennial and silkworms convert leaf biomass into a high-value natural fibre. A regenerative approach to sericulture, therefore, needs to be framed as a continuum: soil functioning shapes mulberry growth and leaf biochemical composition; mulberry leaf quality shapes silkworm development and resilience; and the residues of rearing can be returned to soil, potentially closing nutrient and carbon loops within the farm. Yet, in practice, mulberry gardens can become input-intensive, with repeated fertiliser application, simplified field structure, declining soil biological activity, and greater vulnerability to climatic stress. Subhash Palekar Natural Farming (SPNF), also widely referred to as Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), proposes a low-external-input pathway centred on biologically active soils, on-farm resource cycling, mulching, diversified cropping and botanical plant protection. This review synthesises how SPNF principles could be translated into sericulture as a regenerative strategy that strengthens the soil–mulberry–silkworm continuum. Evidence from ZBNF field studies indicates that cow-based fermented formulations such as Jeevamrit can improve soil chemical and microbial attributes and that Zero Budget Natural Farming adoption may avoid short-term yield penalties relative to conventional and organic comparators. Sericulture-relevant evidence further suggests that mulberry genotype and feed quality shape silkworm health and silk parameters, and that silkworm frass can function as a nutrient-rich amendment, providing an additional circularity lever within sericulture landscapes. The review proposes a conceptual model linking soil biological function to mulberry nutrition and silkworm performance, outlines practical adaptation pathways for SPNF in mulberry gardens, and identifies research priorities for robust, long-term evaluation under farmer conditions.