Replies to post #118432 on Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Inc (KBLB)

[Eskaminagaga]

I am curious where/how you came up with your estimation?

That is a valid concern. I am no expert in sericulture, so i relied on third party info to make that estimate, specifically this site for info on mulberry production and this site for silkworm production. Here are the relevant quotes from these sites:

[proper tree spacing] will give a population of 4,000 trees per acre.

Each plant produces an average of 1kg of leaves in the first season. On attaining maturity in the 3rd year, the tree should give 2kg per tree giving a total yield of 20m/tons/ha/season of mulberry leaf. Depending on the rainfall pattern, 3-5 crops can be realized in a year.

It is interesting to note that one ounce of silkworm eggs contains 40,000 eggs (1,500 eggs per gram). These worms will eat 3,500 pounds (1500 kilograms) of mulberry leaves, and will spin cocoons which will produce 18 pounds (8 kilograms) of silk thread.

So, based on that, some simple math:

- 14 acres x 4,000 trees/acre = 56,000 trees.

- 56,000 trees x 2 kg/tree = 112,000 kg of mulberry per harvest

- 112,000 kg mulberry / 1,500 kg needed per 8 kg silk = 74.67 kg x 8 kg of silk = 597.33 kg of silk per harvest.

- 3-5 harvests a year, so 3 x 597.33 kg = 1792 kg and 5 x 597.33 kg = 2986.67 kg

Since Kim is using irrigation, i expect that will ensure that he will have a higher yield and more harvests per year, so i rounded it to a simple ballpark 2-3 metric tons of silk annually.

I don't know how the 10x the current facility factors in, but I assume it to mean that it cannot attain metric tons at least in its current state, but could possibly be expanded to meet that production rate.