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Land use affects changes in peak discharge so that it has the potential to cause or prevent flooding. Sago has morphological characteristics that have the potential to absorb more water. This study aimed to determine the magnitude of the change in peak discharge in the upstream watershed after sago planting. Observations were made on the three growth phases of sago palms (initial, middle, and mature phases). The research stages included calculating the runoff coefficient value under sago stands at three growth phases. Peak discharge of the existing conditions (settlements, rice fields, mixed gardens, shrubs, sand dunes, forests, and water bodies) was estimated after three scenarios of sago land use. The scenarios consisted of 25% of the land area planted with sago (scenario 1), 50% for scenario 2, and 100% for scenario 3. The data were analyzed quantitatively by comparing peak discharge in the existing conditions with scenario results. The results showed that the peak discharge in the existing conditions was 52.36 m³ hour-1. Peak discharge in the initial phase of scenario 1 was 18.94 m³ hour-1, scenario 2 was 37.88 m³ hour-1, and scenario 3 was 75.77 m3 hour-1. Peak discharge in the middle phase of scenario 1 was 19.01 m3 hour-1, scenario 2 was 38.02 m³ hour-1, and scenario 3 was 76.04 m³ hour-1. Peak discharge in the mature phase of scenario 1 was 6.38 m³ hour, scenario 2 was 12.76 m³ hour-1, and scenario 3 was 26.55 m³ hour-1. The peak discharge in the upstream watershed decreased after the scenarios with the use of sago land for all growth phases, except for scenario 3 of the initial and middle phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sago palm is an emerging important food and energy source in the Philippines. There is limited information on the nature of its distribution in the Philippines. This study presents a phylogenetic tree hinting of the possible influence of geographical distribution to Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) polymorphism in sago palm. Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) Analysis was employed to assess intra-individual heterogeneity and genetic divergence within the sago morphotypes. The variables under observation were armature type (spiny or non-spiny), maturity, and environment, and combination of these variables yielded eight morphotype samples. Deduced gene sequences of the samples showed a relatively low mean GC% of 50.5%, compared to expected 65.8% from the Metroxylon salomonense (Warb.) Becc. outgroup. This phenomenon was attributed to possible cytosine methylation that led to mutability of GC base pair. Furthermore, branching pattern of ITS sequence divergence for both Neighbour-Joining and Maximum Likelihood methods was observed to be influenced by geographic distribution as non-spiny samples collected from Prosperidad clustered into a monophyletic group with the M. salomonense (Warb.) Becc. Outgroup from Papua New Guinea while the spiny samples from Tagum City diverged into a different group. The sago palm spine is a morphological trait that could be used for the differentiation of sago morphotypes within a small population of limited diversity. This trait is of particular interest in breeding due to its possible influence on important agronomic traits such as yield and resistance to pests and diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthetic activities of the sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) were studied to find out its sensitivity to changes in ambient air temperature. The minimum ambient air temperature designed for the experiment was 25-29 °C, while the higher end was 29-33 °C. Several photosynthetic parameters were studied to support our analysis in sago photosynthetic activity, including diurnal leaf gas exchange, assimilation rate vs. CO2 concentration, leaf greenness, leaf chlorophyll content, and photosynthetic rate vs. irradiance. We found that sago palm photosynthetic activity tends to be more sensitive to minimum than to maximum ambient air temperature. The plants exposed to higher air temperatures had dark green leaf color associated with higher rates of diurnal photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, and rubisco limited photosynthetic activity. They also exhibited higher trend in optimum irradiance absorption level. Consequently, maximum light energy dissipation occurred at higher temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the growth of sago palm (Metroxylon saguRottb.), primary suckers appear from the main stem (MS) of transplanted suckers. Then, secondary suckers appear from the primary suckers. After the MS (trunk) is first harvested 10 and several years after transplantation, trunks can be harvested persistently using the primary, secondary, and subsequent suckers, which are designated as derivative suckers, growing with the MS. However, little knowledge exists about the growth behavior of derivative suckers. This study clarified how derivative suckers, especially the primary and secondary suckers, spread in the horizontal direction, and how they form a plant with the MS during the creeping growth stage. Most derivative suckers crept in the direction of about 70° subtended by the mother stem. However, two primary suckers that appeared early after transplantation crept in an obtuse angle to the creeping direction of the MS. As the reason for this obtuse angle direction, we considered the following four factors: (1) the existence of petiole, (2) distance from the sucker to the ground surface, (3) enlargement of the MS, and (4) space for sucker growth. The growth behaviors of the two primary suckers and the other derivative suckers differed. Therefore, in sago palm cultivation, the two primary suckers which appeared first from the MS were very important for formation of the framework of the plant with the MS, in terms of efficient utilization of space for the growth of derivative suckers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sago biomass is an agro-industrial waste produced in large quantities, mainly in the Asia-Pacific region and in particular South-East Asia. This work focuses on using sago biomass to obtain cellulose as the raw material, through chemical processing using acid hydrolysis, alkaline extraction, chlorination and bleaching, finally converting the material to pharmaceutical grade carboxymethyl sago cellulose (CMSC) by carboxymethylation. The cellulose was evaluated using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Field Emission Scanning ElectronicMicroscopy (FESEM). The extracted cellulose was analyzed for cellulose composition, and subsequently modified to CMSC with a degree of substitution (DS) 0.6 by typical carboxymethylation reactions. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the crystallinity of the sago cellulose was reduced after carboxymethylation. FTIR and NMR studies indicate that the hydroxyl groups of the cellulose fibers were etherified through carboxymethylation to produce CMSC. Further characterization of the cellulose and CMSC were performed using FESEM and DSC. The purity of CMSC was analyzed according to the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International standards. In this case, acid and alkaline treatments coupled with high-pressure defibrillation were found to be effective in depolymerization and defibrillation of the cellulose fibers. The synthesized CMSC also shows no toxicity in the cell line studies and could be exploited as a pharmaceutical excipient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two aims pursued in this study. Firstly, this study uses a political economy approach to critically conceptualise a theory towards a mode of production for the sago palm in Papua New Guinea. Couched within the broad framework of the 'Sago Modernity Project' the study provides a spatiotemporal evaluation for defining and refining both the internal (PNG) and external (importing countries) modes of production, so as to bring to sharper focus the socio-economics of the supply side of producing high quality sago starch for domestic and international markets. The existing inadequacies and strains in sago starch production from policy development and implementation at the national level right down to the general management of traditional micro-scale processing of sago starch within sago using agrarian societies in PNG are highlighted, compared and contrasted with lessons of experience drawn from Malaysia, a leading sago starch producer in the world. Secondly, this study also aims to revisit and revitalise issues that were raised at the first national sago conference held in October 1999 at PNG University of Technology, which called for the establishment of a National Sago Council to coordinate activities on sago research and issues around the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Tropical peatland is a vast potential land source for biological production, but peatland is a major natural source of greenhouse gases, especially methane (CH4). It is important to evaluate the changes in greenhouse gas emissions induced by cultivation practices for sustainable agricultural use of tropical peatland. We investigated the effects of fertilizer application and the groundwater level on CH4 and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes in an Indonesian peat soil. The crop cultivated was sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.), which can grow on tropical peat soil without drainage and yield great amounts of starch. CH4 emission through sago palm plants was first estimated by collecting gas samples immediately after cutting sago suckers using the closed chamber method. The CH4 fluxes ranged from negative values to 1.0mgCm−2 h−1. The mean CH4 flux from treatment with macroelements (N, P, and K) and microelements (B, Cu, Fe, and Zn) applied at normal rates did not differ significantly from that of the No fertilizer treatment, although increasing the application rates of macroelements or microelements by 10-fold increased the CH4 flux by a factor of two or three. The relationship between CH4 flux and the groundwater table was regressed to a logarithmic equation, which indicated that to maintain a small CH4 flux, the groundwater table should be maintained at <−45cm. The CO2 fluxes ranged between 24 and 150mgCm−2 h−1, and were not significantly affected by either fertilizer treatments or the groundwater level. The inclusion of sago palm suckers in a chamber increased CH4 emission from the peat soil significantly. Thus, gas emissions mediated by certain kinds of palm plants should not be disregarded. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Previous trials have revealed variable responses of sago palm ( Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) to fertilizer application, particularly nitrogen (N). In the present study, we quantified the fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) of sago palm for the first time using 15N-labeled fertilizer in pot and field experiments. The pot experiment was conducted in Japan using a 2:1 mixture of sand to Philippine soil. The field experiment was conducted in Leyte in the Philippines. Both experiments consisted of three replicates in each of three treatments: control, 15N urea at 50 kg N ha−1 and 15N urea at 100 kg N ha−1. The N uptake of sago palm increased significantly, but inconsistently with increasing N application. The few instances of a significant increase in N uptake did not translate into significant improvements in growth parameters, except for the number of leaflets in the pot experiment. The FUE values for sago seedlings (< 6 months) in the pot experiment treated with 50 and 100 kg N ha−1 were 10.5 and 13.2%, respectively, whereas for the 2-year-old sago palms in the field, the corresponding FUE values were 14.8 and 12.0%. The FUE values were similar at the two levels of N application in both experiments. Sago growth parameters appeared to be insensitive to N application, suggesting that the form of N and the timing of N fertilization are important factors for sago palms. Therefore, the use of N fertilizer in sago production can only be justified after determining and fully understanding the response of sago palm to N application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sago palm's versatility to grow in hostile conditions and its ability to act as a natural carbon dioxide sink, in the light of environmental damage control, as stressed by Stanton (1993) and recent studies bordering on the morphological variability and genetic diversity of sago palm in Indonesia (e.g. Ehara et al., 2000), in the Pacific Island Countries of Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands (cf. Dowe 2001, 2002; Ehara et al., 2003), have all suggested a fresh multidisciplinary approach to promote sago as a multipurpose food crop and an indispensable industrial material for the 21st century. Adaptive research programmes into soil management, sago estate development and creating effective market distribution of sago-based products, of which networking between multidisciplinary academic communities and sago user groups are quite necessary. Finding synergies (i.e. apt combination and application of resources) within the sago palm industry calls for concerted efforts to promote sago, of which biodiplomacy is not only a vehicle for strategically managing sago resources but is critically important. This strategic management approach weaves biodiplomacy around international negotiation processes and structures. Biodiplomacy is then seen as a vehicle to pave the way for mobilising scientific and indigenous knowledge, appropriate level of technology application, let alone building a network of information society to better manage sago resources. This information society will enhance plant genetic resources, access and benefit sharing, which underlie important human learning and participatory development of societies. This study also explores the inter-linkages between biodiplomacy and bioethics of the sago palm, determining how these linkages will provide the basis for not only sustainable agriculture and rural development, but also has implications for biosafety and biotechnology issues (Laufa 2004). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: With a deep concern over the probable global food shortage in the years to come, underutilized plant resources are now being extensively tapped by scientists throughout the world. In this regard, sago palm is gaining much importance as a crop par excellence and a starch crop of the 21st century, due to its being an extremely sustainable plant with an ability to thrive in most soil conditions. The review focuses on sago palm as an invaluable resource of starchy foods and of innumerable other products of significant commercial value such as modified starches, lactic acid, cyclodextrins, and ethanol. Several important aspects of the properties and applications of sago palm-derived products that could be exploited commercially are also covered. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We investigated the relationships between starch concentrations and activities of starch synthetic enzymes in sago palms ( Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) under acid sulfate and mineral soil conditions. Plants grown naturally that had reached their maturated stage were sampled. We found that the growth in acid sulfate soil is lower than that in mineral soil and that starch granules were larger and there was more amylase activity in acid sulfate soil than in mineral soil. Lower amylase activity in mineral soil could eliminate the degradation of starch, making the smaller granules suitable for storing large amounts of starch in a limited space inside cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) is a palm tree species originating in Indonesia. In the future, this starch-producing tree will play an important role in food security and biodiversity. Local governments have begun to emphasize the sustainable development of sago palm plantations; therefore, they require near-real-time geospatial information on palm stands. We developed a semi-automated classification scheme for mapping sago palm using machine learning within an object-based image analysis framework with Pleiades-1A imagery. In addition to spectral information, arithmetic, geometric, and textural features were employed to enhance the classification accuracy. Recursive feature elimination was applied to samples to rank the importance of 26 input features. A support vector machine (SVM) was used to perform classifications and resulted in the highest overall accuracy of 85.00% after inclusion of the eight most important features, including three spectral features, three arithmetic features, and two textural features. The SVM classifier showed normal fitting up to the eighth most important feature. According to the McNemar test results, using the top seven to 14 features provided a better classification accuracy. The significance of this research is the revelation of the most important features in recognizing sago palm among other similar tree species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]