Every term used across the technical pages of this site, grouped by the subject you are
most likely to have met it in. Assamese vernacular terms are given alongside their technical
equivalents, because both are in daily use in the field.
Muga culture
Term
Meaning
Aherua, Bhodia, Kotia, Jarua, Chotua, Jethua
The six muga crops of the year — Jun–Jul, Aug–Sep, Oct–Nov, Dec–Feb, Feb–Mar and Apr–May respectively
Bhor pok
Peak date of cocoon ripening, from which seed cocoons are selected
Chaloni
Bamboo sieve used as a rearing appliance
Chapapatia muga
Muga silk from champa-fed worms; historically a royal grade
Kharika / khorika
Straw or twig bundle to which mated moths are tied for egg laying
Koni, polu, leta, chakari
Assamese for egg, larva, pupa and moth
Mejankari / Majenkori
Litsea cubeba — host yielding the glossy white, highest-priced muga silk
Phutuka
Assamese name for pebrine, from the black specks on infected larvae
Plus-tree
A superior individual tree selected and conserved as germplasm
Pollarding
Cutting back the main stem above a set height to rejuvenate the canopy
Ring method
Applying manure or fertiliser in a ring at the drip line
Ericulture
Term
Meaning
Ahimsa silk
Silk obtained without killing the pupa; applies to eri because the cocoon is open-mouthed
Black boxing
Holding pigmented eggs in darkness before brushing to synchronise hatching
C2
Registered high-yielding eri hybrid, Genung (SR-018) × Borduar (SR-001)
Chandrakie
Mountage on which eri worms spin
Chawki
Young-age silkworm rearing, to the second moult; CRC — chawki rearing centre
Eco-race
A geographically distinct, heritable population; 26 are characterised in eri, none in muga
YP, YS, YZ, GBP, GBS, GBZ
The six eri pure-line strains by larval colour and marking
Crop protection
Term
Meaning
Asthra
Disinfectant used at 0.05 % for eri rearing houses and appliances
DFL
Disease-free laying — seed certified free of microsporidia, bacteria and fungi
LAHDOI
CMER&TI formulation sprayed against muscardine at 1 g per litre
MME
Mother moth examination — the pebrine test certifying a laying disease free
Uzi fly
Tachinid parasitoid — Exorista sorbillans and Blepharipa zebina in muga, E. sorbillans in eri
Post-cocoon technology
Term
Meaning
Bave
The twin-filament thread as spun, sericin-bonded; roughly elliptical in muga
Bhir
Traditional muga reeling device
Book
Packing unit of raw silk skeins, made up in 2 kg and 5 kg lots
Cake
Pad of degummed, stretched and stamped eri cocoon sheets, the feedstock for hand spinning
CPC
Cocoons per kilogram, counted as shells
Driage
Percentage weight loss of cocoons during stifling and drying
ERR
Effective rate of rearing
Gassing
Burning off protruding fibre ends to finish spun yarn
Ghicha
Traditional hand-spun muga yarn from non-reelable cocoons
gpl / dtex
Grams per litre; decitex — mass in grams per 10,000 m of fibre
Jetteboute
Casting attachment on the reeling spindle that cleans the yarn
MRTM / MSM
Muga reeling-cum-twisting machine / motorised eri spun machine
NBFL
Non-broken filament length — the continuous length recoverable by reeling
Nm
Metric count; higher Nm is finer yarn. 2/60 Nm is two-ply of 60 Nm singles
Roving / sliver
Intermediate strands in mill spinning, drawn and lightly twisted before ring spinning
SILKPLUS
CMER&TI cocoon-cooking formulation raising reeling efficiency and silk recovery
Sonalika
Improved muga reeling machine for weft yarn
SR
Silk or shell ratio — shell weight as a percentage of cocoon weight
Takli
Traditional hand spindle for spinning eri yarn
Programmes and administration
Term
Meaning
CPP
Cluster Promotion Programme — cluster or Seri Model Village mode of area development
ECP
Extension Communication Programme — melas, field days, awareness and demonstration events
FST / ToP
Farmers Skill Training / Technology Orientation Programme
HAC
Hybrid Authorization Committee of the Central Silk Board, which fixes breed release norms
KPI
Key Performance Indicator, the unit of target-setting in the CSB Action Plan
OST / OFT / FFT
On-Station Trial for technology validation; On-Farm and Field Trial for demonstration at farmer level
SRC
Sericulture Resource Centre — a village-level training and service point
TAR
Technology Assessment and Refinement
Last reviewed and updated: 14 August 2026Content owned by CSB–CMER&TI, Lahdoigarh
