produces large amount of starch even in the high GWL, sago palm is an honor plant
(crop) in “AeroHydro culture,” or in a new concept on “tropical paludiculture.”
When sago palm made a canopy (with different stages of sago stands), the sago
starch will produce every year such as an annual crop at more 5 times higher. Thus,
sago contributes to conserve tropical peatlands as semi-native condition and to
produce a high amount of starch to achieve food and energy security at national
and local levels.
12.3 Sago Palm Growth
The area of sago in Indonesia is estimated to be 1.398 million hectares, consisting of
1,250,000 ha of natural sago forest and Æ 148 thousand ha of a semi-intensified
and/or cultivated sago area (Flach 1997; Abbas 2015). Indonesia has the largest sago
area in the world, namely 51.3% of the 2.201 million ha of sago worldwide
(Budianto 2003; Rasyid et al. 2020). However, the true figure of how wide the
sago area in Indonesia should be studied further (Bintoro et al. 2010). The current
data of the Geospatial Information Agency showed that Papua and West Papua have
approximately 5.2 million ha, using high-resolution satellite imagery and terrestrial
surveys (Djoefrie et al. 2014). In addition, as the natural distribution of sago is often
mixed up with other vegetation, it is necessary to use a hyperspectral sensor to isolate
sago palm from tree stands. Thus, it is assumed that the utilization of sago is still very
low, reaching only about 5% of the national sago potential.
Indonesia has many sago cultivars (Metroxylon spp.), including spiny and
non-spiny sago, where the largest cultivar distribution is in Papua and Maluku. In
Papua, there are 61 cultivars (Widjono et al. 2000). While in Halmahera, local
residents found eight varieties (Yoshida 1980), in Waropen four varieties, and in
Salawati Island four varieties. Novarianto et al. (1996) found 17 types of sago. In
East Seram District, Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province, Tampubolon and
Masano (1998) found ten varieties of sago. Beccari (1918) distinguished two groups
among the nine species of Metroxylon, according to the number of scale rows on
their fruit, namely group 1 having 18 rows and group 2 having 24–29 rows of scales
on the fruit.
Sago palm grows well in humid tropical lowlands, up to an altitude of 700 m
above sea level. Temperatures should be above 25
C and air humidity is above 70%
(Flach 1997). Non-spiny sago, known as sago rumbia or sago molat, has a very wide
distribution in most parts of Indonesia. Rumbia sago extends widely from tidal
swamps and peatland from shallow to moderate peat depth and groundwater level
(GWL) with more than 50 cm even in the dry season (Tata and Susmianto 2019).
This plant can also grow on mineral and organic soil such as a riverbank and high
soil moisture area.
As sago palm can grow on the boundary of mangrove and saline peat swamp, it
can tolerate certain levels of salinity (Schuiling and Flach 1985). Water shortage is
12 Sago Palm Practice as Natural AeroHydro Culture
369
(crop) in “AeroHydro culture,” or in a new concept on “tropical paludiculture.”
When sago palm made a canopy (with different stages of sago stands), the sago
starch will produce every year such as an annual crop at more 5 times higher. Thus,
sago contributes to conserve tropical peatlands as semi-native condition and to
produce a high amount of starch to achieve food and energy security at national
and local levels.
12.3 Sago Palm Growth
The area of sago in Indonesia is estimated to be 1.398 million hectares, consisting of
1,250,000 ha of natural sago forest and Æ 148 thousand ha of a semi-intensified
and/or cultivated sago area (Flach 1997; Abbas 2015). Indonesia has the largest sago
area in the world, namely 51.3% of the 2.201 million ha of sago worldwide
(Budianto 2003; Rasyid et al. 2020). However, the true figure of how wide the
sago area in Indonesia should be studied further (Bintoro et al. 2010). The current
data of the Geospatial Information Agency showed that Papua and West Papua have
approximately 5.2 million ha, using high-resolution satellite imagery and terrestrial
surveys (Djoefrie et al. 2014). In addition, as the natural distribution of sago is often
mixed up with other vegetation, it is necessary to use a hyperspectral sensor to isolate
sago palm from tree stands. Thus, it is assumed that the utilization of sago is still very
low, reaching only about 5% of the national sago potential.
Indonesia has many sago cultivars (Metroxylon spp.), including spiny and
non-spiny sago, where the largest cultivar distribution is in Papua and Maluku. In
Papua, there are 61 cultivars (Widjono et al. 2000). While in Halmahera, local
residents found eight varieties (Yoshida 1980), in Waropen four varieties, and in
Salawati Island four varieties. Novarianto et al. (1996) found 17 types of sago. In
East Seram District, Central Maluku Regency, Maluku Province, Tampubolon and
Masano (1998) found ten varieties of sago. Beccari (1918) distinguished two groups
among the nine species of Metroxylon, according to the number of scale rows on
their fruit, namely group 1 having 18 rows and group 2 having 24–29 rows of scales
on the fruit.
Sago palm grows well in humid tropical lowlands, up to an altitude of 700 m
above sea level. Temperatures should be above 25
C and air humidity is above 70%
(Flach 1997). Non-spiny sago, known as sago rumbia or sago molat, has a very wide
distribution in most parts of Indonesia. Rumbia sago extends widely from tidal
swamps and peatland from shallow to moderate peat depth and groundwater level
(GWL) with more than 50 cm even in the dry season (Tata and Susmianto 2019).
This plant can also grow on mineral and organic soil such as a riverbank and high
soil moisture area.
As sago palm can grow on the boundary of mangrove and saline peat swamp, it
can tolerate certain levels of salinity (Schuiling and Flach 1985). Water shortage is
12 Sago Palm Practice as Natural AeroHydro Culture
369