The true sago palm Metroxylon sagu Rottb. has been described as humankind’s oldest
foodplant (Avé 1977), and the earliest account of the plant that reached western
countries dates back to the 18th century (Rumphius 1750). The trunk contains starch,
used by the plant as a reserve food for flowering and fruiting. This starch has long
been a staple food for humans in South-East Asia, and as with most other palms,
nearly all the other parts of the plant are used for subsistence. It is mainly grown in
areas of the developing world, and has often been viewed as a ‘poor man’s’ crop.
Numerous attempts have been made to develop cultivation of sago palm, and
some commercial production of the genus can be found around Singapore, in Johor
in West Malaysia, and in the Riau archipelago, in Indonesia. Sago palm is also
produced commercially in Sarawak, in East Malaysia, where the crop is mainly
grown on peat soils. In most other parts of Indonesia, it is used for subsistence.
In the last 25 years, interest in the crop has increased considerably. According to
Stanton (1993), one of the first to advocate sago palm research, the advantages of the
crop are that it is: (1) economically acceptable; (2) relatively sustainable; (3)
environmentally friendly; (4) uniquely versatile; (5) vigorous, and (6) promotes
socially stable agroforestry systems.
Attempts are currently being made to harvest the crop from natural stands,
particularly in Indonesia, and new plantings on peat soils are being developed in
Sarawak and in the Riau archipelago. Indonesia organizes national symposia and
international meetings on the genus and its uses are now regularly convened. Sago
palm cultivation areas are visited by local scientists, as well as by scientists from
Japan, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
The present work is intended to provide an overview of existing knowledge of the
genus, with special emphasis on its genetic resources. It will be shown that, although
knowledge on this interesting crop is increasing, this is still somewhat haphazard and
incomplete. Considerable research is still needed, to transform sago palm into a wellaccepted
industrial raw material.
The true sago palm Metroxylon sagu Rottb. has been described as humankind’s oldest
foodplant (Avé 1977), and the earliest account of the plant that reached western
countries dates back to the 18th century (Rumphius 1750). The trunk contains starch,
used by the plant as a reserve food for flowering and fruiting. This starch has long
been a staple food for humans in South-East Asia, and as with most other palms,
nearly all the other parts of the plant are used for subsistence. It is mainly grown in
areas of the developing world, and has often been viewed as a ‘poor man’s’ crop.
Numerous attempts have been made to develop cultivation of sago palm, and
some commercial production of the genus can be found around Singapore, in Johor
in West Malaysia, and in the Riau archipelago, in Indonesia. Sago palm is also
produced commercially in Sarawak, in East Malaysia, where the crop is mainly
grown on peat soils. In most other parts of Indonesia, it is used for subsistence.
In the last 25 years, interest in the crop has increased considerably. According to
Stanton (1993), one of the first to advocate sago palm research, the advantages of the
crop are that it is: (1) economically acceptable; (2) relatively sustainable; (3)
environmentally friendly; (4) uniquely versatile; (5) vigorous, and (6) promotes
socially stable agroforestry systems.
Attempts are currently being made to harvest the crop from natural stands,
particularly in Indonesia, and new plantings on peat soils are being developed in
Sarawak and in the Riau archipelago. Indonesia organizes national symposia and
international meetings on the genus and its uses are now regularly convened. Sago
palm cultivation areas are visited by local scientists, as well as by scientists from
Japan, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.
The present work is intended to provide an overview of existing knowledge of the
genus, with special emphasis on its genetic resources. It will be shown that, although
knowledge on this interesting crop is increasing, this is still somewhat haphazard and
incomplete. Considerable research is still needed, to transform sago palm into a wellaccepted
industrial raw material.
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