Chapter 17
Sago Palm in Peatland
Hiroshi Ehara, Kenichi Kakuda, Akira Miyazaki, Hitoshi Naito,
Satoshi Nakamura, Yoji Nitta, Masanori Okazaki, Yuka Sasaki,
Koki Toyota, Akira Watanabe, Manabu Watanabe, Yoshinori Yamamoto,
Yusuke Goto, and Sonoko Dorothea Kimura
Abstract Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) is the most promising starch producing palm species. Sago palm accumulates around 200 kg starch or more per plant
or in the trunk. This palm species is recognized as one of the crops used by human
beings since ancient times. The growing area of sago palm spreads across several
land conditions such as upland, tidal, and submerged areas which do not have a
proper water drainage system. It can grow in swamp, alluvial, and peat soils where
almost no other major crops can grow without drainage or soil improvement. It is
adaptive to an extremely wide range of environmental conditions from brackish
water to fresh water. However, its growth performance and starch yield vary
depending on the growth environment such as soil types and water conditions.
Considering the recent social backgrounds, namely a new competition between
biofuel production and food production as well as demand for food diversification,
H. Ehara (*) · A. Watanabe
Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
e-mail: ehara@agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp
K. Kakuda · Y. Sasaki
Yamagata University, Tsuruoka, Japan
A. Miyazaki · Y. Yamamoto
Kochi University, Nankoku, Japan
H. Naito
Kurashiki University of Science and The Arts, Kurashiki, Japan
S. Nakamura
Miyagi University, Sendai, Japan
Y. Nitta
Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan
M. Okazaki · K. Toyota · S. D. Kimura
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Japan
M. Watanabe
Iwate University, Morioka, Japan
Y. Goto
Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Osaki et al. (eds.), Tropical Peatland Eco-management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4654-3_17
477
Sago Palm in Peatland
Hiroshi Ehara, Kenichi Kakuda, Akira Miyazaki, Hitoshi Naito,
Satoshi Nakamura, Yoji Nitta, Masanori Okazaki, Yuka Sasaki,
Koki Toyota, Akira Watanabe, Manabu Watanabe, Yoshinori Yamamoto,
Yusuke Goto, and Sonoko Dorothea Kimura
Abstract Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) is the most promising starch producing palm species. Sago palm accumulates around 200 kg starch or more per plant
or in the trunk. This palm species is recognized as one of the crops used by human
beings since ancient times. The growing area of sago palm spreads across several
land conditions such as upland, tidal, and submerged areas which do not have a
proper water drainage system. It can grow in swamp, alluvial, and peat soils where
almost no other major crops can grow without drainage or soil improvement. It is
adaptive to an extremely wide range of environmental conditions from brackish
water to fresh water. However, its growth performance and starch yield vary
depending on the growth environment such as soil types and water conditions.
Considering the recent social backgrounds, namely a new competition between
biofuel production and food production as well as demand for food diversification,
H. Ehara (*) · A. Watanabe
Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
e-mail: ehara@agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp
K. Kakuda · Y. Sasaki
Yamagata University, Tsuruoka, Japan
A. Miyazaki · Y. Yamamoto
Kochi University, Nankoku, Japan
H. Naito
Kurashiki University of Science and The Arts, Kurashiki, Japan
S. Nakamura
Miyagi University, Sendai, Japan
Y. Nitta
Fukushima University, Fukushima, Japan
M. Okazaki · K. Toyota · S. D. Kimura
Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Koganei, Japan
M. Watanabe
Iwate University, Morioka, Japan
Y. Goto
Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Osaki et al. (eds.), Tropical Peatland Eco-management,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4654-3_17
477