Proceedings
The 14th International Sago Symposium
SAGO 2023 TOKYOThe Role of Sago in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals

Gakushikaikan

Tokyo, Japan, 7th July 2023

The Society of Sago Palm Studies
Co-organized by
Japanese Society of Tropical Agriculture
The Japanese Society of Applied Glycoscience
Asian Association of Agricultural Colleges and Universities

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
SAGO 2023 TOKYO

Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Senior Editors:

Managing Editors:
Editors:

Hitoshi NAITO
Yukio TOYODA
Hiroshi EHARA
Tomoko KONDO
Takashi MISHIMA
Akira WATANABE
Akira MIYAZAKI
Koki ASANO
Satoshi NAKAMURA
Tomohiro UCHIYAMA
Destieka AHYUNI
Ken’ichi KAKUDA
Ken’ichi NONAKA
Yuka SASAKIISBN 4-9902615-0-X
https://www.sagopalmsociety.com/_files/ugd/3f58e5_7110e7850e694f60ab60b65c17e384c1.pdf

January 2024
The Society of Sago Palm Studies

Proceedings of The 14th International Sago Symposium
7th July 2023

Under the Patronage ofFood and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS)
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Supported by
Aikoku Gakuen Junior College

PT. Bangka Asindo AgriChiba Flour Milling Co., Ltd.
Food Health Instructor Association Kansai Branch
Association for the Promotion of Self-reliance in Asia
(GIAPSA)
Ingredion Japan K.K.
Joetsu Starch Co., Ltd.
Matsutani Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
International Center for Research and Education in
Agriculture (ICREA), Nagoya University
Nihon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd.
NIPPN Corporation
Nisshin Flour Milling Inc.
Tokai Dextrin Co., Ltd.
Toyo Creations Ltd.
PT. Sagolicious Indonesia Prima
PT. Binasawit Makmur (Sampoerna Agro Group)Contents
14ISS01: Recent Achievements toward SDGs through Collaborative Activities between Sago-producing
Countries and User Countries
Hiroshi Ehara ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1
14ISS02: Sago Development and Use Policy as Local Food Diversification for Food Security
Hengky Novarianto ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7
14ISS03: Quality of Sago Starch for Worldwide Promotion
Takashi Mishima ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13
14ISS04: Potential for Up-scaling Sago Production in Manus Province, Papua New Guinea
K. K. Galgal, Mandal, Bir C., Jong, F. S. and Mondia M. ------------------------------------------- 15
14ISS05: Comparison of Growth Characteristics and Yield Potential of Starch-accumulating Palms
Yoshinori Yamamoto ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19
14ISS06: Sago Production Potential in Several Regions in Indonesia
Mochammad Hasjim Bintoro Djoefrie, Putri Pembayun and La Rianda Baka ------------------- 23
14ISS07: Regional Characteristics and Transformation of Sago Plam Utilization in Traditional Rural
areas: From the cases of the three regions; West Papua-Indonesia, Southeast Sulawesi,
Indonesia, Northeast Mindanao -Philippines
Yoshihiko Nishimura ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 27
14ISS08: Possibility of Up-scaling Sago Production in Sepik Area, Papua New Guinea
Yukio Toyoda, Hiroshi Ehara, Hitoshi Naito, Takashi Mishima, and Keith Galgal ------------- 33
14ISS09: Potential Study of Sago Dregs Waste as Renewable Energy: Quality and Economic Value ofSago Dregs Briquette Production
Hafidawati, Elvi Yenie, B. D. Irfandy and M. A. Islamy ------------------------------------------- 37
14ISS10: Impact of Ultrasonication Treatment on Resistant Starch (RS) Content and Characteristics ofSago StarchEndang Yuli Purwani, A. Budianto, N. Setyawan, D. R. Yahya and A. B. Ahza --------------- 41
14ISS11: Maltodextrin from Sago Starch at Different Hydrolysis Times
Budi Santoso, Z. L. Sarungallo and A. M. P. Dewi --------------------------------------------------- 46
14ISS12: Diversity of Medicinal Plants in the Sago area of Siberut National Park, West Sumatra
Rahmah Zikra Utami, E. AM Zuhud, and M. H. Bintoro ------------------------------------------- 50

14ISS13: Genetic Diversity of Sago (Metroxylon spp.) in Lingga District, Kepulauan Riau, Indonesia
Mardiani Dwi Agustin, M. H. Bintoro Djoefrie1, E. Santosa, and E. A. M. Zuhud -------------- 54
14ISS14: Genetic Relationship of Sago (Metroxylon spp.) in West Siberut and North Siberut, Mentawai
Islands Regency, West Sumatra
Ariel Nur Alifan Firmansyah, M. H.Bintoro, S.Amarillis1, E. Amzu and N. Jamil ------------ 60
14ISS15: Genetic Relationship of Sago (Metroxylon spp.) Based on RAPD Analysis: A Case of Mamuju
District, West Sulawesi Province, Indonesia
Naasih El Ibaad Abhal, M. H. Bintoro, S. H. and S. Amarillis ------------------------------------- 66
14ISS16: Soil Carbon Stock Comparison of Sago Palm Plantation and Monoculture Crop Around
Converted Wetland in Southern Thailand
Malimas Jariyapong, Saowalak Roongtawanreongsri, and Buncha Somboonsuke ------------ 71
14ISS17: Ehnobotany of Sago in the Malay Community in Lingga Regency, Riau Islands - Indonesia
Primadhika Al Manar, E. A. M. Zuhud, N. Andarwulan and M. H. Bintoro ------------------ 75
14ISS18: Sago Ethnobotany (Metroxylon Sagu Rottb.) in Mentawai Community, Siberut National Park,
Mentawai Islands District, Indonesia
Ridho Afriansyah , Ervizal A.M. Zuhud and H. M. H. Bintoro ------------------------------------ 80
14ISS19: Agronomic Prospects for New Sago Palm Cultivation by farmers: Time to Harvest andAssociated Cultivation Management
Dwi Ratna Sari, S. Mangngile, D. A. Rampisela and K. Osozawa --------------------------------- 85
14ISS20: Utilization of Palm Oil By-products for Sustainable Crop Production in Marginal Land
Yulius Barra’ Pasolon, P. I. Sholeha, L. O. Rustam, Namriah, Ar. A. Anas, Resman1, L. O. Alwi,
N. M. Rahni, L. O. Afa, L. K. Mangalla and Hiroshi Ehara ---------------------------------------- 88

Some of the papers presented in the symposium will be published as original papers in
Sago Palm, and are not shown in this list.

14ISS13: Genetic Diversity of Sago (Metroxylon spp.) in Lingga District, Kepulauan Riau, Indonesia
Mardiani Dwi Agustin, M. H. Bintoro Djoefrie1, E. Santosa, and E. A. M. Zuhud -------------- 54
14ISS14: Genetic Relationship of Sago (Metroxylon spp.) in West Siberut and North Siberut, Mentawai
Islands Regency, West Sumatra
Ariel Nur Alifan Firmansyah, M. H.Bintoro, S.Amarillis1, E. Amzu and N. Jamil ------------ 60
14ISS15: Genetic Relationship of Sago (Metroxylon spp.) Based on RAPD Analysis: A Case of Mamuju
District, West Sulawesi Province, Indonesia
Naasih El Ibaad Abhal, M. H. Bintoro, S. H. and S. Amarillis ------------------------------------- 66
14ISS16: Soil Carbon Stock Comparison of Sago Palm Plantation and Monoculture Crop Around
Converted Wetland in Southern Thailand
Malimas Jariyapong, Saowalak Roongtawanreongsri, and Buncha Somboonsuke ------------ 71
14ISS17: Ehnobotany of Sago in the Malay Community in Lingga Regency, Riau Islands - Indonesia
Primadhika Al Manar, E. A. M. Zuhud, N. Andarwulan and M. H. Bintoro ------------------ 75
14ISS18: Sago Ethnobotany (Metroxylon Sagu Rottb.) in Mentawai Community, Siberut National Park,
Mentawai Islands District, Indonesia
Ridho Afriansyah , Ervizal A.M. Zuhud, and H. M. H. Bintoro ------------------------------------ 80
14ISS19: Agronomic Prospects for New Sago Palm Cultivation by farmers: Time to Harvest andAssociated Cultivation Management
Dwi Ratna Sari, S. Mangngile, D. A. Rampisela and K. Osozawa --------------------------------- 85
14ISS20: Utilization of Palm Oil By-products for Sustainable Crop Production in Marginal Land
Yulius Barra’ Pasolon, P. I. Sholeha, L. O. Rustam, Namriah, Ar. A. Anas, Resman1, L. O. Alwi,
N. M. Rahni, L. O. Afa, L. K. Mangalla and Hiroshi Ehara ---------------------------------------- 88

Some of the papers presented in the symposium will be published as original papers in
Sago Palm, and are not shown in this list.

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS01

Recent Achievements toward SDGs through Collaborative Activities between
Sago -producing Countries and User Countries
Hiroshi Ehara1, 2*
1 Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya
464-8601, Japan
2 International Center for Research and Education in Agriculture, Nagoya University, Furo-cho,
Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan*e-mail: ehara@agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp
Abstract Recently, the demand for sago palm has been increasing in response to the new normal of society after COVID-19 andSDGs. Such demand increase for sago starch comes against the backdrop of the deterioration of the environment due to climate change,
unforeseen social problems, and the need to strengthen food security and the resilience of the food system with also the growing global
desire to ensure a healthy life. This paper highlights recent activities based on interdisciplinary multidisciplinary approaches that
contribute toward meeting SDGs through cooperation between sago palm-producing countries and user countries as follows: (1)specific nutrient-use efficiency—the nutrient absorption and translocation characteristics of sago palm that aid in the efficient uptakeof potassium even from poor soil or salt-damaged land; (2) the development of sustainable nutrition management in the nursery andfield based on the analysis of the symbiosis between useful microorganisms, nitrogen fixation bacteria (NFB), and/or arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and sago palm; (3) the development of optimal applications for cooking or processing that utilize thecharacteristics of sago starch, which does not contain gliadin, one of the allergen components of food allergies; (4) the recycling of the
agricultural residues after sago starch utilization; (5) the streamlining of the supply chain to add value to sago starch produced by smallscale farmers—providing knowledge and technology to manufacture commodities that will meet growing market requirements.
Key words: Food security, Healthy living, Resilience of the food system, Supply chain, Sustainable development

Introduction
Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.), a starch resource plant
distributed in Southeast Asia and Melanesia that adapts toadverse environments, is not only a food crop but is also
expected to be utilized as a raw material for allergy-free foods,
biofuel, and other industrial uses. Sago palm and related species
grow in swampy, alluvial, and peaty soils where almost no othermajor crops can grow without drainage or soil improvement(Sato et al., 1979; Jong, 1995, Ehara et al., 2018). Sago palm isa highly important bioresource for not only sustainableagriculture but also rural development in swampy areas of thetropics. Moreover, Metroxylon palms, including sago palm, arerecognized as unexploited or underexploited plants (Ehara,2006) because this species has been harvested mainly fromnatural forests and/or has been semi-cultivated with very simple
maintenance.
Considering the social background for two decades that a newcompetition between biofuel production and food production
has occurred, and as food demands diversify, an efficient use ofcarbohydrates from sago palm and related species is currently
anticipated, followed by a predicted increase in the development
and utilization of land in swampy areas. Recently, the demand
for sago palm has been increasing in response to the new normalof society after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) andSustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Such an increase in the
demand for sago starch comes against the backdrop of thedeterioration of the deterioration of environment due to climatechange, unforeseen social problems occurred in Europe inFebruary 2022, and the need to strengthen food security and theresilience of the food system. Another factor is the growing
global desire to ensure a healthy life. This paper highlights
recent activities and efforts based on interdisciplinary thinking
and multidisciplinary approaches that contribute toward meeting
SDGs through cooperation between sago palm-producing
countries and user countries. Some of these developments
include: (1) specific nutrient-use efficiency—the nutrient
absorption and translocation characteristics of sago palm that aid
in the efficient uptake of potassium even from poor soil or saltdamaged land; (2) the development of sustainable nutrition

management in the nursery and field based on the analysis of thesymbiosis between useful microorganisms, nitrogen fixation
bacteria (NFB), and/or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF),
and sago palm; (3) the development of optimal applications forcooking or processing that utilize the characteristics of sago
starch, which does not contain gliadin, one of the allergencomponents of food allergies; (4) the recycling of the
agricultural residues after sago starch utilization; (5) the
streamlining of the supply chain to add value to sago starch
produced by small-scale farmers—providing knowledge andtechnology to manufacture commodities that will meet growing
market requirements.
1. Specific nutrient-use efficiency: Resistance of sago palm
against abiotic stress
Sago palm is generally considered to have higher resistanceagainst abiotic stresses such as salt stress, acid-soil,
submergence and flooding.
1-1. Salt stress
As mentioned above, Metroxylon palms can grow in problem
soils. Here, the salt resistance of sago palm and related species
is introduced. Fig.1a shows the Na+ concentration in different
plant parts of sago palm seedlings grown in a hydroponic systemafter 342 mM NaCl treatment (corresponding to 2% NaCl) for 1
month (Ehara et al., 2008a). In the leaflets and petioles of thetreated plants, the Na+ concentrations were higher at lower leaf
positions than at higher leaf positions. The difference in the Na+concentrations in both the leaflets and petiole between thecontrol and treated plants was remarkable at lower leaf positions.
The Na+ concentration in the leaflets was less than one-half ofthat in the petiole. On the other hand, the Cl − concentration
increased with the change in Na+ concentration.
Although the K+ concentration decreased in the roots during
the NaCl treatment, it did not decrease in the leaflets and petiole.
These tendencies were found in the seedlings at more advanced
leaf ages as well and under a wide range of NaCl concentrations
in culture solution (Ehara et al., 2006). At some leaf positions,
the K+ concentrations were higher in the treated plants than in1the control plants (Ehara et al., 2008a, b). The K+ concentrationin the petiole tended to be higher at higher leaf positions than atlower leaf positions, especially in the treated plants. In somespecies, plant growth is not affected when the K+ concentration
is maintained under NaCl treatment (Yeo and Flowers, 1983;
Jeschke et al., 1985). The K+ concentrations in the top part did
not decrease, regardless of the leaf position in the case of sagopalm. It appears that Na+ absorption clearly did not depress K+
absorption and translocation to the leaves in sago palm, and theK+ distribution in the top part tended to increase rather than haveno effect. Yoneta et al. (2006) also reported that sago palm wasable to uptake K+ from soil, and K+ was accumulated in leaflets
through the root systems in response to NaCl stress. They
reported also that proline was under the detection limit in leafletsand roots, and a small amount of glycinebetaine was found inleaflets.
According to Ehara et al. (2008a, b), new leaf emergence wasdelayed slightly with the NaCl treatment, although senescenceof the lower leaf did not accelerate. In M. warburgii and M.
vitiense also, the K+ concentration in the leaflets did not decrease
under salt stress conditions (Ehara et al., 2007, 2008b). These
results in sago palm and related species strongly support theassumption that salt tolerance is related to the exclusion of K+
by Na+ absorption in the leaf blade (Yeo and Flowers 1983;
Jeschke et al., 1985). Considering these results, K+ assumes therole of osmotic adjustment, especially at higher leaf positions inmost active leaves. According to Asano et al. (2023), K
absorption and translocation were not restricted by a reductionin the application of nutrients. It is therefore considered that thenutrient absorption and translocation characteristics of sago
palm that aid in the efficient uptake of potassium even from poor
soil or salt-damaged land.
Fig.1b shows the Na+ concentration in different parts in theadventitious roots (Ehara et al., 2008a), and Fig.1c shows aschematic of transverse section of root. The Na+ concentration
was lower in the stele (central cylinder) than in the cortex.
According to the study on Na distribution revealed by X-ray
microanalysis from the cortex to the stele in the adventitious
roots of the treated plants, much more Na was detected in thecortex than in the stele (Ehara et al., 2008a). The highest
distribution of Na was found at the inner region of the cortex
near the stele. In this region, the endodermis where suberin or
lignin (Casparian strip) develops also was observed in sago palm
(Prathumyot and Ehara, 2010). From only this finding, it isdifficult to discuss the information in detail, although it is clearthat the region including the endodermis has a mechanism to trap
some of the over-influx of Na into the root. This mechanism will
be very important in restricting translocation of Na+ from theroot to the top parts under salt stress. Sago palm exhibits themechanism to maintain low Na+ concentration in the leaflets bystoring Na+ in the roots and petioles, especially at lower leaf
positions, the mechanism of which can be understood as salt
avoidance. However, the photosynthetic rate and transpiration
rate decreased by 40% with NaCl stress in sago palm seedlings(final 18th leaf age) grown for 4 months in a hydroponic system
including 224 mM NaCl (corresponding to 1.3%) (Prathumyot
et al., 2011).

Fig.1. Na+ concentration in roots and leaflets and petiole atdifferent leaf positions (a) and in the cortex and stele ofadventitious roots under NaCl treatment (b) (Source: Ehara
et al., 2008a) with schematic of transvers section of root (c).
Horizontal and vertical lines indicate the standard deviation(n = 3). Asterisks indicate a significant difference in eachpart between the control and treated plants at a 0.05
probability level, according to the t-test. Different letters
indicate significant differences in different parts within thetreated plants at a 0.05 probability level, according to the
Tukey-Kramer test deviation (n= 3). Asterisks indicate asignificant difference in each part between the control andtreated plants at a 0.05 probability level, according to the ttest. Different letters indicate significant differences indifferent parts within the treated plants at a 0.05 probability
level, according to the Tukey-Kramer test.

seedlings were planted in a pot filled with vermiculite andculture solution at pH 3.6 (adjusted with 1N H2SO4) that
included different levels of AlCl3•6H2O corresponding to 0, 10,
20, 100, and 200 ppm Al (as initial Al concentration before
applying to the pots), the weekly increments of plant length, total
weight for 4.5 months were largest in 10 ppm, d followed by 0,
20, 100, and 200 ppm Al (Anugoolprasert et al., 2014). The rootsystem under 200 ppm Al was apparently different from that
under 0–100 ppm Al, and the branched roots were stunted,
brownish, and thick. The root dry weight was also less than theother plots. The change in P, N, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+
concentrations with the Al treatments was moderate. The Al3+
concentration tended to be lower in the leaflets at higher leaf
position and the stele of the adventitious roots, while it tended
to be higher in the cortex of adventitious roots (values ranged
from 190 to 950 mg kg−1 DM in all the plant parts, even at 200

1.2 Acid stress
Nowadays sago palm populations are often found in swamps
and peat soil where soil pH is low, such as in the Malay
Archipelago. Sago palm has been considered to be tolerant ofacid soil. From the results of growth analysis of sago palm
seedlings grown at different pH conditions (pH 5.7, 4.5, and 3.6,
adjusted with 1N HCl) in a pot filled with vermiculite andculture solution for 4.5 months, it was clear that there were no
significant differences in any growth parameters among thethree treatments (Anugoolprasert et al., 2012). When sago palm

2

Fig.2. Changes in AN, Imax, AN(Imax), /(Io_Icomp), and/(Io_I200) of sago palm under waterlogging (s) and control (d).
*, **, *** indicate significant levels at the 0.05, 0.01, 0.001
probability level, respectively according to Student t-test. Datacorresponds to the mean value and standard error (n = 3)
(Source: Azhar et al., 2022).

nitrogen-fixing bacterial community in sago palm roots indifferent soil environments of east Malaysia and south Thailand(see Paper 28). The soil bulk density, clay content, volumetricwater content, pH, EC, exchangeable cation contents, and total
N affected both communities of endophytic bacteria and NFB.
The result of Asano et al. (2023) was as follows: NifH adjacentto Bradyrhizobium, Burkholderia, Cupriavidus, Frankia,
Geobacter, Anaeromyxobacter, Desulfovibrio, Clostridium, andSpirochaeta were highly detected. Surprisingly, NifH close to
Burkholderia xenovorans was dominant (> 30% relative
abundance) in the strong acidity (pH 4.1) of shallow peat soil in
Malaysia. The relative abundance of aerobic or facultative
anaerobic NFB (Bradyrhizobium, Burkholderia, Frankia, andCupriavidus genera) was negatively correlated with the relative
abundance of anaerobic NFB (Clostridium, Geobacter,
Anaeromyxobacter, Desulfovibrio, and Spirochaeta). It issuggested that the key players of root endophytic NFB in sago
palm roots shifted by the oxygen level in the root interior
affected by waterlogging in the soil.

ppm Al). According to Chenery (1948), thousands of plant
species are classified as Al accumulators (≥1000 mg kg−1 DM)
or Al excluders (<1000 mg kg − 1 DM). Based on the Alconcentrations in the plant tissues, sago palm is considered tohave Al-exclusion ability under acidic conditions. However, thediameter at breast height (DBH) that was one of the mostimportant parameters limiting the pith dry matter yieldcorrelated with soil pH in the Malay Archipelago (Ehara et al.,2000). Even if sago palm exhibits the mechanism to exclude
excess Al under low pH condition, the growth and yield will beaffected by soil acidity.
1.3 Water-logging
Azhar et al. (2022) reported evaluating sago palm
photosynthetic performance in waterlogged conditions: utilizing
pulse-amplitudemodulated(PAM)
fluorometry asawaterlogging stress indicator. Water-logging enhanced
photosynthetic performance of sago palm seedlings at particularperiod and they can stand in submerged condition up to 2 months(Fig.2). However, when the water-logging duration was
prolonged, their physiological performance was depressed.
These results will suggest appropriate water control in swampy
peat land to achieve sustainable cultivation management withacceptable dry matter production and starch yield.

2.3 Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
About AMF, Asano et al. (2021) reported that the AMF
colonization rate was significantly lower in shallow peat soil
SPS (39.2 ± 12.5%) than in mineral soil (73.2 ± 4.6%). The
lower abundance and diversity of AMF in shallow peat soil are
possibly caused by abiotic factors, including soil physico-

2. Useful Microorganisms
The development of sustainable nutrition management in thenursery and field based on the analysis of the symbiosis between
useful microorganisms, nitrogen fixation bacteria NFB), and/or
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and sago palm attracts
attentions.

chemical properties. Glomus and Acaulospora species detected
in SPS might have strong tolerance against acidity and high soil
moisture content. Then, it is possible that AMF’s symbiotic
association existed in the roots of sago palm seedlings whencommercial inocula were used (Fig.3) (Asano et al., 2019).
Verification of the effect of commercial inocula on the growthof sago palm seedlings and environmental conditions in which

2.2 Nitrogen fixation bacteria
In Oral Session 6 (AAACU Session), Asano et al. reported on

3

processing that utilize the characteristics of sago starch, which
does not contain gliadin, one of the allergen components of foodallergies are pressing demand considering recent increase inpersons with allergy symptoms.
3.1 Gluten-free pasta using sago starch
In poster session 1, Kondo et al. reported their results fromcomparative study on the properties of various commercial sago
starches and examination of gluten-free pasta using sago starch(see Paper 03). The authors (Kondo et al., 2023) examined tocompare a total of nine types of sago starch (provided by private
sectors in Indonesia and Japan), including sago starches sold inIndonesia and sago starches imported to Japan from Indonesia.
A focus was also put on gluten-free, which is receiving muchattention nowadays, and the development of gluten-free pasta
made with sago starches imported to Japan was attempted. As
the results by Kondo et al. (2023), 1) the nine Indonesian sago
starches showed remarkable differences in quality, in theirviscosities, and in the physical properties of their gels; 2) noncookedpasta
substitutedwithmodifiedstarch(hydroxypropylated tapioca starch and enzyme-treated starch),showed a tendency to be softer than pasta made with sago starch,
but after boiling, the hardness of the pastas was similar; 3) 15
minutes after boiling, the hardness of the sago pasta roughly
doubled. They stated when 5%, or 7%, of the sago starch was
replaced with the two types of modified starch, a tendency forthe increase in hardness to be suppressed was seen, meaning,
retrogradation suppression could be confirmed.
3.2 Application of sago starch in Japanese steamed cakeIn the other poster presentation, Hirao et al. introduced
application of sago starch in karukan (Japanese rice flour
Steamed Cake) (see Paper 17) that rice flour was substituted forsago starch, which is expected to improve the utilization andpalatability of karukan, and the results were compared withthose of karukan made with other starches. According to theresults by Hirao et al. (2023), 1) the karukan with 50% sago
starch substituted for rice flour did not differ significantly fromthe reference in terms of all the determined value; 2) though interms of preference, the appearance and color items weresignificantly lower, there were no significant differences in thegood texture, taste, hardness, and elasticity items; 3) cassava
starch was significantly less preferred than the reference, cornand sweet potato starches, while, sago starch showed nosignificant differences from the other starches; 4) while somepanels liked the distinctive light pink color of sago starch
karukan, others said it tasted a little astringent. Their results
suggested that improving the taste of sago starch would improve
the preference of sago starch karukan, which is truly importantfor highly utilization of sago starch.

Fig. 3. Photomicrograph of root samples of sago palm seedlings
inoculated with Mycogel (left) and Yukimotogoenotaumi (right)
Left top: root from 5 cm below soil surface, bar = 500 μm; left
mid: root from 10 cm below soil surface, bar = 200 μm; left
bottom: 15 cm below soil surface, bar = 100 μm; right top: root
from 5 cm below soil surface, bar = 200 μm; right mid: root from
10 cm below soil surface, bar = 100 μm; right bottom: 15 cm
below soil surface, bar = 200 μm; arrow 1: hypha, arrow 2:
arbuscule, arrow 3: vesicle (Source: Asano et al., 2019).
AMF works effectively associated with sago palm are future
subjects that must be studied to contribute to environmentallyfriendly cultivation in intensive production. The application of
AMF to sago palm seedlings accelerated shoot growth withleaflet expanding (Asano, 2023).
Ehara et al. (1998, 2001) revealed the reason why sago fruits
showed lower germinate percentage and improved thegerminability with physical treatment removing seed coattissues. Then, sago palm could be introduced into Tanzania withtransportation of seeds and utilization seedlings germinatedfrom seeds as planting materials (Ehara et al., 2006). As Toyoda
et al. reported, UN-FAO employed utilization the method
developed by Ehara et al. (2001, 2006) for FAO TechnicalCooperation Program entitled “Enhancing food security andcombating climate change through scaling up sago palm
production” in Papua New Guinea (PNG), and the first sago
palm nursery named “Ehara Sago Nursery” was opened in
Moem Village, East Sepik Province, PNG in May 2023 (seePaper 34). The one hundred seedlings grown in that nursery weretransplanted to 1 ha field in Moem in August 2023. The othersago palm nurseries were set to open in the other two villages in
East Sepik.

4. Recycling of the agricultural residues after sago starchutilization
The recycling of the agricultural residues after sago palm
utilization has been investigated and some results were reported
in the 13th International Sago Symposium. They were compiledin Ehara et al. (2018). For example, sago pith residue, a solid
waste of sago wet extraction industry, is a potential source foruse as fiber reinforcement on starch-based foam production due
to its composition that contains starch and fiber which arenecessary for producing biofoam: according to Utami et al.
(2014), partial acid hydrolysis of sago ham- development of
optimal applications for cooking or processing that utilize thecharacteristics of sago starch, which does not contain gliadin,
one of the allergen components of food allergies are pressing
demand considering recent increase in persons with allergy
symptoms. The residue of sago pith has been used as pig feed insome areas according to Connell and Hamnett (1978). On the

3. Development of optimal applications for cooking to utilize
the characteristics of sago starch
The development of optimal applications for cooking or4

residue of sago pith which is left after processing, certain kindsof mushrooms grow, and they are eaten as supplementary food(Yoyoda 2018). When the residue is left for a certain period,
larvae of grubs (mostly Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) appear, andthe larvae are eaten by local people as a sort of delicacy(Mitsuhashi, 2015). According to Avé (1977), the pith residue as
waste can be used as a medicine, a pesticide, and also as a poison
for fish. Mishima (2018) proposed specific utilization of the
starch residue (hampas) by establishing a conversion method tomake it into a sweetener. In 14ISS, two studies from new pointsof view rather than the former studies were delivered.

analyzed by Trisia and Ehara (2020). The distribution of sago
products, such as dried sago and roasted sago (sagu kotak), in
East Java is classified as indirect distribution, which relies onintermediaries and sago pudding has a highly profitable valueadded process as compared to that of roasted sago (Trisia andEhara, 2020).
The factors determining sago starch import demand wasstudied as empirical evidence from Japan. Trisia et al. (2020)
reported that the price of sago starch, GDP, aging population rate
and tariff-rate quota policy are significant factors influencing
sago starch importation in Japan.

4.1 Sago leaves as animal feed
The potential of sago frond as large-scale animal feed (seePaper 35). Ahmad and Bujang (2023) produced sago silage frommashed and fermented sago fronds with feeding trials and tested
on individually caged Malin sheep for a duration of three months.
According to their results, the sago frond silage from growing
sago palm not only provides an elegant solution to the shortageof feed supply but also offers novel opportunities to sago farmers
to generate extra income while waiting for the sago palm to be
harvestable.

As described above, recent activities and efforts in eachspecific field and those based on interdisciplinary concept andmultidisciplinary approaches were compiled in this paper toprovide an overview of sago palm studies in these two decades.
The quantitative demand for sago palm has been increased
reflecting the influence of climate change recent decades, while
it has been increasing even further in response to the new normalof society after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the
new world policy of sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Actually, we feel that the sago palm producing countries may be
experiencing the greatest harvest pressure of sago palm in their
history since the influence of COVID-19 started spreading. In
not only quantitative agenda to secure enough food flour, butalso in quality of food, the utilization of sago starch attracts
attention. The need for effort to prepare foods reducing theimpact of allergies has become apparent recently and will only
increase in the future. Sago palm has the potential to contributeto a healthy life as well in terms of preventing allergies. We
should utilize the results of basic research accumulated to date
for social implementation and promote collaborative efforts insago palm producing and user countries. Therefore, the potentialof sago palms must be utilized in social life for food security,
healthy living, and community resilience.

4.2 Utilization of rachis for fishing gear
Paper 40 in 14ISS was relating to utilisation of sago palmrachis to woven local fishing gear at Nakhon si Thammarat
Province, Thailand. Chankaew et al. (2023) studied on theweaving of traditional fishing gear with sago rachis material ofvillagers sago palm household and fishing type at Inkeree Subdistrict PhromKhiri District Nakhon Si Thammarat Province,
Thailand. At the sites, the sago rachis was collected from theremaining sago leaves after leaves were sutured to thatched roofs.
It was to prepare the surface of the sago rachis for weaving
fishing tools such as eel basket and large upright basket trap
there. The community value and utilization of fishery in sago
palm swamp can be assessed through a socio-economic indicatorfrom fish use, such as, fishing and the direct use of sago palm,
and the water quality of fishing area in the sago palm swamp
were criteria suitable for aquatic life (Chankaew et al., 2023).

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6Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS02

Sago Development and Use Policy as Local Food Diversification for Food
Security
Hengky Novarianto
Senior scientist of BRIN-Organization Research Food and Agriculture-Program House Horticulture andEstate Crops.
email: hengkynovarianto83@gmail.com
Abstract Food security is a very challenging matter, in the midst of intensifying climate change, conditions of world economic
pressure, environmental degradation, and the situation that Covid-19 pandemic is still not over. A sustainable agri-food system should
provide a variety of sufficient, nutritious and safe foods at affordable prices for everyone, so that no one suffers from malnutrition or
hunger of any kind. Indonesia has the largest sago area of around 5.5 million ha and sago area spreads over the large islands of thearchipelago, and it spreads widest in Papua Province. The area, distribution and potential for sago production are quite large, but thereality is that harvesting and processing sago into starch still faces various obstacles; sago productivity is still low, the location ofsago is far from residential areas, harvesting is difficult and expensive due to limited infrastructure and social culture, and not muchof the sago starch goes to downstream products. Papua Province is the center of diversity of sago palm germplasm. The area of sago
forests in the province is around 90% of the total area in Indonesia. The results of research on sago exploration, morphologicalcharacterization, productivity observations, molecular markers show that the greatest genetic diversity of sago is found in Papua
Province, especially around Lake Sentani, Jayapura Regency. Dozens of types of spiny sago (Metroxylon rumphii Mart.) andnon-spiny (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) have been identified by various researchers from universities, research institutes, as well as sago
observers, and researchers from Japan. During the time of 2010-2022, four superior varieties of sago have been released, namely:
Sago Molat, Sago Selatpanjang Meranti, Sago Bestari, and Sago Tana Luwu, with starch productivity of 250-650 kg/tree. The
innovative sago agro-industry model supporting food security was implemented in 2021 in North Luwu Regency which aims toincrease added value and high competitiveness, and to support a sustainable sago industry. The government needs to adopt thepolicies which develop sago palm as local food security.
Key words: Accession, Agroindustry, Local food security, Productivity, Variety
Introduction
World Food Day is celebrated on 16 October 2022 by all
countries in the world, to increase awareness and attention
regarding the importance of handling food problems at thenational, regional and global levels in a sustainable manner.
The Food and Agriculture Organization/FAO said that World
Food Day is celebrated in one year with various global
challenges including ongoing pandemics, conflicts, climatechange, rising prices, and international tensions. All of these
affect global food security. In particular, sustainable agri-foodsystems that provide a variety of sufficient, nutritious and safe
foods at affordable prices for everyone, so that no one suffersfrom malnutrition or hunger of any kind. FAO has warned thatmany countries will face food insecurity. FAO notes that a totalof 970,000 people will face hunger. Food security is a very
challenging matter, in the midst of intensifying climate change,
conditions of world economic pressure, environmental
degradation, and the Covid-19 pandemic is still not over.
The Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Indonesia
who also serves as Chair of the G20 Agriculture calls forstrengthening collaboration and strong support for farmers in
the world. The world condition, which is not in a goodcondition, requires all parties to join hands for the sufficiencyof world food. As Chair of the G20 in agriculture, Indonesia
calls for solidity for world food adequacy. Moreover, for the
273 million Indonesian people who are not allowed to ask
questions (RI Minister of Agriculture, 16/10/2022).
Sago palms grow a lot in the tropics, especially inIndonesia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. The largest sagoarea in the world is Indonesia, which has a sago area of around
5.5 million ha and is spread over the major islands of thearchipelago, the largest in Papua. The widest distribution ofsago is found in Papua and West Papua Provinces, which arearound 5.2 million ha as sago forests (Bintoro, et al., 2010;
Bintoro, et al., 2016). While the land used for sago plantations

is only around 314,663 ha, and the widest is in the provinces ofPapua 156,015 ha, Riau 74,364 ha, and Maluku 38,844 ha. The
largest starch production is from Riau Province, which isaround 356,658 tons/year, or around 81% of the national sago
starch production (Balitbangtan, 2022). Most of this sago
starch is exported to Cirebon, Indonesia. Private sago
plantations, namely Nasional Sago Prima (NSP), which hasdeveloped 16,000 ha of sago land, with a production of
5,000-6,000 tons/year, and 40% of which is exported to Japan(Asmono, 2022).
The research results reported that Indonesia as the centerof origin of sago, has a diversity of sago germplasm in dozensof accessions, both spiny and non-spiny sago. These various
types and varieties of sago are superior plant materials to
support the development of upstream sago. Downstream, thetechnology for processing sago starch into noodles, sago rice,
instant papeda, and various types of food/beverages is available
and ready to be used for market production.
The readiness of sago products at the on-farm level must
be prepared immediately to provide sufficient raw materials,
competitive in terms of price, and easy to obtain to support
off-farm activities. A harmonious combination of upstreamsago activities must be well integrated with downstream
activities. The model of cooperation between farmers and sago
craftsmen in the upstream as providers of sago starch raw
materials with sago industry partners in the downstream asprocessing sago starch into various modern food, beverage andnon-food products, is a collaboration model that needs to be
developed for sago as a local food for sustainable food security
national.
Frame of Mind And Current Policy
Some of the food commodities to meet people's needs arestill imported, such as: rice, soybeans, corn, sugar, milk, beef,
and wheat. The pattern of high rice consumption needs to be7

reduced, and replaced with the consumption of carbohydrates
from non-rice foodstuffs, including sago. Sago is one of themain sources of food for some people in several parts of theworld. The spread of sago palms in Indonesia is mainly on theislands of Papua, Maluku, Sulawesi, Kalimantan and Sumatra,
especially Riau Province, Meranti Islands Regency andIndragiri Hilir Regency.
Sago is important as an alternative to local food, becausefrom the land area and potential of sago available 5.5 million
ha, sago starch is good for health because it contains low
glycemic, environmental aspects can reduce the threat of global
warming, economic aspects and farming is feasible because
sago has a high value, high added, besides the economic aspect,sago is also important from the social and cultural aspects ofsociety.
The area, distribution and potential for sago production arequite large, but the reality is that harvesting and processing
sago into starch still faces several obstacles, including:
1. Of the 5.5 million ha of sago area in Indonesia, 5.2 million
ha is in the Papua sago forest area, which is far from residential
areas and cities,
2. Productivity of sago is still low, and varies, 2.5-10 tons/ha.
The potential for sago starch production if managed properly
can reach 20-40 tons of dry starch/ha/year,
3. The infrastructure in the sago forest area is very limited, so it
requires a very large amount of cost to transport the harvest to
the sago factory,
4. The people of Papua have not been able to accept modern
business governance. The state is tasked with meeting theneeds of the local community/local wisdom, by inviting thecommunity to be involved in these activities,
5. The potential for sago is very large, but the availability ofsago starch is limited and has not been spread evenly. As aresult, starch and sago products are difficult to find and theprice is more expensive than other foods, including rice.
6. Currently, the industry still produces only sago starch withthin margins, so that sago farmers/craftsmen still receive a low
selling price for sago. The sago industry is expected to be more
focused and prioritize downstream sago processing so that it ismore developed, not just processing it into sago starch.
Food Security is the Key to Facing a Potential Global Crisis.
The government is also making efforts to promote foodsecurity through various strategic and policy mixes. Food
security is not only a priority but also a target for social welfare
and distribution of welfare. The Government has formulated
and implemented policies to strengthen national food security.
The government provides People's Business Credit
assistance, and establishes the National Food Agency. Thisinstitution is given authority related to the management ofgovernment food reserves, implementation of supply and pricestabilization activities, strengthening of food logistics systems,
alleviation of vulnerable areas of food insecurity, developmentof food diversification and development of local food potential.
In addition, the government is also diversifying local food byincreasing production of corn, sorghum, sago and cassava
through land expansion and opening of new areas in order toincrease production as an alternative to imported food.
The various National Food Security policies above, which
are supported by financing, institutional and infrastructuredevelopment factors, have so far seen more focus and priority
on food commodities such as rice, corn, soybeans, beef andchili. Only recently has the government begun to pay attention
to other carbohydrate food sources, such as cassava, sorghum
and sago. Facing global climate change, and various problems
in the world, there is a global threat of food and energy
shortages. For Indonesia, the availability of vast sources ofsago land is a huge potential and opportunity in the context ofproviding local food for rural communities, in addition to otherlocal food sources. For urban communities, more modern
industrial processing of sago can provide nutritious and healthy
food for the community in the form of noodles, pastries, and soon.
Going forward, government policies should startprioritizing the development of local foods such as sago, andbe supported with assistance from various aspects:
infrastructure, capital, cheap credit, institutions, markets,
training, and directly and actively involve local communities.
In this regard, research related to the collection andconservation of germplasm, selection and release of superiorvarieties, as well as the development of integrated sago
products is very important to support the sustainability of thesago industry.
Status of Sago Germplasm in Indonesia
1. Papua Island
Papua is the center of diversity of sago palm germplasm.
The area of sago forest in Papua is around 90% of the total area
in Indonesia. Thus, the greatest genetic diversity of sago isfound in Papua. Pangkali (1994) divides 20 types of sago from
Sentani, Jayapura into two types, namely spiny sago or
Metroxylon rumphii Mart consisting of: Para Huphon, Para
Hondsay, Rondo, Munggin, Puy, Manno, Epesum, Ruruna andYakhalope), non-spiny sago or Metroxylon sagu Rottb(consisting of: Yepha Hongsay, Yepha Hongleu, Yepha Ebung,
Osokhulu, Follo, Pane, Wani, Ninggih, Yukulam, Hapolo,
Yakhe, Hili, Fikhela and Hanumbo). Initially, exploration ofsago germplasm was carried out by researchers from the
Research Institute for Coconut and Other Palms (IPCRI) in
Kehiran Village, Sentani District, Papua in 1993, and identified
the types of sago based on the diversity of its vegetative andgenerative morphology (Allorerung, et al., 1994) ; Novarianto,
et al, 1996). Evaluation by Allorerung and Rembang (1995) in
Jayapura showed that there were 6 species of which had highyield potential (150-200 kg of starch/palm). The results of asurvey conducted by Widjono et al. (2000) identified 61 typesof sago spread across: in Jayapura 35 accessions, 14 accessionsin Manokwari, 3 accessions in Merauke, and Sorong 9 types ofsago both spiny and non-spiny. Among these sago there is one
unique type of sago, namely the Rondo accession which has its
own characteristics where the pith can be eaten immediately
after being burned like sweet potatoes. This type of sago has
short and smooth spines, grows densely spread over the surfaceof the midrib and the growth of the petiole of the frond.
Genetic relationship between sago accessions based on RAPD
markers has been reported by (Barahima, et al., 2009)
2. Maluku Islands
The results of a survey of sago palms in the villages ofPiru, Eti and Neniari, West Seram District, Central Maluku,
obtained four accessions of sago, namely sago Tuni, Ihur,
Makanaru and Molat (Miftahorrahman and Novarianto, 1996).
Previously reported by Malia and Novarianto (1994) that in
Tamilouw Village, Amahai District, Central Maluku Regency,
there is a sago population with rather dry land and notwaterlogged in the long term, and the potential for Tuni sago
starch production is around 500 kg/palm.
3. Sulawesi Island
In Lakomea Village, Kendari Regency, Southeast
Sulawesi, it was reported that there were three sago accessions,
namely one non-spiny accession with the local name Tawaro
roe classified as Metroxylon sagu or Molat sago. Sago withlarge spiny, the shape of a large tall stem is called Tawaro
rungga manu belonging to Metroxylon rumphii or sago Tuni
while those with shorter spiny and have small stem sizes arecalled Tawaro rui belonging to Metroxylon rumphii or sago

8

Ihur. The average yield of sago starch obtained was Tawaro roe
374.5 kg, Rungga manu 186.2 kg and Rui 89.6 kg (Tenda et al,(2003). Farmers prefer to cultivate this type of sago roe in
addition to high yields also white starch. In North Sulawesi
There are two accessions of sago, namely sago rumbia(Metroxylon sp) which is commonly planted. Results from Lay
et al.(1998) average starch production per tree for sago
Metroxylon sp is 250-375 kg. Sago rumbia is found in
Minahasa, Bolaang Mongondow , Sangihe and Talaud Regions,North Sulawesi Province. Tana Luwu, South Sulawesi Province
since the 18th century has been exporting sago starch toSingapore via the port of Palopo. Observations of sago palms
in North Luwu Regency found two accessions of sago, namely
spiny sago and non-spiny sago. Many of the stretches of sago
plantations in Tana Luwu have changed their function into
housing, roads, replaced by other crops, such as: Oranges, palmoil, cocoa, and have become fish and shrimp ponds. In recent
years, the policy of the North Luwu Regent's Leader to plantsago was maintained and developed in several areas as one of
the strategies for providing local food, such as Kapurung food.
4. Riau Province-Sumatera Island
Meranti Islands Regency, Riau Province is one of themain sago starch producing areas in Indonesia. This regency
has 54,000 ha of sago plantations, included 16,000 ha which
are managed by the private sector (PT. Nasional Sago Prima).
The city of Selatpanjang was formerly known as the City ofSago, because this area used to produce large quantities of sago,
even the largest in Indonesia. The results of exploration of thetypes of sago that grow in Meranti Islands Regency show that
there are three accessions of sago, namely Sago Duri,non-spiny sago (Bemban sago), and rarely spiny sago (Sangkasago). The results of research on sago Duri accession showedthat sago starch production varied between 134.53 kg – 354.61
kg dry sago starch/palm, with an average production of 226.34(+ 56.03) kg/palm (Novarianto, et al., 2016).
5. Ex Situ Collection of Sago Germplasm
The sago collection was carried out by BSIP Palma Crops
which was planted in North Sulawesi totaling 15 accessions,and most of the sago germplasm collections came from Papua,
namely Osoghulu, Abesung, Yebha, Phara Waliha, Fikhela,
Wanni, Phara, Ruruna, Rondo, Phui , Yakhali, Habela, andYache. The results of the observation of vegetative charactersshowed that all the observed characters, namely stem
circumference, number of leaves, plant height and number ofsuckers, varied greatly with the value of CV > 20%. The
growth of the Phara Waliha sago type has the largest trunk
circumference compared to other sago, namely 169 cm. The
highest number of leaves is Yakhe, which is 18 leaves.
Likewise, the highest number of suckers is found in Sago
Yakhe, which is 20 suckers/cluster. The results of an evaluationof the potential for sago starch production carried out on a
12-year-old Rondo sago palm in the ex situ collection at the
Kayuwatu Experimental Garden, North Sulawesi Province
obtained starch production of 163.33 kg/palm (Tulalo, 2011).
PT. Nasional Sago Prima (NSP) has ex situ collection of sago
germplasm 33 accessions. These sago accessions mostly
introduce from Papua 24 accessions, East Kalimantan 2
accessions, and 7 accessions from Seram island, Maluku(Asmono, 2022).

Riau, and Tana Luwu Sago from North Luwu Regency, South
Sulawesi.
1. Sago Molat Variety
Maluku Province is one of the main sago producing regionsin Indonesia. The area of sago in Maluku is 58,185 ha with aproduction potential of 465,000 tons of dry starch/year. The useof sago starch as a staple food has been going on for a longtime in Maluku in the form of foods such as papeda, sago
plates, sinoli, karu-karu and uha as well as snacks such as
mashed sago, bagea, sarut and cendol. Research for the releaseof superior sago varieties in Maluku Province aims to increase
the willingness of businesses from the public and the private
sector in order to be used to increase land area and sago starch
production. In Maluku, five types of sago are known, namely
Metroxylon rumphii Mart., M. sylvestre Mart., M. longispinum
Mart., M. micrachantum Mart., and M. sago Rottb. These five
types of sago are divided into two major groups, namely thosewith spiny including Metroxylon rumphii Mart., M. sylvestre
Mart., M. longispinum Mart., and M. micrachantum Mart, andthe second group is those without spiny including M. sago
Rottb. Five types of local sago grow and develop in Maluku,
namely Molat sago, Tuni sago, Ihur sago, Makanaru sago andDuri Rattan sago. But what many people are trying to get theirsago starch from is Molat and Tuni sago. Sago Molat is a not
spiny species and its presence in nature averages 22.6 trees/ha.
The height of the Molat sago palm is around 13.9-22.3 m, theshape of a single tree and the production age is over 9 years.
Bula District, West Seram island, Maluku Province is one of
the centers for the growth of Molat sago. In 2011, a superiorsago variety named Molat sago variety was released which has
the potential to produce 640 kg of starch/tree, with a main
carbohydrate content of around 86%. (Louhenapessy, et al.,2011).
2. Selatpanjang Meranti Sago Variety
Sago palms in Meranti Islands Regency, Riau Province
have been around for a long time. The city of Selatpanjang wasformerly known as the City of Sago, because this area used to
produce large quantities of sago, even the largest in Indonesia.
The origin of the sago palm in Meranti Islands Regency is notknown clearly, but it has existed and been used since theKingdom of Siak, even since the Dutch colonization.
Meranti Islands Regency, Riau Province is one of the main
producing areas for sago starch to be exported to Cirebon as araw material for vermicelli, in addition to being used forvarious foods and cakes, such as sago noodles and dried sago
cakes. In 2012 there were 63 sago factories in this regency.
Sago plants in the Meranti Islands Regency have beencultivated in semi-cultivation. It was reported that the area ofsemi-cultivated sago palms in the Riau Archipelago was around
20,000 ha (Balitbanghut, 2005), and the largest was in the
Meranti Islands Regency. In this regency a sago plantation has
also been built on tidal land, which is currently being managed
by PT. National Sago Prima (PT. NSP) with an area of 22,000
ha, and has been planted with sago and production with an areaof around 16,000 ha until 2022. In order to increase theproductivity of sago palms and supply superior sago palmmaterials in the Meranti Islands Regency. From 2011 to 2013,
the Selatpanjang Meranti sago variety was studied andevaluated as a superior sago variety.
The results of exploration of the types of sago that grow in
Meranti Islands Regency show that there are three accessionsof sago, namely Sago Duri, non-spiny sago (Bemban sago),and rare spiny sago (Sangka sago). Of the three types of sago,
it turns out that the widest spread and the most processed by
the community of sago craftsmen is the Duri sago type. The
results of research on the type of sago Duri in three different
locations for three years showed that the production of sago

High Yielding Sago Varieties
Until now, four national superior sago varieties have beenreleased by the government through the Indonesian Ministry ofAgriculture, with starch productivity of 250-650 kg/palm. The
four high yielding sago varieties are (1) Molat Sago from
Maluku, (2) Selatpanjang Meranti Sago from Meranti Islands
Regency, Riau, (3) Bestari Sago from Indragiri Hilir Regency,

9

starch varied between 134.53 kg – 354.61 kg of dry sago
starch/tree, with an average production of 226.34 (+ 56.03) kg/tree. From the three sago locations studied, it was found thatthe sago population in Darul Takzim Village, Tebing Tinggi
Barat District, in general, had higher sago starch productivity
than the sago population in Sungai Tohor Village and Tanjung
Village. The results of the proximate analysis showed that
Selatpanjang Meranti sago starch had a carbohydrate content of
88.19%, with a moisture content of 10.36%. Other content on
average is below 0.5%, namely protein, fat, ash and crude fiber.
At the end of 2013 it was successfully released as a superiorsago variety with an average productivity of 226 kg of dry sago
starch per tree, with the name of the variety being Selatpanjang
Meranti sago (Novarianto, et al., 2014).
3. Bestari Sago Variety
Indragiri Hilir Regency is the second main sago starch
producing area in Riau Province, after Meranti Islands Regency.
In order to increase the production and productivity of sago
palms and provide superior sago palm materials in Indragiri
Hilir Regency, from 2015 to 2017 research has been carried out
on types of non-spiny sago or what local people call it Bembansago. The research objective of this sago palm is to release a
local non-spiny sago variety that has been growing andspreading for a long time in Indragiri Hilir Regency, Riau
Province. The research method is by direct observation andgathered data morphology and production of the Bemban sago
palm at its distribution center. The research locations wereconducted in three locations or villages, namely Iliran Village
and Teluk Pantaian Village, for the Gaung Anak Serka (GAS)District, and Belaras Village for the Mandah District.
Observation of sago begins from the determination of the sago
sample population, then randomly selected 10 sample sago
trees in the three villages. Observations were made on themorphological characters of stems, crowns and leaves, as wellas production components to determine the potential for sago
starch production. As supporting data, proximate data of sago
starch and soil samples were also analyzed for analysis of soil
fertility and nutrient content both macro and micro. As a sourceof suckers, the best population has been determined andselected Selected Sago Parent Clumps (SSPC) as a source oftillers for plant material. All SSPCs have been identified andmarked with a plate iron label in the form of a long pole, andthe location coordinates are recorded with a GPS device. The
results showed that the type of non-spiny sago or Bemban sago
has long been developed in the community and its main origin
is not known, but the results of studies on the diversity of sago
species through molecular markers that have been carried out
show that sago on the island of Sumatra/Riau has genetic
similarities with sago from Papua.
Observations on the morphology of sago stems and leaves
show that starting from the character of the leaf crown which is
V-shaped, the color of leaves, midribs and shoots is generally
very uniform. Characteristics of sago stems such as rootstock
diameter, number of leaf scars on sago stems, distance between
fronds, number of green leaves, length of fronds, width offronds, thickness of fronds, length of rachis, length of leaflets,
width of leaflets and number of leaflets is fairly uniform.
Where the value of the coefficient of diversity of all thesevegetative characters is below the standard of 20%. The resultsof observations of the Bemban sago starch production
component obtained an average height of 13.75 m, while theheight of the leaf-free stem was known to be around 8.0 m andthe circumference of the rootstock was 148.52 cm. The resultsof observations on the potential production of sago starchobtained an average wet starch production of 495.08 kg and254.94 kg of dry starch (Novarianto, et al., 2020). The main
character trait that distinguishes Bemban sago from the two

previous sago varieties is the non-spiny fronds and red shootsof the tillers. Based on the results of the research above, thedevelopment of Bemban sago in Indragiri Hilir Regency has
the potential to increase its productivity to 20 tons/ha/year.
Based on the results of research for these three years(2015-2017) a sago variety with a high starch yield under thename Bestari sago has been released.
4. Tana Luwu Sago Variety
Research on the morphology and productivity of sago
from North Luwu Regency, South Sulawesi Province has been
carried out for 5 years (2017-2021). Sago palms in Tana Luwu,
South Sulawesi Province have existed and been used by thecommunity since the 18th century, as a main food ingredient,and were even exported to Singapore. The results ofobservations of sago palms in North Luwu Regency, South
Sulawesi Province found non-spiny and spiny types of sago,
but the most widely distributed and used by the community asa raw material for local food with the name Kapurung is
non-spiny sago. The results of morphological observations andproduction of Tana Luwu sago starch obtained an average stem
free leaf length of 14 m (±3.07), rootstock circumference 162
cm (±12.40), wet starch production 1,110 kg (± 397) per trees,and dry starch production of 598 kg (± 178) per tree. The
selection criteria for Tana Luwu sago SSPC as a source of sago
suckers were based on the character traits of leaf-free stem
length above 12 m, and rootstock circumference above 150 cm.
The potential for suckers production in the North Luwu
Regency location, 94,000 tillers as a source of plant materials,
can be utilized for the development of 500 ha of sago
(Novarianto, et al., 2022). This type of non-spiny sago isreleased as a national superior sago variety, with the name of
the Tana Luwu sago variety.
Model of Agroindustry Sagu in North Luwu Regency,
South Sulawesi Province
The North Luwu Sago Agro-industry Model is a model thatis implemented as an innovative sago agro-industry model that
supports food security to increase added value and highcompetitiveness. This model is a sustainable agro-industry
activity which is one of the successful activities of theIndonesian Agency Agricultural for Research and Development.
The sago agro-industry model that is formed includes theavailability of raw materials (cultivation and selection of sago
mother groves), integration with fish and livestock cultivation,
release of Tana Luwu sago varieties, data/map of sago potentialarea, availability of upstream to downstream processing
machines, development of innovations for processed sago
products, processing farmer/small-medium groups, forming
marketing networks, strengthening institutions and skills of
farmers and entrepreneurs. The need for raw materials has been
produced by 5 farmer groups in North Luwu Regency, withmarketing covering the provinces of South Sulawesi and Java
Island. Meanwhile, the implementation of processed sago
ready-to-serve products has developed in Makassar, Bogor andJakarta as a form of forming a market chain up to the final
consumer level.
Increasing production and productivity of sago starch
upstream and utilizing sago starch into various sago productswith high economic value downstream must work together andsupport each other to achieve a sustainable sago industry. The
production potential of sago starch from sago forests in Papua
is reported to be around 5 tons/ha/year. Meanwhile, in the
Meranti Islands Regency, Riau Province, with a stretch ofnatural sago which is classified as semi-cultivated, it isreported to have a productivity of around 10 tons/ha/year(Novarianto, 2013). In South Sorong Regency, West Papua
Province, from the results of observations it is known that the10potential for sago starch production is around 10 tons/ha (Jong,2011). On the island of Tebing Tinggi, Riau Province, thehighest sago production with semi-intensive maintenance wasobtained at around 13.7 tons/ha/year (Yamamoto, et.al., 2007).
If intensive cultivation is carried out, it is estimated that thepotential yield of sago starch can increase to 15 tons/ha/year.
Even some research results with better cultivation techniques,
it is estimated that the productivity of sago starch can beincreased to 20 tons/ha/year (Jong, 2007). Even the results ofother studies were reported to reach 25 tonnes / ha (Flach,1983).
The Sago Agro-industry model in North Luwu Regency,
South Sulawesi Province is carried out in an integrated mannerstarting to increase the production of sago starch raw materials
through activities: Selection of sago cluster blocks,
arrangement of sago palms, integrated sago cultivation,
analysis of sago starch yield, fertilizing sago, nutrient content
of sago leaves , study of sago land cover, biophysical study ofland characteristics, soil classification, analysis of remotesensing imagery using satellite imagery, and improvement ofsago cultivation. Activities in the downstream of sago havebeen carried out by innovating agricultural tools and machineryto accelerate the development of the sago agroindustry, e.g.
Sago extracting machines, sago starch filings, sago starchdrying houses, and various machines for making sago noodles,
sago cakes, sago pellets, and so on. This local sago foodagro-industry model has been carried out in several districts,
Tana Luwu, South Sulawesi Province, such as: Implementationof innovative sago refineries, technological interventions,institutional strengthening, marketing of sago, outreach to sago
farmers and the community, as well as technical guidance fromupstream to downstream of sago (Balitbangtan, 2022).

downstream.
References
Allorerung, D., J.H.W. Rembang dan Miftahorrachman. 1994
Rehabilitasi sagu. Kumpulan makalah Pra panen pada
Simposium II Hasil Penelitian dan pengembangan
Tanaman Industri. Cipayung-Bogor, 21-23 Nopember 1994.
Puslitbangtri, Bogor.
Allorerung, D. dan J.H.W. Rembang. 1995 Pola rehabilitasi
hamparan sagu. Buletin Balitka. No. 18. 1-9.
Asmono, Dwi. 2022 Transformasi industri sagu untuk
mendukung ketahanan pangan nacional. Sharing Session
BRIN 7#, Webinar Sagu, 23 Nopember 2022.
Badan Litbang Kehutanan. 2005 Potensi hutan sagu, kendalapemanfaatan dan prospek pengembangannya. Makalah
Badan Litbang Kehutanan. Bogor.
Balitbangtan.
2022 Pengembangan Model Agroindustri
Pangan Lokal Inovatif Mendukung Ketahanan Pangan dan
Peningkatan Nilai Tambah. Balitbangtan. 288 pp.
Barahima, A., M.A. Bintoro, Sudarsono, M. Surahman, andHiroshi Ehara. 2009 Genetic Relationship of Sago Palm
(Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) in Indonesia Based on RAPD
Markers. Biodiversitas. 10(4): 168-174.
Bintoro, M.H., H.Y.J. Purwanto dan S. Amarillis. 2010 Sagu dilahan gambut. IPB Press. 169 pp.
Bintoro, M.H., Pratama AJ., Ahmad F., Nurulhaq, MI. 2016
Penataan hutan sagu. Bogor (ID): Lembaga Penelitian dan
Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat. 53 hal.
Flach, M.F. 1983 The sago palm: Domestication, exploitationand products F.A.O. palm production and protection paper.
AGPC/MISC/PREPRINT. A development paper presented
at the FAO sponsored expert consultation on the sago palm
and its product. FAO. Rome.
Jong, F.S. 2007 The commercial potentials of sago palms andmethods of commercials sago palm (Metroxylon sagu
Rottb.) plantation establishment. P. 51-62 In: Prosiding
Lokakarya Pengembangan Sagu di Indonesia. 25-26 Juli
2007, Batam.
Jong, F.S. 2011 Growth and yield parameters of natural sago
forests for commercial operations. Abstract In Program
Book: The 10th International Sago Symposium. Sago for
Food Security, Bio-energy, and Industry from Research toMarket. IPB International Convention Center. 29-30
October 2011, Bogor, Indonesia.
Lay. A, D. Allorerung, Amrizal, M.Djafar. 1998 Pengolahan
Sagu Berkelanjutan, Hasil-hasil Penelitian Kelapa dan
Palma Lain, Balitka, Bulletin, 29: 73-75.
Louhenapessy, J.E. A. Sarjana, M. Luhukay, H. Talahattu, F.
Polnaya, H. Salampessy, R.B. Riry, A. Ngingi, S. Handal,
Ilyas Nurdin, J. Latuputty, M. Hursepuny dan A. Patimukay.
2011 Usulan pelepasan varietas sagu Molat Maluku. Dinas
Pertanian Provinsi Maluku dan BBP2TP Ambon Ditjen
Perkebunan-Kementrian Pertanian. 52 hal.
Malia, I.E. dan H. Novarianto. 1994 Karakteristik sagu Tuni
(metroxylon rumphii Mart) asal Maluku Tengah. Buletin
Balitka. 23: 13-19.
Miftahorrachman dan H. Novarianto. 1996 Keragaman dan
kemiripan jenis-jenis saguasal Seram Barat, maluku Tengah.
Buletin Plasma Nutfah Vol. 1 No. 1 (16-28). Komisi
Nasional Plasma Nutfah. Departemen Pertanian.
Novarianto, H. 2013 Potensi sagu Kepulauan Riau. Warta
Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pertanian. 35(1): 1-3.
Novarianto, H., Ismail Maskromo, Meity A.Tulalo, Elsje
T.Tenda, Jeanette Kumaunang, Donata S. Pandin dan
Sukmawati
Mawardi.
2020
Karakteristik
danClosing and Policy Advice
First, utilizing the diversity of Indonesian sago germplasm
to provide a source of quality sago seedlings, increasing therelease of superior sago varieties, and building sago plantlets
gardens, as well as accelerating the assembling of masspropagation of sago through tissue culture technology,
Second, sago in Papua, it needs infrastructure that connect
sago forests to the national economic area. To provide
long-term local food, each village plant the high yielding sagovarieties near their villages. Papua have been designated as theIntegrated Sago Management Model, from upstream todownstream,
Third, development of sago in Maluku, North Maluku
through the development of sago villages, which are close toresidential areas and sago trees grow mixed with othercommodities such as nutmeg, cloves, horticulture fruits andother foods. Sago plantation areas in Sulawesi, Kalimantan andSumatra are conserved and developed for the sufficiency of thesurrounding community, as an alternative local food,
Fourth, in particular, the sago area in Riau, Meranti Islands
Regency, which already has community and private sago
plantations, is used as a sago starch processing center, adownstream industrial center for better and higher quality sago
products, for national marketing and export abroad,
Fifth, development of an innovative local foodagro-industry model made from sago supports food security
andincreases
added
value.
To
assistsago
processing/craftsmen/farmers in a sago area with various sago
processing equipment to produce various kinds of sago
products whose processing technology is available,
Sixth, collaboration of the roles of academics, researchers,
the business world and community participation supported by
the Central and Regional governments in developing sago in an
integrated manner, and benefiting all parties from upstream to11

Yepha (Metroxylon sagu Rottb) berdasarkan tempat
tumbuh di Sentani, Kab. Jayapura. Skripsi Fakultas
Pertanian Universitas Cendrawasih.
Tenda, E.,
H. Mangindaan, dan J. Kumaunang. 2003
Eksplorasi jenis-jenis sagu potensial di Sulawesi Tenggara.
Prosiding Seminar Sagu untuk Ketahanan Pangan. Balai
Penelitian Tanaman Kelapa dan Palma lain. Manado 6
Oktober 2003.
Tulalo, A. Meity. 2011 Konservasi dan karakterisasi142
aksesi plasma nutfah kelapa, sagu, aren dan pinang.
Laporan Hasil Penelitian, Balit Palma Manado. 58 pp.
Widjono, A., A. Rouw dan Aamisnapia. 2000 Identifikasi,
karakterisasi dan koleksi jenis-jenis sagu. Makalah
Prosiding Seminar Hasil Penelitian. Pusat Penelitian dan
Pengembangan Sosial Ekonomi Pertanian.
Yamamoto, Y., K. Omori, F.S. Jong, A. Miyazaki and T.
Yoshida. 2007 Estimate of annual starch productivity insago palm, a case study at Tebing Tinggi Island, Riau,
Indonesia. Paper presented a 9th Int. Sago Symp., Leyte,
Philippines. 19-21 July 2007.

potensiproduksi pati varietas sagu Bestari.Buletin Palma.
21(1): 29-37.
Novarianto, H., MA.Tulalo, J.Kumaunang dan C.Indrawanto.
2014 Varietas unggul sagu Selatpanjang Meranti. Buletin
Palma. 15(1): 47-55.
Novarianto, H., MA. Tulalo, J. Kumaunang, E. Manaroinsong
dan E. Sulistyowati. 2016 Seleksi dan pelepasan varietas
Selatpanjang Meranti untuk pengembangan sagu. Jurnal
Metroxylon Indonesia. 1(1): 1-9.
Novarianto, H., MA.Tulalo, J. Kumaunang, S. Karouw,
Asthutiirundu,
Y.
Matana,E.
Manaroinsong,
A.Manambangtua, M. Nur, I. Maskromo, A. Rampisela.
2022 Usulan pelepasan varietas sagu Tana Luwu.
IPCRI-IAARD-Hasanuddin
University-North
Luwu
Regency-South Sulawesi Province. 67 pp.
Novarianto, H. Miftarrochman, I. Maskromo dan H.F.
Mangindaan. 1996 Keragaman dan kemiripan tipe sagu
asal Desa Kehiran, Kecamatan Sentani, Kabupaten
Jayapura, Irian Jaya. Jurnal Litrri 1(5) 227-239.
Pangkali, L.B. 1994 Taksiran kandungan tepung jenis sagu

12

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS03

Quality of Sago Starch for Worldwide Promotion
Takashi Mishima
1 Graduate school of Bioresources Mie University, 2072-2 Takanoo-cho, Tsu, Mie, 514-2221, Japan*e-mail: mishima@bio.mie-u.ac.jp

Abstract Sago starch is harvested from the pith of Metroxylon sagu. Its starch is a pure carbohydrate containing almost no protein or
fat. And it is a staple food in producing countries, where it is eaten in a gelatinous state after being cooked. In Japan, sago starch is usedprimarily as a dusting powder for making noodles. It is also used as a raw material for modified starch for paper manufacturing.
The export of sago starch is subject to the CODEX standard, which does not specify the pasting properties of starch, so a variety ofstarch with different properties is likely produced and exported. Therefore, we purchased several starches sold in the Indonesian market
and exported them to Japan, and evaluated their physicochemical properties.
Starch is composed of amylopectin and amylose. The physicochemical properties depend on the plant’s origin. We hypothesized thatthe physical properties of sago starch would not differ significantly among the samples. However, the results demonstrated a wide
range of physicochemical properties. The results suggest that these properties may arise during the post-harvest conditioning stage.
In this study, we present these results and hope to contribute to further developing applications for sago starch.
Key words: Export, Quality, Sago Starch

Introduction
Sago starch is harvested from the pith of Metroxylon sagu,
which is grown wild in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New
Guinea, mainly. In Japan, sago starch is used primarily as a
dusting powder for making noodles in the 1980s.
Prior to that, it had been considered as a raw material for High
Fructose Syrup (HFS) in the 1980s. But it never replaced corn
starch. Because different sago starch lots had different
viscosities and could not be used as its materials. Prior to that, it
had been considered as a raw material for High Fructose Syrup(HFS) in the 1980s. But it never replaced corn starch. Because
different sago starch lots had different viscosities and could not
be used as its materials.
This research shows the difference in the physicochemical
properties of various sago starch from the local market ofIndonesia, imported starch and oxidative it in Japan, and selfoxidative starch.
Materials and Methods (or Research Methods)
We collected the sago starch from Wewak, PNG as a noteffective starch. It was purified by ourselves. And we collected
8 local market samples at Acango, North Sulawesi, Sentani,
Sidorajo, South Sulawesi, Wira, and West Java in Indonesia.
Imported sago starches were kindly provided by Joetsu StarchCo., Ltd. from Malaysia, Shikishima Starch from Malaysia, and
T. AKIYAMA & Co. from Malaysia.
Four acetylated starches are kindly provided by Shikishima
starch.
Oxidative starch was prepared by ourselves using theimported starch by AKIYAMA&Co.
SEM images were taken using TM1000 (Hitachi Hightech,Japan). Oxidative samples were treated using various sodium
hypochlorite content. Viscosity property was measured using
Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA-3D, Foss).
Results and Discussion
The shape of the starch surface, we can see the small holes on
the surface of the starch granules (Fig.1). Kainuma et al.
reported that the strain of black mold was isolated from a pith ofsago palm (M. sagu) sampled at PNG. The mold was identified
as Chalara paradoxa. And it produced a strong amylase activity
to hydrolyze starch granules. When the sago starch was purified
in the local factory or kept at the log style, the black mold may
be digested the granules.

Fig. 1 SEM image of the Sago starch from Wewak, PNG(Up) and North Sulawesi, IDN (Down).
Magnification is x1200.
This may be evidence of enzymatic degradation. The
carboxy residue contents of each sample were low, and the
crystallinities were not significantly low (Data not shown).
The viscosity of oxidative samples showed a lower tendency

13

(Fig. 2).

The viscosities of local samples showed various patterns(Fig. 3). This figure shows that Wewak (prepared by ourselves),
Akiyama (Imported from Malaysia), and Ubon (Imported from
Malaysia) showed strong viscosity. On the other hand, local
market samples showed lower viscosity. This tendency is similar
at the Fig. 1. But when we measured the carboxy residues
content, they showed low values (Data not shown). So, we
concluded that this result was due to Chalara paradoxa.
enzymes.
Sago starch has been used as an inexpensive starch resource
because pure starch can be easily extracted. Considering moreadvanced use, we believe it is necessary to add the viscosity
grade as one of the qualities as well as the CODEX standard.
High viscosity starch is suitable as a food material, while lowviscosity starch is suitable as an HFS material or an industrial
material.

Fig. 2 The viscosity profiles of oxidative sago starches. The
viscosity was measured by RVA-3D

Reference
Kainuma, K. , Ishigami H. and, Kobayashi, S. 1985 Isolation ofa Novel Raw Starch-Digesting Amylase from a Strain ofBlack Mold Chalara paradoxa. Journal of the JapaneseSociety of Starch Science 32(2):136-141.

Fig. 3 The viscosity profiles of local sago starches fromIndonesia market. The viscosity was measured by
RVA-3D14

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS04

Potential for Up-scaling Sago Production in Manus Province, Papua New
GuineaK. K. Galgal1*, Mandal, Bir C.,1 Jong, F. S.2 and Mondia M.1
1 FAO Country Office, Level 2, Central Government Office, Kumul Avenue, Waigani, NCD. P O Box 545 Vision City

131 Waigani, Papua New Guinea.

2 103, Jalan Minsen, 94200, Siburan, Sarawak, Malaysia.

*e-mail: Keith.Galgal@fao.org
Abstract
Manus Island in Papua New Guinea is a food insecure province with low-income level and low economic activities at provincial,
district and household levels. Sago starch is a staple food that provide food security for the island province. Manus Island has a richnatural sago palm resource. A pre-feasibility study was conducted in three sample locations – Maraman, Laues and Wireh
representing the main island of Manus between 17 – 24 September 2022. The Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA) method was used toassess the utilization of sago palm for food security and for cash sale at the local markets in Lorengau town.
It is estimated that there is 2,000 ha of natural sago forest resource on Manus Island and are located along the coast. At a conservative
dry starch yield of one ton/ha/yr, the existing sago resources has a potential to produce 2,000 ton of dry sago starch per year.
Currently, utilization of the sago palm resource is confined to close proximity to villages and hamlets. It is estimated that only 10% of
is utilized as staple with limited trading. Large areas are left untouched and underutilized. Traditional and inefficient processing
techniques have greatly impaired sago starch productivity in Manus. There are 5-6 folk varieties identified by the locals, namely pao,
pamat, pomolou, nduri and amoi. All are claimed to be high in starch yield. The average starch yield of 32% is lower than those ofcultivated sago palms in Indonesia and Malaysia (av 40% wet starch). Nonetheless, higher yields are expected if these palms aregrown under better light condition and growing environments. Most varieties are reasonably high starch yielding. To improve sago
starch yield and income on Manus Island, a sago value chain is proposed through increased sago starch production and marketing.

Key words: Food, Manus, Sago, Value Chain, Yield
Introduction

A pre-feasibility study was conducted in three sample locations
representing the main island of Manus between 17 – 24
September 2022. According to information from Manus
Provincial Agriculture Office active locations for sago
production are mostly along lower reaches of larger rivers nearto the coasts. These areas are Maraman, Lowa, Wireh, Liap,
Laues, Gunralis, Patu, Powai, Bundahi, Nyada, Buliso andLessau. Three areas representing the main Manus Island wereselected for this study. They were Maraman to the north, Lauesto the South and Wireh to the West of Lorengau town, theadministration capital of Manus province. Maraman and Laues
were accessed by sea transport while Wireh was accessed byroad transport on the Somare Highway. The Rapid Rural
Appraisal (RRA) method was used to assess the utilization ofsago palm for food security and for cash sale at the local
markets in Lorengau town and the potential for communitybased commercial utilization of sago palm. Google Imagery
was used to estimate the area of natural and cultivated sago
palms, potential yield and volume of sago starch.

Sago starch extracted from sago palm (Metroxlyon sagu) pith isone of the main staple foods for 30% of Papua New Guinea’s
estimated 9 million people. Sago provides food security, cash
income and meets other cultural obligations for lowland, atolls,
and wetland communities. It provides sufficient calorie forfood security and sustains life in coastal rural communities
during natural disasters such as droughts, floods, and cyclones.
Main sago producing provinces in Papua New Guinea (PNG)
are East Sepik, West Sepik, Gulf, Western and Manus
provinces. Manus especially, an island off the New Guinea
mainland, is a food insecure province (National Statistical
Office and ICF 2019) due mainly to poor soil fertility (Burkeand Harwood 2009). Sago thrives in waterlogged wet areas andcan tolerate low pH. It is abundantly available in natural forests
as well as cultivated and consumed as the main staple food on
Manus Island. Manus Islanders depend on sago for theirlivelihood, for food security and source of income.

Average height and diameter of the sago palm were measured
using a tape measure from palms previously felled and the pithproceed. Pounded pith residues were collected from the threesample sites rewashed to measure residual starch recovery. Wet
sago cake from the locals making sago at the time of the visit
were sampled to observe sago starch sieving quality bytraditional methods.

However, sago making in PNG is using rudimentary tools andpractices that are passed on down generations for centuries.
Yield of sago starch using traditional methods are low despite
the time and labour committed in making sago.
The objectives of this study were to assess the feasibility ofdeveloping a community-based commercial sago value chain
for Manus Island.

Pounded pith samples were collected from a few sites at
Maraman and Laues. These were milled using a food grade
blender and starch extracted by filtering through a 100 – 150
micro mesh nylon sieve.

Materials and Methods

15

Discarded pith residue samples were collected from processing
sites, milled using a food grade blender and rewashed througha 100 – 150 micron mesh sieve to determine the amount ofstarch discarded.

sago palms. This was evidently witnessed from a hilltop
overlooking the vast areas covered by sago palm in this study.
The observation spot (2o 08’ 25” S, 147o 03’ 33” E) is about 40
km by road from Lorengau. A large area was observed to becovered with sago palm at the low-lying area (5 km fromobservation spot). Soils are similar to that observed at othertwo sites. However, further confirmation would requiredrone imagery.

To demonstrate the inconsistent and rather poor quality of thelocally produced sago starch, samples were collected from themarket and at processing sites for rewashing and filtering using
100 – 150 micro mesh nylon sieve for the examination of
impurities.

Results

At the top of the mountain ridges, with an elevation of 200-350
masl, the soil type is vastly red, yellow podzolic. Healthy sago
palms are common in small patches especially located at creeks
around hamlets and settlements. These are likely brought infrom other areas and cultivated around the settlement areas foreasy access.

Sago Palm Resources on Manus Island

Sago starch Production and Processing

Manus Island has a rich sago palm resource. Most of the sago
palms are natural stands distributed along the coastal areas inscattered patches near to the lower reaches and banks of larger
rivers. Sago cultivations were observed in small numbers close
to villages and along creeks mainly in the centre of the island
along the highway from east to west. Those that are cultivated
at creeks are locally regarded as good varieties selected andbrought in from other locations. Cultivation in other areas
cannot be easily distinguished. Based on Google imagery there
are approximately 1,000 ha of sago palm stands (natural andcultivated) on Manus Island.

Sago production on Manus Island is mainly subsistence using
traditional methods and tools acquired and practiced fromgenerations to generations. Sago processing for sale at
Lorengau town market is limited to traditional methods ofharvesting and processing.

A market survey was conducted at Lorengau town market todetermine the volume and quality of sago starch sold for cash.

Palm felling and trunk sectioning are carried out by axes. For apalm with trunk diameter of about 40 cm, around 5-10 minutes
is required to fell the palm. As the numbers of palms to beprocessed is limited at individual household levels, the use of
expensive chainsaws is beyond their reach and is not essential
at this time.

Natural environment characteristics of soils, water and climate,and farming practices of sago cultivation, harvesting andprocessing at the sample locations studied are:(i)

Pith maceration is carried out manually using a traditional bow
shaped tool called kuai or kuel in local Manus language. It
performs two key functions namely chipping the pith from thetrunk and pound the chipped pith tissues into smaller particle
size to release the starch. The kuai has a blunt end that does
both chipping and pounding in one motion. This task is carriedout by hand. It is physically demanding and is normally carriedout by man. One man can chip and pound 1.5-2m of palm pithof an average size sago palm trunk (average 40 cm diameter)
per day, though it was claimed by a sago landowner at Laues,that it is possible to pound 5m of trunk if working full day.

MaramanThe soils at Maraman River are generally characterized as lowlying containing deposits of organic matter originating frommineralization upstream that are ideal for sago palm growth.
The color of river water is brownish, caused mainly by thedecomposition of organic matters like fallen leaves, trunks andother decaying vegetation. In the area where we visited, thewater is brackish even at low tides.

Though effective in chipping and pounding in a single action,
the blunt end of the kuai is not very efficient in chipping or
ripping off the pith tissues from the trunk, especially at thelower trunk that contains long and tough fibrous tissues(vascular bundles). The pounded pith is coarse and muchstarch granules are left unreleased in the coarse pith particles.
This inefficient rudimentary tool will continue to be used forsago making in Manus until a better more efficient pith milling
techniques are introduced and adopted. As such, it is helpful if
a more efficient kuai can be innovated in the near future.

Sago palm growth close to the riverbanks are generally poor,
with yellowish or pale green leaves, most likely caused by thesaline water during high tides that impedes growth. Further
away from the riverbanks, the growth of palms is healthy.
There are 5 folk varieties identified by the locals, namely pao,
pamat, pomolou, nduri, amoi. All are claimed to be high instarch production. One owner estimated that a felled palm
(average diameter of about 45 cm, trunk length 8.6 m) will
yield about 200-250 kg wet starch.
(ii)

Starch extraction from the pounded pith is done manually using
sago frond sheath as a washing trough. This is normally done
by a woman though it is also physical demanding task. The
process of manual extraction of sago starch by traditional
method involves few steps.

Laues

At Laues, sago palms are mostly found at the lower stretches of
the Laues River and surrounding low lying lands. Higher
densities of sago palm are located further away fromriverbanks. The soils along the low-lying river resemble thoseof riverine alluvial. As the upstream, the elevation increases,
and the soils on the riverbank are rather sandy/rocky withfewer stands of sago palms, but their growth is good.

1.
2.

The water is saline and brownish at the lower reaches but
becomes increasing clear and fresh upriver.
(iii)

3.

Wireh
4.

According to local knowledge, larger volume of sago starch isactively produced at Wireh and has the largest area of natural

16

Fixing the sago frond sheath as a washing troughA piece of nylon shade cloth is tied at the wide-open
end to serve as a sieve to allow passage of starch
while retaining the passage of fibers.
A starch collection tub commonly made from an
open dugout canoe is used to collect and settle theextracted starch.
The pounded pith is then transferred to the washingtrough. Water is added and the pounded pith is5.

churned by back-and-forth motion as well as pressing
to wash out the starch particles. After a few rounds ofwater adding and washing, the washed pith residue isdiscarded.
Starch slurry that flows through the sieve is collected
and settled in the canoe. Settled sago starch cake is
dug out and packed into various weights.

Sago palms are mainly used for subsistence as sago starch isthe staple food (apart from imported rice) for most of the
inhabitants on Manus Island. It was observed that most of the
starch produced are consumed as staple especially in rural
areas. Surplus sago starch is sold mostly at Lorengau town
market as wet starch, in various packing from 1 kg to about 10
kg (Figures 2).

The filter used for starch filtering is from locally available
material such as mosquito nets, hessian bags, nylon shade clothand coarse fabric. These materials have large pore sizes
allowing pith particles and debris to pass through the sieve andcontaminating the starch.
To demonstrate the inconsistent and rather poor quality of thelocally produced sago starch, samples were collected from themarket and at processing sites for washing and filtering. The
impurities/residues retained by a 100 mesh (150 micron sieve)
included pith tissues, bark fragments and other organic matters(Figure 1).
Fig. 2
Sago Starch packed with different packaging
materials in various weights sold at Lorengau Town market,
Manus Island.
The 1 kg packs are priced at K2 whilst larger packings wrappedin sago leaves or in nylon lags (4-10 kg/pack) are commonly
sold for between K6 to K15/pack. On average wet sago starch
is sold at Lorengau town market at K2.25 per kg.
About 200-300 kg/day of sago (in wet form) is sold at
Lorengau town market. This is not reflective of the actual sago
market as some might have been sold and some may not besold on a particular day. All sago starch produced are consumed
locally or transported to other provinces for self-consumption
and not for sale.

Fig. 1
Impurities washed out and collected on a 100-meshsieve from starch sold at Lorengau market.

The prices fluctuate according to daily supply. On the 24
September 2022 when we visited the market, there were moresago on sale and the price per pack (in sago leaves) was about
K10 (usually K15 for similar packing).

From the pith residues reprocessed, 31.9 % starch (wet starch,about 50% moisture) was recovered (Table 1). This is theamount of starch recovered using a food blender for milling toreflect its maximum yield by mechanical extraction (chemicaldigestion will give even higher yield). In traditional processing,
the starch yield is substantially lower.

Sun-dried sago starch is occasionally sold at the market too.
Sago starch (dried and wet) is widely barter traded withinhabitants in the nearby islands for fish and other marine
products.

The average starch yield of 32% is lower than those ofcultivated sago palms in Indonesia and Malaysia (av 40% wet
starch). Nonetheless, higher yields are expected if these palms
are grown under better light condition, such as removal ofoverhead shades, and modern processing methods are used.

Discussions
Manus Province is a food insecured island province due mainly
to poor soil fertility. This was observed from the variety,quality and price of fresh food sold in local markets. Type,yield, quality and variety of food grown are direct result of soil
type and fertility. While on the other hand sago thrives inwaterlogged wet areas and can tolerate low pH. Most of thesago palms on Manus Island are natural stands distributed inpatches scattered along the coastal areas, especially near to thelower reaches of larger rivers.

Table 1. Starch recovered from discarded pounded pith residues
are washing using traditional methods in Manus
Raw
Supplier ofstarch %Pith weight
Averagepoundedweight Starch(gram)
pith(gram)
Ida

1500

500

33.3%

John
Tommy
Lucas

4000

1500

37.5%

2800

750

26.8%

Susan

2000

597

29.9%

Sago cultivation was observed to be practiced further inlandfrom the coast in small clusters close to settlement areas andalong gullies and creeks. These cultivated varieties are locallyregarded as good varieties selected and brought in from otherlocations. Cultivation in other areas cannot be easily
distinguished. Along Pachu River, a tributary of Maraman
River about 15 km North of Lorengau town, the capital ofManus province, some sago palms are well tended with goodspacing (thinning out undesirable palms and bushes cleared).

31.9%

Sago Starch Consumption and Marketing

17

These palms could have been cultivated earlier though no newcultivation was seen.

Market for sago starch on Manus Island is limited to consumers
in Lorengau town. This study found that only small quantity(200 – 300kg) of sago starch (in wet form) is sold for cash perday. At average price of K2.25 per kg, the value of sago starchtraded on Manus is Between K450.00 (USD128.00) toK673.00 (USD192.00) per day.

There is no inventory available on total area of natural sago
palm forest on Manus Island. Nor there is any data available on
cultivated sago palm. Using Google Landsat Imagery, it isestimated that there are 1,000 ha of sago palm on the main
Manus Island. A detailed study employing high resolution
satellite or drone images is needed to quantify the total area
occupied by sago palms, both natural and cultivated.

Market for sago starch on Manus Island and also for rest of
PNG is still underdeveloped. Whilst demand by domestic andinternational consumers is increasing. Better understanding of
the sago value chain is needed to develop the sago starchindustry in PNG.

Manus Islanders depend on sago for their livelihood, for foodsecurity and source of income. It was encouraging to see
villagers cleaning and maintaining their existing sago palm
clusters. Most of the palm varieties have reasonably high starchcontent and their off shoots can be used for propagation. Low
starch yield in some sago palm varieties could be due to factors
other than genotype, i.e. overshadowing by trees, salinity (forpalms growing in areas inundated by high tide) andcompetition from neighbouring sago clusters.

Sago is gluten-free, making it a suitable replacement for grainbased flour for people with celiac disease or those who aregluten intolerant requiring grain-free diets.
International consumers of sago starch are increasing. For
instance, Japan has an increased demand for starch, which may
open up markets for sago from PNG. However, the taste
tendency of Japanese consumers is diversified to demand foods
that are not only cheap, but safe, healthy, natural and low
impact to environment in producing these foods.

The traditional tools and methods used for chipping andpounding (milling) sago palm pith and starch washing toseparate starch from the pith fiber by repeated churning,
washing and squeezing is tedious and inefficient. These
repeated actions are aimed at releasing the starch granules fromthe pounded fibrous pith tissues to ensure the starch to passfreely through the sieves. Because starch granules are trappedin the fibrous pith tissues, plenty of water is required to wash
off the starch and thus the washing, churning and squeezing
has to be repeated a few times.

Conclusion
Manus Island has abundant sago palm resource. The islanders
have utilized these resources as staples for centuries employing
traditional processing techniques. More efficient techniques areneeded to increase their sago production and additional income
from starch sale.

This process of starch and fiber separation can be done much
faster and effortlessly in submerged condition. When thepounded pith is placed in water, the fiber is readily dispersed torelease the trapped starch granules, allowing the starch
granules to flow downwards through the sieves by gravity.
Tedious churning, washing and squeezing actions can be
simplified by light stirring of the milled pith particles in water
above the sieves.

With improved processing techniques, sago has the potential to
become an important economic crop for Manus, both fordomestic consumption and export market by establishing avalue chain that will have direct link between consumer andproducers.
To produce better and more consistent starch quality, a goodsieve (100-150 micron) is essential to the local community. A
piece of nylon filtration screen (1 m x 1 m) will help the locals
a long way.

Starch settling and recovery using a dug-out canoe or large
nylon bags are common and acceptable in the absence of better
choices. The locals also placed a piece of plastic or woven
nylon sheet at the base of the settling trough for ease of liftingout the settled starch.

With the current status of sago value chain, a more practical
approach is needed to commercial sago starch production in
Manus province. A community-based pilot sago starch value
chain with a nucleus entrepreneur with marketing as a catalyst
is recommended.

On average 32 % of extractable wet sago starch was recoveredfrom discarded pith residues indicating that pith chipping andpounding (traditional milling) for starch extraction using
traditional tools and processing method is not efficient. For
example, an average yield of sago palm pith is 600kg and
150kg of starch is recovered by traditional methods, theresidual pith discarded is 450kg, the amount of starch discarded
with the residue is 144kg (32%) or 49 % of the total starch.
This indicate that traditional tools and methods used by locals
on Manus Island is 50 % inefficient. Improved processing
techniques are required for efficient sago starch extraction on
Manus Island and maybe the same applies for rest of sago
producing and consuming communities in PNG.

References
Bourke, R.M. and Harwood, T. (eds) 2009 Food andAgriculture in Papua New Guinea. ANU E Press, The
Australian National University, Canberra.
National Statistical Office (NSO) [Papua New Guinea] and ICF.
2019 Papua New Guinea Demographic and Health
Survey 2016-18. Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea,
and Rockville, Maryland, USA: NSO and ICF.

18

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS05

Comparison of Growth Characteristics and Yield Potential ofStarch-accumulating Palms
Yoshinori Yamamoto
Former Faculty of Agriculture, Kochi, University, Nankoku, Kochi, 783-8502, Japane-mail: yamayosi@kochi-u.ac.jp
Abstract The growth characteristics and starch productivity of four starch-accumulating palm species in three genera, sugar palm
(Arenga pinnata : Ap) , 'Sagu Baruk' (A. microcarpa : Am ), clustered fishtail palm (Caryota mitis : Cm) and gebang palm (Coryphautan : Cu), growing in Indonesia, were compared at harvest stage with those of the sago palm (Meteroxylon sagu: Ms), including theoil palm (Elaeis guineensis: Eg) at the time of replantation. The plant length was around 20 m with the exception of Cm, and Ap, Am,
and Cu showed a trend toward longer trunk length than Ms, but the trunk diameter was thinner in Ap and Am than in Ms, and thicker
in Cu. These results indicated that trunk weight (volume) was Cu>> Ap≒ Ms> Eg> Am> Cm as well as the pith dry weight closely
related to the starch content. Average starch percentage in pith (dry weight basis), another determinant of the starch content, washigher in the order of Ms (67)> Cu (58)≒ Am (54)> Cm (34)≒ Ap (30)> Eg (12%). The starch content of the surveyed individuals
showed a range of 2 (Cm)-1394 kg (Cu), with significant differences. The average starch contents were Cu (963)>> Ms (356)>> Ap(140)> Am (71)> Eg (44)> Cm (3 kg), with 5 of the 10 surveyed individuals in Cu exceeding 1 ton, higher than the highest recorded
for Ms (975 kg). These results indicate the importance of investigating and researching starch-accumulating palms besides sago
palms.
Key words: Growth characteristics, Indonesia, Starch accumulating palm, Starch yield potential
Introduction
Palms in genera 8-14 (Ruddle et al., 1978; Ruddle, 1979;
Nishikawa et al., 1979; Ehara, 2015) are known to accumulate
starch in their trunks, however, with the exception of the sago
palm (Meteroxylon sagu), researches on their growth
characteristics and starch productivities are remarkably scarce.
Against this background, we have studied on the starchaccumulating palms belonging to three genera and four species
other than sago palm that grow in Indonesia [sugar palm:
Arenga pinnata (Ap); 'Sagu Baruk': A. microcarpa (Am);clustered fishtail palm: Caryota mitis (Cm); gebang palm:
Corypha utan (Cu)] (Yamamoto et al., 2021a; 2021b; 2021c;
2022). In this report, these starch-accumulating palms and oilpalm [Elaeis guineensis (Eg)] at the time of replanting, arecompared with sago palm (Ms) (Yamamoto et al., 2003a;
2003b; 2008; 2010; 2016; 2020a; 2020b; 2020c) for growth
characteristics and starch productivity at the harvest stage. Eg
is not recognized as a starch-accumulating palm species, butwith the development of vast oil palm plantations in Indonesia
and Malaysia, a large amount of waste wood is generated at thetime of replanting (approximately 25 years after planting) andit has been reported that the waste wood contains aconsiderable amount of starch (Tomimura, 1992; Haska, 2001).
Therefore, it was included in this report as a surveyed palm
because it seems possible to harvest a large amount of starch
per planted area.

to harvesting as estimated by farmers in the research sites.
For these palms, after cutting with a chain saw, plant lengthand trunk length were measured from the trunk base to the tipof the uppermost leaf (all palms) and the lowest surviving leaf
node (Ms, Cu, Eg) or uppermost surviving leaf node (Ap, Am),
respectively. In Cm, trunk length was measured from the baseof the trunk to the lowest inflorescence node. The trunk was cut
into 2-8 equal parts in length according to the trunk length ofthe palm, and the diameters of each of the cut surfaces were
measured. Disks approximately 2-3 cm thick were cut from thepositions where the diameter was measured. Each disk was
separated into bark and pith sections and weighed to calculate
the pith weight ratio. For Am and Cm, trunk weights were
measured directly by cutting the trunk into several pieces. For
the other palms, logs 30-50 cm in length were cut from eachpoint of trunk divided into 2-8 sections and the weights,
lengths, and diameters of the logs were measured, and theirdensities (kg m-3) were calculated. The trunk volume was thencalculated from the length and average diameter of the trunk(averaged for all logs), and the trunk weight was calculated bymultiplying this by the average density of each log. The pith ofeach disk was radially cut out and approximately 50-80g (0.1gunit) was sampled with a portable electric balance (HL-200,
Kagaku Kyoeisha Co.). The collected pith samples were driedin a temporary dryer (75-80℃) for two days and in aventilation dryer (65℃) for two days or more, and the dryweights were measured to calculate the dry matter percentages.
The dried pith samples were crushed and ground to a fine
powder of less than 100 mesh, and total sugar and starch wereextracted by the method of Murayama et al. (1955) andmeasured by the Somogyi method (Somogyi, 1945) or the
Anthrone method (Tamura, 1975). Starch content wascalculated by multiplying the trunk weight by the pith weightratio, the pith dry matter percentage, and the starch percentage(dry weight basis) in the pith.

Materials and Methods
Starch-accumulating palms of the above three genera andfour species and Ms determined by local farmers to be suitablefor harvesting, and oil palms at the time of replanting, weresurveyed. The years, sites, and number of palms surveyed areshown in Table 1. Of the palms surveyed, Am and Cm areclustered palm species as well as Ms, while the other palms are
solitary; propagation by sucker is common for the clusteredpalms, while the other palms are seed reproductive. Oil palms
are pleonanthic, while other palms are hapaxanthic.
Inflorescences are andromonoecium in Ms, monoecium in Ap,
Am, and Eg, and hermaphrodite in Cm and Cu (Table 2). The
surveyed sago palms include about 20 folk varieties. Table 3
shows the estimated number of years after seeding or suckering

Results
Plant lengths averaged around 20 m with no significant
differences except for Cm (Table 3), with Cm being lower ataround 10 m. Trunk lengths averaged around 15 m for Ap, Am,
and Cu, tending to be longer than Ms (average 9.5 m), but

19trunk diameters tended to be thinner for Ap and Am than forMs (average 48 cm), and thicker for Cu. As a result, trunk
weights (volume) were Cu>> Ap≒ Ms> Eg> Am> Cm, with amore than 100-fold difference in average values. The
differences in pith dry weights among the palms studied
showed the same trend with those of the trunk weights. The
ratio of pith weight to trunk weight was low in Cm and Am
with the smaller-diameter, averaging 70 and 74%, respectively,
and slightly lower in Cu, averaging 76%, due to thedevelopment of fibrous tissue in the lower trunk, but around
80% in the other palms.

Average starch percentage (per dry weight) in the pith was
higher in the order of Ms (67)> Cu (58)≒ Am (54)> Cm (34)
≒ Ap (30)> Eg (12%), but the percentages of Cu and Am in
the surveyed individuals were within the range of the Ms
surveyed individuals. The variation in percentage was greaterin Ap (8-50%). The starch content of the surveyed individuals
ranged from 2 (Cm)- 1394 kg (Cu), showing significant
inter-species and generic variation. The average starch content
was higher in the order of Cu (963)>> Ms (356)>> Ap (140)>
Am (71)> Eg (44)> Cm (3 kg), with 5 of the 10 surveyed
individuals in Cu exceeding 1 ton, higher than the highest

Table 1. Surveyed years and sites of the starch-accumulating palms, oil palm and sago palm.
Palm name

Surveyed

EnglishScientific

year

site

country

Sago palm

Metroxylon sagu

1991

Batu Pahat

Malaysia

4

1996-98

Mukah and Dalat

Malaysia

13

Arenga pinnata

Sugar palm

No. of palms

1997/2008

Tebing TinggiIndonesia

16

1998/1999/2006

KendariIndonesia

21

1998/2007/2008

Ambon/Seram

Indonesia

24

2007

PontianakIndonesia

7

2003-2007

JayapuraIndonesia

48
11

2008/2010

Muna

Indonesia

2013

Tana Toraja

Indonesia

4

2014

TomohonIndonesia

5'Sagu Baruk'*

Arenga microcarpa

2008/2014

SangiheIndonesia

6

Clustered fishtail palm

Caryota mitis

2007

Pontianak/Sambas

Indonesia

5

Gebang palm

Corypha utan

2009/2015

KupangIndonesia

7

2015

Muna

Indonesia

3

2009

Lebak

Indonesia

3

Elaeis guineensis

Oil palm*Indonesian name.

Table 2. Botanical characteristics of the surveyed starch accumulating palms, oil palm and sago palm.
English nameScientific namePropagation

Growthhabit

Inflorescence

Sago palm

Metroxylon sagu

suckerclusteredandromonoecism

2)

Floweing habit
hapaxanthic

Sugar palm

Arenga pinnata

seedsolitarymonoecism (M, F)

hapaxanthic‘Sagu Baruk’1)

Arenga microcarpa

suckerclusteredmonoecism (M, F)

hapaxanthic

Clustered fishtail palm

Caryota mitis

sucker/ seedclusteredhermaphrodite

hapaxanthic

Gebang palm

Corypha utanseedsolitary

hermaphrodite

hapaxanthic

Oil palmElaeis guineensis

seedsolitarymonoecism (M, F)

pleonanthic

1) Indonesian name. 2) M and F in monoecism indicate male and female inflorescence are formed separately.
Table 3. Comparisons of grwoth characteristics and starch content of starch accumulating palms and oil palm with sago palm..
Palm

Estimated plant

Plant

age (year)2)

lgth （m）

Trunklgth. (m)Diam. (cm)PithWt. (kg)

Wt. ratio (%)

DM (%)

StarchDry wt. (kg)Starch4)3)percentage (%) content （kg）

Sago

10-29

13-28

4-16

31-68

418-3499

87-73*

27-52

162-1397

44-79

99-975(Metroxylon sagu)

17.1±5.419.2±3.3

9.5±2.647.8±6.6

1507.4±671.2

81.3±3.5*43.2±5.7

527.6±259.2

66.9±6.8

356.0±183.1

Sugar

9-25

15-27

10-21

26-40

682-3101

70-86

23-48

181-1017

8-50

26-288(Arenga pinnata)16.7±5.4

21.5±3.0

14.8±3.0

32.5±3.8

1545.9±592.5

78.9±4.935.8±7.6

449.0±227.030.3±11.5

139.8±84.5

1)‘Sagu Baruk’

11-15

16-22

13-21

14-15

257-495

70-76

47-50

94-174

49-61

51-93

(Arenga microcarpa)

12.9±2.0

18.6±2.2

15.7±3.3

14.7±0.4

369.1±98.3

73.9±2.1

48.8±1.3

132.3±32.6

53.6±4.470.9±18.0

Clustered fishtail(Caryota mitis)

-

8-12

3-7

10-13

20-53

68-72

29-38

5-14

26-43

2-5

11.0±1.7

4.3±1.6

10.7±1.536.6±11.6

70.4±1.933.6±4.1

8.7±3.433.8±6.6

3.0±1.5

Gebang

25-32

19-26

13-20

50-59

3233-5130

70-81

50-64

1291-2202

45-64

592-1394(Corypha utan)

28.5±2.4

22.4±2.2

16.0±2.254.9±3.0

4039.9±528.3

75.6±3.955.1±4.2

1628.2±267.2

58.4±7.4

962.8±246.8

Oil

28

17-19

9-11

40-45

1128-1539

82-85

30-38

318-390

8-16

30-61

(Elaeis guineensis)

28.0±0.0

17.9±0.99.7±1.0

43.0±2.9

1293.0±217.3

83.8±1.433.9±4.3

364.4±40.7

12.2±4.1

44.2±15.9Note) Upper: Range; Lower: Average ± standard deviation. 1) Indonesian name. 2) Estimated by the local farmers. 3) Pith dry weight basis. 4) Dry starch. * Values measured
14 plants.

20

recorded for Ms (975 kg). Comparisons among individuals
with the highest content showed Cu (1394)>> Ms (975)>> Ap(288)>> Am (93)> Eg (61)> Cm (5 kg).

of the first inflorescence (♀ inflorescence), in this report, theindividuals with different growth and sap collection periods
and sap collection intensity from just before the emergence ofthe first inflorescence to the end of collection were investigated,assuming that starch is collected even from individuals withvarious growing histories, and thus the variation in pith starchpercentage (8-50%) was large. The average starch percentage
was less than half that of Ms, and the maximum was 50%. The
maximum starch percentage was found in individuals indying-stage that had not undergone sap collection. The
maximum starch content was 288 kg, which was higher than
the average value (229 kg) for early maturing sago palm folk
variety (less than 12 years old before harvest).
Eg was inferior to Ms in trunk weight and pith dry matter
percentage, with pith dry weight about 70% of Ms. The pithstarch percentage averaged 12%, significantly lower than Ms,
and was also about 20% or more lower than otherstarch-accumulating palms. Starch content was second lowest
to Cm at 30-60 kg. These values were consistent with theresults reported by Tomimura (1992) and Haska (2001).The
starch percentage on trunk location showed that it was low
from the base to middle part of the trunk and relatively highabove the middle part at around 20%. Therefore, it wasestimated that efficient starch production from Eg waste woodshould be targeted from the middle to top part of the trunk.
According to FAOSTAT (2021), the harvested area of Eg in
Indonesia is about 15 million hectares, and since the planting
density per hectare is 125-143, the number of waste plants atthe time of replanting about 25 years after planting would beenormous. Therefore, the starch productivity per area from Eg
planting is estimated to be significantly higher.
For all starch-accumulating palms, starch content was moreclosely related to pith dry weight than to pith starch percentage,suggesting that starch content was more influenced by pith dryweight (trunk weight) in all palms. On the other hand, in Eg,
starch content tended to be higher in individuals with higher
pith starch percentage

Discussion
The starch productivity of most of the starch-accumulating
palms surveyed was inferior to that of sago palms, but the
starch content of Cu was superior to that of sago palms, with 5
out of 10 individuals surveyed showing starch productivity ofmore than one ton (Yamamoto et al., 2021b). The reason forthis was thought to be that Cu had superior trunk length anddiameter and significantly higher trunk weight (pith weight)
than Ms, although pith starch percentage was slightly lower
than that of Ms. The highest starch content in sago palm was
975 kg by Yamamoto et al. (2020a), and the average value ofCu (963 kg) was comparable to this, with a maximum value of1394 kg, 1.4 times higher than the highest value for Ms. The
average annual starch productivity of Cu was 33.8 kg,
compared to 20.8 kg for Ms, taking into account the differencein the number of years until harvest (Table 3), and again Cu
was superior to Ms. The lower part of the Cu trunk was notharvested in the research site because the starch content of Cu
decreases with age due to the development of hard pith fibers
from the lower to the middle of the trunk, which further
reduces the efficiency of extraction. Ecologically, Cu is more
adapted to grow in arid regions than Ms (Goren et a., 1996;
Nasution and Ong, 2003; Witono et al., 2018), and is expected
to be used as a starch resource crop in relatively dry tropicalregions where Ms is difficult to grow in the future.
On the other hand, starch productivity of all
starch-accumulating palms other than Cu and Eg was
significantly lower than that of Ms. The factors were based on
both trunk (pith) weight and pith starch percentage (Cm),mainly due to the former (Am), and mainly due to the latter(Ap; Eg). Cm had a remarkably light trunk weight (36.6 kg)
and low starch percentage (34%), but the starch percentage waslower in the lower part of the trunk and higher (60%) in theupper part near the nodes where inflorescences appeared. The
diameter of the trunk was 10-13 cm, which was thin enough toallow a series of starch extraction operations to be carried out
by women and children alone. In this study, starch productivityof Cm was measured from the base of the trunk to the lowest
inflorescence node. Since 5-10 inflorescences appeared in thestudied individuals and the starch percentage of inflorescenceattachment sites was high, it was estimated that starch
productivity would be much higher than the results of thisstudy if the trunk (estimated at 2-3 m) at the site of these
inflorescences was included.
Am, which had the second lightest trunk and pith weights
after Cm, had a longer trunk length than Ms and a relatively
high starch percentage of about 80% of Ms, with an average
starch content of 70 kg per individual (Yamamoto et al., 2022).
In addition, the thin trunk diameter (around 15 cm) facilitates aseries of starch extraction operations from harvesting, and thehigh trunk length and thinness are estimated to allow dense
planting, which is expected to result in starch productivity per
area equal to or higher than Ms by adjusting planting density.
In addition, the starch quality of this palm is superior to that of
Ms in terms of whiteness, probably due to its low polyphenol
content.
Ap is mainly grown in Indonesia for sap collection, but somestarch is collected from Ap trunks and used to produce noodles.
The pith weight ratio was inferior to that of Ms due to thedevelopment of tough fibrous tissue in the lower part of thetrunk and the lower percentage of pith dry matter (Yamamoto
et al., 2021a; 2021c). Although the maximum starch
accumulation period is considered to be around the emergence

Conclusions
The growth characteristics and starch productivity were
investigated for three genera and four species ofstarch-accumulating palms other than sago palms growing inIndonesia and oil palms at the time of replantation. The results
revealed the existence of starch-accumulating palms that are
expected to have starch productivity higher than that of sago
palms and starch productivity per area equal to or higher thanthat of sago palms with the ease of harvesting and extraction
operations. Ecologically, the results also revealed the existenceof starch-accumulating palms that are more adapted to arid
lands than sago palms, indicating the potential use of
starch-accumulating palms as resource crops under a wide
range of environmental conditions in the tropics. These results
indicate the importance of investigating and studying otherstarch-accumulating palms besides sago palms.
Acknowledgements
The researches were conducted in collaboration with thestaff of Kochi, Tohoku, and Yamagata universities in Japan, thestuff of University of Malaysia, Sarawak, in Malaysia, Halu
Oleo, Pattimura, Tanjungpura, and Papua State Universities inIndonesia, the staff of the Land Custody and Development
Authority (LCDA), CRAUN, Sarawak, in Malaysia, the stuffof the Agency for the Assessment and Application ofTechnology, the Institute for Assesment of Agricultural
Technology, Papua, and the Indonesian Coconut and Other
Palm Research Institute, in Indonesia. Financially, theresearches were supported by The Japan Society for the21Promotion of Science, Toyota Foundation, A Grant-in Aid for
the Tropical Bio-resources Research Program (a Tropical
Biological Resources Research Grant) from the Japan Society
for the Promotion of Science, Heiwa Nakajima Foundation, A
JSPS KAKENHI Grant, and The Mitsui & Co. Environment
Fund.

Namriah, A. Ochi, and A. Miyazaki 2021b Growth
characteristics and starch productivity of gebang palms(Corypha utan Lamk.) grown in Kupang, Nusa Tenggara
and on Muna Island, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Trop.
Agr. Develop. 65: 153-162.
Yamamoto, Y., A. Ochi, I. Yanagidate, H. Ishima, T. Yoshida, F.
S. Rembon, Y. B. Pasolon, E. Manaroisong, C. Sayangbati,
R. B. Maliangkay, E. Tenda, and A. Miyazaki 2022 Growth
characteristics and starch productivity of ‘sagu baruk’(Arenga microcarpa Becc.) on Sangihe Island, North
Sulawesi, Indonesia. Trop. Agr. Develop. 66: 12-20.
Yamamoto, Y., K. Omori, T. Yoshida, A. Miyazaki and F. S.
Jong 2008 The annual production of sago (Metroxylon sagu
Rottb.) starch per hectare. In: Sago: Its Potential in Foodand Industry: Proceedings of the 9th International Sago
Symposium. (Toyoda, Y., M. Okazaki, M. Quevedo, and J.
Bacusmo eds.) TUAT Press (Tokyo) 95–101.
Yamamoto, Y., K. Omori, Y. Nitta, K. Kakuda, Y. B. Pasolon, F.
S. Rembon, R. S. Gusty, A. A. Arsy, A. Miyazaki, and T.
Yoshida 2016 Dry matter production and distribution after
trunk formation in sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.).
Trop. Agr. Develop. 60: 71-80.
Yamamoto, Y., F. S. Rembon. K. Omori, T. Yoshida, Y. Nitta, Y.
B. Pasolon, and A. Miyazaki 2010 Growth characteristics
and starch productivity of three varieties of sago palm(Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia.
Trop. Agr. Develop. 54: 1-8.
Yamamoto, Y., I. Yanagidate, A. Miyazaki, T. Yoshida, A. F.
Irawan, Y. B. Pasolon, F. S. Jong, H. Matanubun, A. A.
Arsy, and J. Limnongan 2020a Growth characteristics andstarch productivity of folk varieties of sago palm around
Lake Sentani near Jayapura, Papua State, Indonesia. Trop.
Agr. Develop. 64: 23-33.
Yamamoto, Y., I. Yanagidate, T. Yoshida, H. Pranamuda, Y. S.
A. Fauzan, U. E. Suryadi, Y. Indrayani, A. Miyazaki, and N.
Haska 2020b Growth characteristics and starch productivityof sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) grown in Pontianak,West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Sago Palm 28: 12-21.
Yamamoto, Y., T. Yoshida, Y. Goto, F. S. Jong, and L. B. Hilary
2003a Starch accumulation process in the pith of sago palm(Metroxylon sagu Rottb.). Jpn. J. Trop. Agr. 47: 124-131.
(in Japanese with English abstract)
Yamamoto, Y., T. Yoshida, Y. Goto, Y. Nitta, K. Kakuda, F. S.
Jong, L. B. Hilary, and H. Hassan 2003b Differences ingrowth and starch yield of sago palms (Metroxylon sagu
Rottb.) among soil types in Sarawak, Malaysia. Jpn. J. Trop.
Agr. 47: 250-259.
Yamamoto, Y., T. Yoshida, I. Yanagidate, F. J. Polonaya, W. A.
Siahaya, F. S. Jong, Y. B. Pasolon, A. Miyazaki, T.
Hamanishi, and K. Hirao 2020c Studies on growth
characteristics and starch productivity of the sago palm(Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) folk varieties in Seram andAmbon Islands，Maluk, Indonesia. Trop. Agr. Develop. 64:
125-134.
Yamamoto, Y., T. Yoshida, H. Ishima, T. Yoshida, Manselinus,
Y.B. Pasolon, F.S. Rembon, E. Manaroisong, C. Sayangbati,
R. B. Maliangkay, E. Tenda, and A. Miyazaki 2021c
Growth characteristics and starch productivity of sugar
palms (Arenga pinnata Merr.) in Tana Toraja, South
Sulawesi and Tomohon, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Sago
Palm 29: 25-38.

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Nasution, R. E. and H. C. Ong 2003 Corypha utan Lamk. In:
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Nishikawa, G., K. Oda and H. Suganuma 1979 Botanicaldescription of sago palm. Japan. J. Trop. Agr. 23: 130-136.
(in Japanese with English summary)
Ruddle, K., D. Johnson, P. Townsend, and J.D. Rees 1978 Palm
Sago, A tropical starch from marginal lands. The University
Press of Hawaii (Honolulu) pp. 207.
Ruddle, K. 1979 The geographical distribution ofsago-producing palms. Bulletin of the National Museum
Ethnology 3: 572-594.
Somogyi, M. 1945 A new reagent for the determination ofsugars. J. Biol. Chem. 160: 61-68.
Tamura, T. 1975. Quantitative analysis method of total sugar(Anthorone sulfuric acid method). In: Analytical
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Crop Analysis Method ed.) Yokendo (Tokyo) 289-290. (inJapanese)
Tomimura, Y. 1992 Chemical characteristics and utilization ofoil palm trunks. JARQ 25: 283-288.
Witono, J. R., Y. W. C. Kusuma, and B. P. Naiola 2018
Traditional utilization and processing of gewang palm(Corypha utan Lam.) starch in Timor island, Indonesia. J.
Biol. Res. 23: 95-100.
Yamamoto, Y., S. Kawamura, I. Yanagidate, T. Yoshida, T.
Ichimaru, Y.B. Pasolon, F.S. Rembon, A.D. Pasulu, and A.
Miyazaki 2021a Growth characteristics and starch
productivity of sugar palms (Arenga pinnata Merr.) grownon Muna Island, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. Trop. Agr.
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Yamamoto, Y., S. Kawamura, H. Ishima, T. Yoshida, P.
Hardaning, Y. S. A. Fauzan, N. Haska, F. S. Rembon,

22

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS06

Sago Production Potential in Several Regions in Indonesia
Mochammad Hasjim Bintoro Djoefrie1*, Putri Pembayun2 and La Rianda Baka3
1 Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia
2 Students of Agrotechnology Study Program, Faculty of Agriculture, Nusa Bangsa University,

16166, Indonesia

3 Department of Food Science and Technology, Halu Oleo University, 93232, Indonesia*e-mail: hmh_bintoro@yahoo.com

Abstract Indonesia has vast natural sago forest areas, especially in the provinces of Papua, South Papua, Central Papua, West Papua,
and Southwest Papua, as well as in the lowlands of the Papua Mountains. Apart from Papua, sago is also found in provinces on theislands of Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Maluku. Sago in Indonesia covers an area of 5.5 million hectares. Sago productivity inIndonesia reaches up to 20-40 tons of dry starch per hectare. However, not much is known about the yield of dry sago starch per tree. In
this research, we compare the yield of dry sago starch from each tree of sago palm-producing regions in Indonesia, namely South Papua,
Papua, Central Papua, West Papua, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, South Kalimantan, West
Sumatra, and the Riau Islands. Measurement of the dry sago starch yield was carried out by comparing the volume of the sago tree tothe volume of the sample and then multiplying it with the weight of the dry starch sample. The result shows that the highest production
in South Papua was found in the Mappi regency amounting to 1197 kg. The highest in Papua Province was 443 kg in Jayapura Regency,
while in Jayapura City was 447 kg. In Central Papua Province, especially in Mimika Regency, the highest production was 402 kg inCentral Mimika District. In West Papua Province, the highest production was 414 kg in South Sorong Regency, while in Southwest
Papua Province, the highest production was 362 kg in Sorong City. In the Province of Southeast Sulawesi, the highest production wasin South Konawe Regency, amounting to 445 kg. In South Sulawesi, the highest production was found in North Luwu Regency,
amounting to 477 kg. In West Sulawesi, the highest production was found in Mamuju Regency amounting to 717 kg. In Central
Sulawesi, it was found in Parigi Moutong Regency amounting to 429 kg. In South Kalimantan, it was found in Candi Laras District,Tapin Regency amounting to 178 kg. On the island of Sumatra, it was observed in West Sumatra, especially in the Mentawai Islands
Regency, and in the Riau Islands Province, especially on Lingga Island. The highest production was found in the Mentawai Islands at
545 kg, while on Lingga Island was 288 kg.
Key words: Kalimantan, Maluku, Papua, Sulawesi, Sumatra
Introduction
Sago or Metroxylon spp. is a potential commodity as analternative food because it has a productivity of 20-40 tonnes ofdry starch/ha/year. Sago starch can also be used as industrial
raw materials (glutamate, lactate, fructose) and fuel (methanol
and ethanol) (Bintoro et al. 2010).
Sago is a natural resource originating from Indonesia.
According to Djoefrie et al. (2014), Indonesia has 50% moresago potential in the world with an area of 5.5 million ha. The
latest opinion according to Bintoro et al. (2021), the worldwide
sago area is 6,279,637 million hectares and Indonesia has 85%of the world's sago area or around 5,337,691 million hectares.
The largest distribution of sago in Indonesia is in the provincesof Papua, South Papua, Central Papua, West Papua, andSouthwest Papua. The spread of sago in Indonesia is quite wide,
sago also grows on the islands of Sulawesi, Sumatra,
Kalimantan, Maluku, and Java.
In meeting the carbohydrate needs of Indonesia, its people
rely heavily on the rice commodity. In the rice commodity,
there are internal and external factors that make riceproductivity difficult to increase to a level to meet carbohydrate
needs in Indonesia (Ahmed 2017). The potential of sago should
be further developed because sago can be used as a staple foodreserve if rice supplies run low. Rapid population growth makes
the world's food demand increase. Sago is one of the plants thatneeds to be developed to address the increasing need for food,besides that sago is very easy to process into various types offood so the potential for sago in Indonesia is very high (Mattori2017). Research on sago production in Indonesia needs to be
carried out.

Province, and South Kalimantan Province. The material used inthis study was sago accession resulting from exploration. The
tools used are cameras, Global Positioning System (GPS), tapemeasure, calipers, digital scales, plastic clips, measuring cups,
filters, aluminum foil, basins, machetes, blenders, labels,
sample rings, and supporting equipment.
Data Retrieval
Data Information on several types of sago was obtained
from farmers who know the types of sago. Observations weremade directly on selected sample plants. The sampling method
was carried out by selective logging at each accession of sago
plants that met the harvest criteria, namely when the sago
plants were about to enter the generative phase (at the time offlower initiation).
Production character data is obtained from the processing ofsago pith which is taken using a ring sample whose volume is
known. The pith was collected at three points of the stem,
namely the bottom, middle, and top. The observations madewere on morphological, production, and genetic characteristics.
There are two methods of observation in this study, namely
qualitative and quantitative. The quantitative observation
method is in the form of direct observation throughmeasurement, while the qualitative method is in the form ofinterviews with farmers or people who have an understandingof the naming of sago, taking pictures of the stems and leavesof the plant, and the process of proximate analysis of sago
starch.
Morphological Character
1. StemMaterials and Methods
Research activities were conducted in South Papua, Papua
Province, Central Papua Province, West Papua Province,
Southwest Papua Province, Southeast Sulawesi Province, South
Sulawesi Province, West Sulawesi Province, Central Sulawesi

Stem observations consisted of length, diameter,
circumference, color, and skin thickness. Stem length wasmeasured in harvested trees. Measurement starts from the baseof the stem at ground level to the tip of the stem (bottom leaf

23

forest sago. The he bang accession has a dry starch weight of
447 kg stem-1.
Sago in Central Papua Province, especially in Mimika
Regency, has the highest production of 402 kg in Central
Mimika Regency. The yield of sago starch in Mioko Village
was between 14.54%-22.28% (Table 2). The yield of starch
will have an impact on the production produced, the higher theyield the higher the production. Sago omiya accession 1 has ahigh starch yield and high yield potential.

midrib). The diameter and thickness of the bark were measured
at three points, namely the base, middle, and tip. Stem
diameter was observed after the stem was felled.
2. Starch Production
Starch production was calculated using a volume ratio.
Starch is obtained from the extraction of sago pith. The pith istaken from the stem using a ring sample of known volume.
The pith on the sago stems was taken at the base, middle, andends of the sago plant samples that had been cut down. The
pith obtained was then crushed using a blender and squeezed
three times with 200 ml of water. The juice is then settled for
12 hours to get wet starch. The starch is dried and weighed(dry starch). Starch production per tree is then calculated using
the formula proposed by Bintoro et al., (2017) as follows:

Table 2. Production per village in Mimika Regency, Central
Papua (Primary 2018)
Dry starch
Production
Accession
Yield (%)
(kg stick-1)
taina
22.28
250.57oko
18.25
384.10omiya 122.18
402.09omiya 215.82
143.87
durumu14.54
312.14
mbapare18.73
239.18omoroko15.35
169.33
ikimina
19.76
220.49Average
18.36
265.22Standard deviation
2.93
94.02
Coefficient of Variability
16.23
35.45
(%)

Starch production per stem =stem volume

Notes:

example volume

x dry starch weight of sample

Stem volume = 𝜋𝜋𝜋𝜋 2 x height, 𝜋𝜋 = 3.14 and r = radius of sago stem
Dry starch weight is the average of the samples taken.
Starch yield is calculated using the formula proposed by Bintoro
et al. (2017) as follows:
Starch yield = dry starch weightx 100%

pith weight

Sago in West Papua Province, South Sorong Regency has
various accessions. Fasai accession (wild sago) has the lowest
yield compared to other accessions, so it has the lowest starch
production. Most of the sago accessions in this location arecapable of producing more than 200 kg of dry starch per stem-1.
The average yield potential was 236.70 kg stem-1 dry starch.
The accessions included fafion, fakreit, falia, fanomic,
fasampe, fasinan, and fosongka. phanomik was the accessionthat produced the most starch, namely 414 kg stem-1 (Table 3).

Results and Discussion
The types of sago found in Mappi Regency, South Papua
consist of long thorn sago and smooth sago. The average
production of sago-type dry starch in Mappi Regency was
477.44 kg stem-1 (Table 1). The highest amount of starch was
found in heim sago with long thorns which was located in theTaragai village of 1,197.20 kg stem-1. Production per tree inkatage was 624.35 kg, mani was 718.15 kg, wiyage was 320.33
kg, and arare was 232.65 kg. Production in katage and mani isvery high, while in wiyage and arare it is high. Production ofsago starch in Assue District/District is high, namely 288.53 kg
of dry starch/tree (homang) and 261.30 kg of dry starch fromtree-1 (sigare).

Table 3. Production per village in South Sorong Regency, West
Papua (Dewi et al. 2016)
Dry starch
production
Accession
Yield (%)
(kg stick-1)
15.64
169.81
fablenfafion18.31
310.00
failik21.27
165.61
fakattao
20.60
185.29fakreit
21.17
288.17falia
20.52
259.06fanke
17.46
129.65
fanomik
19.63
414.32fasai
12.48
161.97
fasampe17.97
244.53fasinan
17.42
287.8015.90
224.15fasongka
Average
18.20
236.702.65
80.97Standad deviation
Coefficient of Variability
14.56
34.21
(%)

Table 1. Production per village in Mappi Regency, South Papua(Tim IPB 2021a)
Dry starch
production
Accession
Yield (%)
(kg stick-1)
moor1
15.56
171.15ghanu230.53
376.00komru227.45
584.80taragai2
27.52
1,197.20
wiyage2
30.94
320.35katage2
39.01
624.25mani2
32.32
718.15
arare1
34.81
232.65sigare2
22.03
261.30homang2
28.16
288.55
Average
28.83
477.44Standard deviation
6.54
312.73
Coefficient of Variability
22.70
65.50
(%)
Description: 1 = smooth sago, 2 = long thorny sago

The highest production of sago is in Southwest Papua
Province, namely 362 kg/stem in Sorong City. The yield of
starch in all actions ranged from 25% to 50%. The lowest dry
starch weight was in the wawun accession, namely 110.69 kg
rod-1, and the highest dry starch weight was in the wasnan
accession, 361.51 kg rod-1 (Table 4). The higher the yield ofsago starch, the potential for tree-1 dry starch will be higher.

There are several accessions of sago with high production in
Jayapura City, Papua Province. One of them is the accession of
he bang which is a type of non-thorny sago and is referred to as24

Table 4. Production per village in Sorong City, Southwest
Papua (Fathnoer 2018)
Dry starch
Yield
Production
Accsession(%)(kg stick-1)
waruwo40.53
289.21wasulagi
43.80
248.54wasnan43.38
361.51
wayuluk
39.51
211.84
wagelik
25.52
215.72wanegles
49.01
128.54wawun
37.24
110.69wafabala
41.29
149.30
Average
40.04
214.42Standard deviation
6.83
85.17
Coefficient of Variability
17.06
19.54
(%)

Table 6. Production of each accession in Mentawai Islands
Regency, Riau Archipelago (Firmansyah 2022)
Dry starch
Production
Accsession
Yield (%)
(kg stick-1)
saikoat19.04
123.16limu
24.93
216.48betaet31.55
383.87ukra
32.24
544.37sirilanggai
23.35
322.55
sibeotcun
24.27
285.62Average
25.90
312.685.08
144.74Standard deviation
Coefficient of Variability
19.64
46.29
(%)
There are three types of sago accession in Mamuju Regency,
West Sulawesi, namely kasimpo, kapas, and ruwi. Allaccessions were hepatic accessions or only experienced one
generative (flowering) phase. The highest dry starch production
was observed in the kapas accession, which was 436.61 kg
stalk-1, while the kasimpo accession was 243.14 kg stalk-1. The
lowest dry starch production was in the ruwi accession, which
was 81.67 kg stem-1. The average production of sago dry starch
is 304.38 kg stem-1. The kapas accession had the highest dry
starch production which reached 717.90 kg stem-1 (Table 7).
The yield (%) per accession from lowest to highest, namely
ruwi 11.05%, kasimpo 21.10%, and kapas 23.89%. Calculationof starch yield was used to determine dry starch production (kgstick-1).

The highest production of sago in South Sulawesi is in
North Luwu Regency, which is 477 kg/tree (Table 5).
Accession factors had a very significant effect on stem height,
starch production, and production potential. Yield and stem
diameter had a significant effect, while the number ofripening trees was not significant. The average sago
production potential varies from the six observed accessions.
The accessions were not evenly distributed at eachobservation location. Kapa accession is not found in coastal
areas, while kiduri accession and Ute accession have arelatively low distribution and number of clumps. Uteaccessions grow with a relatively small number of tillers in aclump and are only found in certain spots.

Table 7. Production per accession in Mamuju Regency, West
Sulawesi (Abhal 2022)
Dry starch
Production
Accsession
Sample Yield (%)(kg stick-1)
1
18.80
183.642
16.94
106.51

Table 5. Production of each accession in North Luwu Regency,
South Sulawesi (Masluki 2022)
Dry starch
Production
Accsession
Yield (%)
(kgstick-1)
22.22
477.00kapa
kasimpo18.45

359.61

3

ute

17.46

20.44

144.68140.35424.46

391.93use

16.30

280.38525.80

388.93sabbe
kiduri21.02

221.7821.10

243.1418.40

179.66

AverageStandard deviation
Coefficient of Variability (%)

19.31

276.40

2

19.16
24.61

258.27425.76

2.87

124.823

27.37

717.904

24.41

344.5223.89

436.61

11.05

81.67021.20

304.384.920

192.3923.21

63.21014.85

kasimpoAverage

kapas

45.16
Average

Sago on the island of Sumatra is observed in West Sumatra,
especially in the Mentawai Islands Regency. The starch yieldof various sago accessions in Siberut National Park ranged
from 19-32% with the sakoat accession having the lowest
starch yield, namely 19.04%. The average potential for dry
starch production is 312.68 kg stem-1. According to Bintoro etal. (2010), sago plants have a production potential of 200-400
kg of dry starch stem-1. All accessions had a production ofover 200 kg of dry starch stem-1, the highest production was
545 kg (Table 6).

ruwi
AverageStandard
deviation
Coefficient of
Variability (%)

1

1

Sago of the Roe type found in Lameuru Village, South
Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province has the highest
dry starch production of 445 kg (Table 8). Differences in thegrowing environment result in differences in the number ofclumps and the state of the leaves which ultimately result indifferences in the production and productivity of sago plants.

25

Table 10. Production per accession in South Kalimantan(Rahman 2021)
Dry starch
production
Accession
Yield (%)
(kg stick-1)
mahang22.31
102.11
buntal24.56
178.00
salak
14.29
91.04
madang18.38
157.84
gandut19.13
127.82Average19.73
131.36
Standard deviation
3.93
36.64
Coefficient of Variability
19.91
27.89
(%)

Table 8. Production of each accession in South Konawe Regency,
Southeast Sulawesi (Tim IPB 2021b)
Dry starch
Heightproduction
District(m)(kgstick-1)
1
Lameuru
10.30
445.00
Arono1
7.25
314.36Aopa2
8.00
237.86Aopa1
8.40
236.54Lamoen1
8.25
297.93Lamoen2
5.95
228.19Sandei2
9.60
280.59Mataiwoi1
9.55
196.05
Mataiwoi2
6.35
243.24Landabaru2
7.30
294.32Landabaru3
7.70
261.06
Watundeho1
9.90
318.62
Unggulino1
13.88
432.46
Average
8.65
291.21
Standard deviation
2.07
74.71
23.90
25.65
Coefficient of Variability (%)

Sago in the Riau Archipelago Province, especially on Lingga
Island, has several accessions including nerekeh, pangga laut,musai, pekaka, keton, and teluk.
Starch production is influenced by several factors, includingheight, diameter, moisture content, and yield of sago stems.
Ehara (2009) states that sago starch production has a positive
correlation with stem weight. Starch accumulation begins at thebase of the lower stem and reaches a maximum in the middle tothe upper two-thirds of the stem free of the midrib (Schuiling2009). The highest sago starch production was in the Gulf
accession, namely 288 kg stalk-1, while the lowest sago starch
production was in the pangga laut accession, namely 95.08 kg
stalk-1 (Table 11).

Sago in Central Sulawesi was found in Parigi Moutong
Regency in Sigenti Village with the type of slippery sago,
namely 429 kg/tree (Table 9). The lowest and highest yields
per accession were South Sigenti at 8.13% and North Sigenti
1 at 25.24%.

Table 11. Production of each accession in the Riau Archipelago,
Lingga Island (Manar 2023)
Dry starch
Accession
Yield (%)
Production(kg stick-1)
nerekeh15.99
156.68panggak laut
14.81
95.08
musai
16.79
238.66pekaka22.10
210.38keton
15.20
227.40teluk
32.17
288.64
Average
19.51
202.81
Standard deviation
6.74
21.28
Coefficient of Variability
34.57
53.87
(%)

Table 9. Production per accession in Parigi Moutong Regency,
Central Sulawesi (Pembayun 2023)
Dry starch
production
Accession
Yield (%)
(kg stick-1)
1
19.02
tada timur 1
386.10sigenti1
tada timur 21
khatulistiwa1
sigenti selatan 11
sigenti selatan 22
sigenti selatan 31
sigenti selatan 41
sigenti utara 12
sigenti utara 22
maninili utara2
maninili1
siaga1

20.80
15.29
23.45
8.13
12.89
18.08
16.67
25.24
23.93
23.31
23.16
8.37

429.19329.33367.7068.07
56.52
320.05264.87128.54122.99316.87112.75sinei induk1

20.16

Average

18.46

330.39245.90Standard deviation
Coefficient of Variability
(%)

5.60

126.6530.34

Conclusion
Accession of sago spread across Indonesia has several types,
including thorny sago and smooth sago. All sago accessions
found in several provinces have many variations, from thelowest to the highest yield and from the lowest to the highest
dry starch production. The highest production yield was
identified in South Papua, Mappi Regency of 1197 kg stem-1.
High production yields are also discovered in Papua Province
with the accession of he bang having a dry starch weight of
447 kg stem-1.
Sago in Central Papua Province, especially in Mimika
Regency, there is sago omiya 1 accession which has a highyield of starch and high yield potential, namely 402 kg stem-1,
while in West Papua Province, the highest production of
fanomic accession is 414 kg stem-1 in South Sorong Regency.
Sago in the Province of Southwest Papua, Sorong City has
wasnan accession with a weight of 361.51 kg stem-1, while in
the Province of Southeast Sulawesi sago of the roe type foundin Lameuru Village, South Konawe Regency has the highest
dry starch production of 445 kg.
The highest production of sago in West Sulawesi was in
Mamuju Regency of 717 kg with cotton accession. Sago inCentral Sulawesi was found in Parigi Moutong District,

209.23

51.51

Description: 1 = smooth sago, 2 = thorny sago
Sago in South Kalimantan, Candi Laras District, has fiveaccessions. The salak accession had the lowest dry starchweight per stem, namely 91.04 kg stem-1, while the accessionthat produced the highest starch was the buntal accession
with a weight of 178 kg stem-1 (Table 10).

26

Sigenti Village of 429 kg. Sago in South Kalimantan was
found in Candi Laras District, Tapin Regency of 178 kg withthe addition of salak. On the island of Sumatra, it wasobserved in West Sumatra, especially in the Mentawai Islands
Regency, and in the Riau Islands Province, especially on
Lingga Island. The highest production was in the Mentawai
Islands at 545 kg, while on Lingga Island it was 288 kg with
the Gulf accession.

Pertanian Bogor (Bogor).
Firmansyah A.N.A. 2022. Identifikasi Berbagai Aksesi Sagu
(Metroxylon Spp.) Di Taman Nasional Siberut, Kepulauan
Mentawai, Sumatera Barat. Graduation thesis. Institut
Pertanian Bogor (Bogor) .
Manar P.A. 2023. Potensi dan Bioprospeksi Sagu (MetroxylonSpp.) di Kabupaten Lingga, Provinsi Kepulauan Riau.
Master thesis. Sekolar Pascasarjana, Institut Pertanian
Bogor (Bogor) .
Masluki. 2022. Keragaman Morfologi, Produksi, Genetik dan
Kimia Pati Sagu (Metroxylon Spp.) di Tana Luwu
Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan. Ph.D. Dissertation. Sekolah
Pascasarjana, Insitut Pertanian Bogor (Bogor).
Mattori V. 2017. Etnobotani sagu (Metroxylon sagu) di lahanbasah situs air sugihan, Sumatera Selatan: warisan budaya
masa Sriwiijaya. Kalpataru. 26(2):107–122.
Pembayun P. 2023. Identifikasi Berbagai Aksesi Sagu
(Metroxylon spp.) di Kecamatan Tinombo Selatan
Kabupaten Parigi, Moutong Provinsi, Sulawesi Tengah.
Graduation thesis. Universitas Nusa Bangsa (Bogor) .
Pratama A.J. 2018. Keragaman Pertumbuhan dan Produksi
Aksesi Sagu di Populasi Alam Distrik Mimika Tengah
Provinsi Papua. Master thesis. Sekolah Pascasarjana,
Institu Pertanian Bogor (Bogor) .
Rahman H.B.A. 2021. Sebaran dan Keragaman Beberapa
Aksesi Sagu di Provinsi Kalimantan Selatan. Master thesis.
Sekolah Pascasarjana, Institu Pertanian Bogor (Bogor) .
Schuiling D.L. 2009. Growth and development of true sago
palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottboll) with special reference toaccumulation of starch in the trunk: a study onmorphology, genetic variation and ecophysiology, andtheir implications for cultivation. Ph.D. theisis.
Wageningen University (Wageningen) pp. 259.
Tim IPB. 2021a. Kajian Kesesuaian Lahan Daerah di
Kabupaten Mappi, Provinsi Papua. Kerjasama Badan
Perencanaan Pembangunan Daerah Kabupaten Mappi
dengan Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB University). IPB
University (Bogor).
Tim IPB. 2021b. Studi Kelayakan Pembangunan Industri
Tepung Sagu atau Tapioka Konawe Raya, Sulawesi
Tenggara. Kerjasama Perum BULOG dengan Institut
Pertanian Bogor (IPB University). Bogor (ID)

References
Abhal N.E.I. 2022. Identifikasi Berbagai Aksesi Sagu
(Metroxylon Spp.) di Kecamatan Mamuju, Kabupaten
Mamuju, Provinsi Sulawesi Barat. Graduation thesis.
Institute Pertanian Bogor (Bogor).
Ahmad F. 2017. Identifikasi berbagai aksesi sagu
(Metroxylon spp.) di Distrik Iwaka, Kabupaten Mimika,
Papua. Master Thesis. Sekolah Pascasarjana, Institute
Pertanian Bogor (Bogor).
Bintoro MH, Purwanto MYJ, Amarillis S. 2010. Sagu di
Lahan Gambut. Bogor (ID): IPB Press (Bogor).
Bintoro, M.H., A.J. Pratama, F. Ahmad, M.I. Nurulhaq, M.L.
Mulyanto and L. Ayulia 2017. Pemberdayaan dan
Pembangunan Masyarakat Pinggiran melalui Sagu.
Bogor. IPB Press (Bogor).
Bintoro M.H., Ehara H., Azhar A., Dewi R.K., Nurulhaq M.I.,
Ahyuni D. 2021. Ekofisiologi Sagu. Bogor (ID): IPB
Press.(Bogor).
Dewi R.K., Bintoro M.H., Sudradjat 2016. Karakter
Morfologi dan Potensi Produksi Beberapa Aksesi Sagu
(Metroxylon spp.) di Kabupaten Sorong Selatan, Papua
Barat. J. Agron. Indonesia. 44 (1) : 91-97.
Djoefri M.H.B, Herodian S, Ngadiono, Thoriq A, Amarilis S.
2014. Sagu untuk Kesejahteraan Masyarakat Papua. Unit
Percepatan Pembangunan Papua dan
Papua Barat.
Jakarta.
Ehara H. 2009. Potency of sago palm as carbohydrate
resource for strengthening food security program. Jurnal
Agronomi
Indonesia.
37(3):209-219.
doi:10.24831/jai.v37i3.1255.
Fathnoer V. 2018. Karakterisasi Berbagai Aksesi Sagu
(Metroxylon spp.) di Distrik Aimas, Kabupaten Sorong,
Papua Barat. Master thesis. Sekolar Pascasarjana, Institut27

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS07

Regional Characteristics and Transformation of Sago Plam Utilization in
Traditional Rural areas:
From the cases of the three regions; West Papua-Indonesia, Southeast
Sulawesi-Indonesia, Northeast Mindanao-Philippines
Yoshihiko Nishimura
Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku Nagoya,464-8601, Japannishimuratomobe@gmail.com
Abstract The sago palm, which originated in New Guinea Island, spread to surrounding areas and has been used as a staple foodand a material for daily life by the indigenous people. The form of sago palm utilization has developed its own method according to
the local natural conditions and the way people use it in the areas where it was propagated/transmitted. People in the sago palm
habitat are with the sago palm and make up the behavior of their lives from starch production to consumption. In particular, since thesago palm grows in marshy areas, it requires techniques to cut and process the palm, making use of the local natural conditions,unlike simple hunting and gathering. In particular, there are regional differences in palm pith rasping and starch extraction techniques.
This sago palm processing technology was also inherited along with the propagation of the palms, forming a unique pattern. We
discussed how sago palm will be used in the future by investigating the usage pattern of sago palm in the area with other cultivatedcrops propagated from the wild sago palm habitat.
Key words: Northeast Mindanao, Sago extraction, Sago utilization, Southeast Sulawesi, West Papua

Introduction
The sago palm, which originated on the island of New
Guinea, is important to local residents as a palm that produces
sago starch in tropical Southeast Asia and Oceania. The sago
palm is positioned as an important and essential crop for the
local people as a plant that exhibits dominant growth in barren
marshes and areas where crops are difficult to grow. Especiallyin areas where sago starch is the staple food, people's lives are
determined by the growth of sago palms. In this situation, thesago palm not only supplies starch but also uses the plant body,
creating an environment where it is difficult to live without thesago palm.
On the other hand, since sago palm has various uses, itshows the usage pattern peculiar to the region. Naturally, it isalso one of the elements that form the unique culture of theregion. However, if other crops are cultivated in the sago palm
habitat, the sago palm usage pattern will change.
Therefore, in this report, we analyze the conditions forregional application of the diversity and changes in the use ofsago palm based on three regional cases regarding the use andpositioning of sago palm, and discuss the direction of futuresustainable use of sago palm. In addition, from the perspectiveof development, conservation and sustainability the future
relationship between people (society) and sago palms will beconsidered.

Fig. 1. Map of the survey areas

Research Methods:
Selection of survey sites and actual conditions of sago palm
According to Nishimura (2015) and Ehara (2015), the sago
palm originated on the island of New Guinea and genetically
propagated to Southeast Asia and Pacific countries. Along with
this, it is thought that the form of sago utilization also changedin the same direction.
Here, in order to investigate the transformation of sago palm,
this paper took up three regions: i) origin of sago palm, ii)
developed area of sago palm use, and iii) limited area of sago
palm use. The actual situation of sago palm utilization in theseareas was investigated (See Fig. 1 and Fig. 2).

Fig. 2. Propagation of sago palm varieties and the diffusionof starch extraction technology (by Nishimura 2015)
1) Origin of sago palm: Village of wild sago palm forest inWest Papua, Indonesia
Sago palm wild forest surveys were conducted in West28

Papua Province, South Sorong District, Metamani Sub-district
and Saga Village, Indonesia. Saga Village takes about 4 hours
by high-speed boat from Teminabuan Town, which has thelargest port in the area. It is a village of 80 households with apopulation of about 500, located on the bank of a remote area
along the bay and upstream of the Metamani River. Therefore,
it is far from the modern city, and it is an area underdeveloped.
Interviews were conducted with villagers in March 2013using questionnaires to clarify the relationship between
residents and sago palm wild forests. Based on this result, theoverview of the village and life were summarized.
①Ownership of sago palm in Saga Village
Saga Village has 24 characters (Dusun), and the land has
already been decided as privately owned land. The Iwaro tribeof Saga Village owns the land around Metamani District.
Ownership of the sago palm belongs to the land owner Marga(big family).
② Village life
People eat three meals a day, and the staple food is sago
starch, which is eaten as Papeda (porridge-like soup) or
Sago-Bakar (sago wrapped in leaves and baked to solidify). In
addition, rice, coconuts, bananas, potatoes, etc. are also eaten
as staple foods from time to time occasionally.
As for his daily work, the man is extracting sago starch, but
he also hunts and catches fish two to three days a week. They
mainly hunt wild boars with traps (done at night). Other
species such as deer, cassowary, and kangaroos can also becaught. Fishing is done by fishing and netting. Women are in
charge of washing the sago starch extraction work. They also
grow crops and vegetables. Each family has a boat that is
rowed by hand and used on a daily basis. However, the numberof people with outboard motors is limited.
③ Production and sales of sago starch
When villagers collect sago palm starch, they do so as afamily unit. It is usually done by the couple, sometimes withthe help of children. The men perform the labor-intensive
felling, peeling of the trunk, and crushing of the pith, while thewomen extract the starch by soaking the pith waste (small
pieces) in water. One or two sago palms are harvested forstarch per week. This translates to about 500kg. 40% of the
starch produced is for self-consumption and the remaining 60%
is sold for markets.
④ Sago palm and people's livelihood
In addition to collecting starch for food, sago palms supply
living materials such as mats made from woven small leaves
for roofing and housing materials, petioles for pillars, and stem
bark for fuel. The current wild sago palm forests provide a
sufficient number of resources for their livelihood, so there is
no problem with the sustainability of their current livelihood.
2) Developed area of sago palm utilization: Kendari, Southeast
Sulawesi, Indonesia, where sago starch production shifts from
staple food for self-consumption to sales
The Sulawesi Island, located in the center of Indonesia, haslong been a midpoint between Southeast Asia and New Guinea.
The sago palm, which originated in New Guinea, also
propagated to the west of this landform, and joined therice-growing area on Sulawesi Island.
The utilization of sago palm around Kendari city inSoutheast Sulawesi was investigated from 1995 to 2000 in thisreport. The indigenous people of this area are the Tolaki people,
and there is a history of immigration from surrounding ethnic
groups such as the Buginese. Sago palm is one of the staple
foods of the Tolakinese, but upland rice is also one of the staple
foods. According to Nishimura (1995), rice, sago, maize, andcassava are the sub-staple foods (multiple answers allowed) in
Kiaea village.

Kendari is located on a mountainous peninsula in thetropical monsoon region where wet and dry seasons occur. The
sago palm forms forests mainly in river basins in mountainous
areas. It also forms large vegetation areas in wetland aroundmarshes. The Tolaki people used this sago palm,slash-and-burn farming, and hunting to secure food. Crops
cultivated in the slash-and-burn farming include upland rice,maize, tubers, bananas, and vegetables. Upland rice, which is
the main crop, has a growing season. From December toJanuary, when the rainy season begins, upland rice is sown inslash-and-burn hills that have been cleared in advance.
Harvesting takes place from May to June to secure a year's
worth of rice. However, during the rainy season when upland
rice is cultivated, rice storage becomes low, and during thistime, starch is extracted from the sago palm and sago as astaple food is harvested. During this rainy period, it is possible
to secure the water necessary for the sago starch extraction
work, and there is an advantage that the extraction work can bedone easily. In this way, the agricultural work of the Tolaki
tribe has a variety of combinations of sago and slash-and-burnfarming, which creates an annual work system considering theseasons and secures food.
3) Limited areas for sago palm use: Two villages in Mindanao,
northeastern Philippines, where sago palm is used terminally
Bisaya and Bobon villages are located in the central part ofthe eastern side of Mindanao Island, and are part of thewetlands that extend along the basin of the Agusan River. Sagopalms flourish in this wetland, forming many sago palm forests.
This area is inhabited by the Cabanbanan ethnic people as theindigenous people of the Philippines.
One of the ethnics, Manobo people in Bisaya village wereinterviewed in 2008 to investigate sago palm forests and starch
extraction practices. The land of the group is 3,166 ha,inherited from the ancestors. Of these, 300ha has sago palm
forests. 150 ha of sago was planted by the Haribon Foundation,a World Bank (WB) project. The history of sago dates back to
pre-Spanish rule in the 15th and 16th centuries. In this area,
gold (Bulawan) has long been mined on the high ground on theprefectural border, and gold has become an important trade
product. In addition, life in this area at that time consisted ofhunting and slash-and-burn upland rice cultivation. Islamic
trader came seeking this gold and exchanged it for gold on thecondition that sago palms be planted in this area. Sago is said
to have been introduced at this time (Nishimura, 2008).
Bobon Village is a village with 37 farms and a population of
175 people located near the coast. The current sago palm
thriving situation in the village is not densely growing. Paddy
fields have already spread around the village, and many usefulcrops such as coconut palms and fruit trees have been planted.
The main agriculture in the village is paddy rice cultivation,
which can be cultivated twice a year. Other sources of income
include coconuts, bananas, firewood, and retail store
management. Therefore, sago is not a staple food in this region,but is positioned as a food for use in confectionary. For thatreason, it is often eaten at festivals or occasional times insteadof being produced all the time. These are i) Davao davao(tempura-type fried dish), ii) Balagsin (steamed sweets
wrapped in banana leaves), iii) Kinable (Sago Pearl) for sale.
In any case, confectionery is made using not only sago
starch but also other ingredients. In addition, the leaves of sago
palm are considered more important as a material for daily life
than as a starch. Here, the leaves are woven and used as
partitions or roofing material. And villagers say that sago palm
leaves are important for roofing materials because they last 4-5
years longer than nipa palm leaves for 3 years. Therefore, theuse of sago in this village is important as a material for daily
life rather than as food. The sago owner has a 25% share and29the worker a 75% share in the sago starch extraction operation.
About 200 kg of starch can be harvested from one sago, andthis starch can be sold at 20 pesos/kg.
・Sago starch extraction method:First, cut the sago from the base, split the fallen stem in half,and extract the starch contained inside. The pith of the stem ispulverized with a hatchet (shaving ax). The crushed sago
pieces are sprinkled with water to extract the starch. First, thedevice uses a dugout canoe as a container. Set the strainer on
top of this. The device is a box made of a wooden frame placedon a woven bamboo plate (bamboo spread), and a filter net isspread on the bottom of this box, which serves as a filtering
place. This device is called Agahan. The sago pith pieces areplaced on the strainer and washed by hand with water, and thestarch is collected in a boat-shaped vessel. This work revealed
that the device was of the Malay type, but it turned out to be of
the New Guinea type because the washing was done by hand.
In other words, it was concluded that the two extraction
methods were mixed.

a modification of this method. First, the pith piece work is amethod of pulverizing the pith with a hatchet. There arestanding and sitting methods of hand axing. In Papua andMindanao, the standing method is seen, while in Kendari, thesitting method is seen. However, there are places where bothmethods are mixed. Also, in Papua they work in groups and in
Kendari they work alone. This manual work has beenmechanized and the introduction of crushers/rasper machine
has become common. This made it more efficient.

Findings and Results
The sago palm, which originated in New Guinea, has createda culture of traditional sago palm use.

There are two starch extraction methods which are handrubbing and foot rubbing. In Papua and Mindanao, it is a handrubbing, and Kendari is a foot rubbing. Foot rubbing is
considered to be more efficient than hand rubbing. Therefore, it
is considered to be a method implemented in areas wherecommerce is developed. However, recently, an efficient methodof applying high water pressure by a pump has become
widespread in both hand-rubbing and foot-rubbing methods.
Therefore, as the traditional extraction method of Papua spreadto the west, it became more and more important as a product,and it turned into an efficient work system. Therefore, as the
traditional extraction method of Papua spread to the west, it
turned into an efficient work system by increasing the weightof commercial product (Nishimura, 2018).
・Transformation of sago starch extraction (production)
In Saga village, the work of collecting/extracting sago starch
is a self-sufficient type that is done by families. Men are in
charge of cutting palms and making pith pieces, and women are
in charge of extracting starch from the pieces. At Kendari,work is done in small groups. Also, sago starch is produced
mainly for sale, although it is also self-consumed. The work is
led by the leader of group. In the Bisaya villages, the groups
work to extract starch, which is consumed in the village forfestivals or occasion. This is done by working in groups.
In this way, as the village's economic activities progressed,
the working systems are shifted from a family to a small group
work, and a production system is developed more for sale.
・Transition and transformation as a staple food
Sago starch is an important staple food in production areas,
but it is also eaten as a side dish or confectionery, however
there are regional variations. In Papua, sago starch is the staple
food, but in Kendari, it is one of the staple foods in
combination with rice. However, it is no longer a staple food in
Mindanao. Therefore, when a staple food other than sago
becomes available, they tend to switch to it. In particular, thecombination of sago and rice is not limited to Kendari, and thistrend is gradually becoming in Saga of Papua.
・Changes in how starch is used
In addition to staple food, sago is also used as a side dish andconfectionery, and in every region a wide variety of products
are devised and made. As more ingredients for local cooking
became available, the variety of sago dishes and confectionery
to be made also increased, and they shifted to selling them forcommercial use. In other words, there will be a shift fromself-consumption to sales. However, in the course of thisTable 2. Patterns of sago pith crushing and starch extraction
Location

Saga village(West Papua)

farming condition

size of sago
forestry

staple foods

sago palm
large, wider
sago starchhunting-gatheringsago
Kendarisago starch
middle, spottedslash-and-burn(S.E. Sulawesi)
rice
rice, maize, potato
paddy rice
Bisaya village
small
rice
sago
(N.E. Mindanao)
coconut palmsago starch use

palm usemain staple foods
all parts
surplus for salestaple foodleafletmarketingconfectionary

Starch washingType

Chipping axe

Hands

New Guinea

Malaysia(Kalimantan)

Grater

Feet

Malay

Sulawesi Island

Chipping axe

FeetIntermediate

Philippines(Mindanao)

Chipping axe

Hands

Mixed

Source: Nishimura and Laufa (2002)

Table 1. Sago Palm Fact in 3 areas
Study area

Sago pith crushing

New Guinea

leafletIn New Guinea, the place of origin of sago palm, a
traditional system of utilization has been established by theindigenous people. As the sago palm spreads to various places,
the usage of the sago palm changes to a form suitable for thegrowing areas (See Table 1).
The transformation of cultivars and the direction of the
propagation of sago utilization patterns accompanying the
spread of sago palms from New Guinea to the west show
similar patterns (Nishimura, 2015).
・Coexistence with local agriculture associated with the spreadof sago palms
Wild sago-growing areas are also isolated areas in humid
areas. For this reason, other crops were unlikely to dominate in
the sago palm forest, and people formed a lifestyle of gatheringand hunting using the sago palm. The sago palm spreads andcoexists with agriculture to cultivate crops in different
environmental areas. The local people shared sago palms withrice, maize and tubers.
・Transition and transformation of starch extraction method
The traditional method of collecting sago starch is (1)cutting and dividing the sago palm into logs, (2) cutting thetrunk pith into small pieces, (3) extracting starch by washing
the small pieces of trunk pith with water, (4) draining the starchand packing it into containers, and (5) drying the wet sago into
dry sago. Among these operations, the important works are themethod of cutting/rasping with a piece of trunk pith and themethod of washing and extracting this piece. These works haveregional characteristics (See Table 2). Therefore, we considered30

commercialization, it becomes necessary to process the form ofsago starch from wet sago to dry sago. Transform into a form
more suitable for sale. In Mindanao, sago starch is mainly
eaten as a sweet for festivals.
・Use of plants
Sago palm uses not only starch production but also most of
the plant body. In areas such as Papua that depend on sago
palm, most parts such as leaflets, petioles, trunks and bark areused. It is often used as a construction material for houses.
However, in areas such as Kendari and Mindanao, parts of theplant are collected for commercial use, subjected to simple care(processing), and sold. Since the leaves are used as materials
for roofs and walls, they are woven and sold as sheets. In
Mindanao, the use of sago palm for sale as leaflet mat is more
important than the use of starch.

sago starch in the area, it will be used as a meal for ceremonial
occasions. As a result, the consumption of sago starch will
decrease and rice and corn will dominate. Instead, the leaflets
and other features of the sago palm are sold as durable
construction materials.

Discussion and future utilization in traditional rural areas
From this survey, we can say that the changes in the
traditional use of sago palm in rural areas are as follows.
As a first step:
In traditional farming villages with wild sago forests, sago
starch is the staple food, ensuring a stable life for the people.
However, the situation changes greatly due to the economictransformation of the village. In particular, the value andposition of sago change due to the development of distribution
system and penetration of the money economy. This presents achoice between sago starch becoming a food product for
subsistence consumption or transitioning to a starch intended
for sale. The following selections will lead to thediversification of the village diet/meal by including staple
foods other than sago starch. In other words, when the money
economy permeates the village, it can be seen that the
production system will shift to a production system that sells
sago starch.
Therefore, the production method will also change to a morerational form. Examples of transformations for sales purposes
are the introduction of rasper as a mechanization of sago
palm-pith fragmentation and the introduction of a pump thatuses water pressure for washing in starch extraction. As a result,the sago starch extraction work will be able to efficiently
produce a large amount as a specialized business for sales.
In traditional villages, the use of sago changed fromself-sufficiency to sales purposes. This transformation will leadto the modernization of the village.
As a second step
In villages where the staple food is not only sago starch but
also rice, etc., sago starch is used not only as a staple food but
also as a side dish and sweets. Confectionery is also producedin the first stage, which is mainly for the staple food of
traditional villages, but the variety is limited. The reason is that
there are few seasoning ingredients such as oil when making
confectionery, and this is because the economy and logistics
infrastructure are not advanced.
If a village has two staple foods, such as sago palm and otherrice, the food valuation will increase and the opportunities forsago as a staple food will decrease. However, due to the
influence of food diversification, the use weight of side dishes
and confectionery using sago starch increased. Then, theproduction of confectioneries for sale became popular, andpeople and groups specialized in making confectioneries using
sago starch appeared.
As a third step
As the use of sago expands, sago starch is consumed not as astaple food but as a side dish or confectionery due to theactivation of economic activities in the village. Generally, thestaple food is rice, other cereals and potatoes that can beproduced in a short period of time. If there is a custom to eat

Fig. 3. Flow of sago utilization changes in the areas
As mentioned above, the traditional use of sago in farming
villages will change along with the development of the local
economy and society (See Fig. 3).
Conclusion
In the future, when the area around the sago palm forest isdeveloped and the distribution of goods moves due toeconomic development, the position of sago will change. As aresult, we believe that the direction of sago palm utilization
will be concentrated in two directions. In other sago palm
growing areas, the demand for sago palm is expected to decline.
We consider this polarization to be as follows. So how are wegoing to deal with this in the future?
1) Production of starch that can compete with international
prices.
It is thought that the industrialization of sago starch will
progress in areas where sago palm forests are widelydistributed. Since there are enough resources, the factory was
designed to centralize starch extraction and improve processing
efficiency by installing large-scale facilities. In particular, it
must be of better quality than other starches, be cheaper, and beavailable in large quantities. In addition, easy access to
production area and consumption areas is also required.
However, in order to commercialize sago starch as starch, it
must be cheaper than starches such as cassava, corn, and potato,
and must be competitive. If it is found that sago starch has aunique effect/use, we believe that the form of industrialization
will change greatly. In addition, if large-scale industrialization
is to proceed, it will be necessary to adopt measures that enable
sustainable management, such as planting trees, and to
implement policies to compensate for the destruction of theenvironment that accompanies industrialization.
2) Maintaining of sago palm culture (sago palm farming andtourism) calling Sago-agritourism
This survey revealed that the need for sago will decrease inareas with sago palm forests as the economy develops andchanges in people's diets occur. Therefore, it is necessary to
carry out activities to maintain the sago palm culture
considering the conservation of the sago palm and theconnection between people. To this end, we propose
Sago-agritourism. This plan considers sago palm as acomprehensive activity for regional development. A similar31

activity has already been carried out by Prof. Y.B. Pasolon's
group in Kendari. This outline is shown in the figure (See Fig.
4). It is a comprehensive plan to ensure the diversity andsustainable use of sago palm, environmental conservation andeconomic activities. As mentioned above, it is considered to beaggregated into two ways.

1) Business development of sago starch to a position ofsuperiority in the international starch industry.
2) Local villagers will work on the use of sago palm in a waythat integrates environmental issues, economic efficiency, andsustainability.
It is thought that sago palms will be decline in other sago
palm habitats.
References
Ehara, H. 2015 Geographical origin, dispersal and distributionof the true sago palm. pp.17-22. In: The Society of Sago
Palm Studies: The sago palm. Kyoto University Press.
Kyoto.
Nishimura, Y. 1995a Agriculture in the villages of Southeast
Sulawesi, Indonesia – Part1: The Inter-village variations infood production and consumption. Sago Palm 3:55-61.
(Japanese)
Nishimura, Y. 1995b Agriculture in the villages of Southeast
Sulawesi, Indonesia – Part2: The role of sago exploitation
in household and village economy. Sago Palm 3:62-71.
(Japanese)
Nishimura, Y. and T. M. Laufa 2002 A study of traditional used
for sago starch extraction in Asia and the Pacific.
pp.211-218. In: Kainuma, K., M. Okazaki, Y. Toyoda an
J.E. Cecil(eds.), New Frontiers of Sago Palm Studies:
Proceeding of the International Symposium on SAGO.
Universal Academy Press, Tokyo.
Nishimura, Y. 2008 Present sago palm situation in Mindanao,
Philippines. Proceeding of the Conference of the Society of
Sago Palm Studies,31-36. (Japanese)
Nishimura, Y. 2015 Starch extraction and production:
Traditional extension methods pp235-242. In: The Societyof Sago Palm Studies: The sago palm. Kyoto University
Press. Kyoto.
Nishimura, Y. 2018 Sago starch: Transformation of extraction
and consumption processes in traditional IndonesianSocieties. pp221-229. In: Ehara, H., Y., Toyoda and D.V.,
Johnson, Sago Palm: Multiple contributions to foodsecurity and sustainable livelihoods. Springer open.

Fig. 4. The model area of Sago agritourism in Kendari
Conclusive recommendation:
Future value and development of sago palm
This report clarified the relationship between sago palms andpeople in the future.
As globalization increases the movement of people, goods,
and money, the area around sago palm forests will be
developed, and the position of sago palms will change. Either
the sago palm can take over the international starch industry, orother uses for the sago palm can be found. Therefore, we thinkthat the direction of sago palm utilization will be concentrated
in two directions. Other sago palm habitats are expected to fallvictim to development and decline as the demand for sago
palm decreases.

ESD

32

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS08

Possibility of Up-scaling Sago Production in Sepik Area, Papua New Guinea
Yukio Toyoda1*, Hiroshi Ehara2, Hitoshi Naito3, Takashi Mishima4 and Keith Galgal5
1 Rikkyo University, 3-34-1 Nishi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 171-8501, Japan
2 Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
3 Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts, 2640 Nshinoura, Tsurajima-cho, Kurashiki 712-8505, Japan
4 Mie University, 1577 Kurimamachiya-cho, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
5 FAO, Papua New Guinea Office, P O Box 545 Vision City 131 Waigani, Papua New Guinea*e-mail: ytoyoda@rikkyo.ac.jp
Abstract
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and four members of Society of Sago Palm Studies (SSPS)
joined a technical cooperation project (TCP) titled, ‘Enhancing food security and combating climate change through scaling-up sago
production’, and conducted researches in Papua New Guinea in collaboration with FAO Papua New Guinea Office. Among several
suggested sites, two sites near Wewak, the capital city of East Sepik Province, have been chosen for the project. Preliminary research
was conducted by three research members in August 2022, and they decided to carry out two things for up-scaling sago production;1) to establish nurseries and to apply seed propagation method in order to increase the rate of germinating, 2) to introduce raspingmachines for grinding sago pith tissues into small pieces in order to increase starch extraction efficiency. In November 2022, threemembers visited the research sites, and they gave the villagers instructions for making nurseries and seed propagation method. In
addition to this, the research team organized a workshop titled ‘Sago Planting Materials’ in Wewak city, gave instructions for growing
sago to local people. After that, the people in one of the research sites, following the advice from the research team, finished making
a nursery in their village, which would be the first sago palm nursery in Papua New Guinea. They began to grow sago seeds withseedling bags in the nursery for seed propagation. A rasping machine was introduced in May, 2023. In this project, the authors founda possibility of up-scaling sago production in this area, while they found some social and cultural aspects they have to consider incarrying out the project.
Key words: Nursery, Papua New Guinea, Seed Propagation, Social aspects
Introduction
Papua New Guinea (PNG) has a large resource base of sagowith over 1 million ha, and almost 30 % of its total populationconsider sago as staple food. The rate of sago as the major
food staples is around 10 %, although it is gradually decreasing.
Traditionally sago making has been the mainstay of low andwetland communities of PNG, and played a significant culturalrole as a commodity of trade or were used in barter exchanges
for other foods or goods (Temu and Saweri 2001). Almost all
sago starch in PNG is produced on a subsistence level, andcommercial cultivation is virtually nonexistent (Pue 2018).
Compared with the situation in Indonesia and Malaysia, it is
not yet widely commercialized.
FAO, who acknowledges food security and climate change
are urgent issues, considers that sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.)
is an underutilized indigenous crop that is well adapted to PNG
conditions, and that it has great potential in addressing the foodinsecurity status of the country. Therefore, FAO considers thatscaling up sago production would be one of the effective ways
to combat climate change and tries to find ways of upscaling
sago production. The PNG office of FAO asked the Society of
Sago Palm Studies (SSPS) to provide technical assistance that
could enhance the production of sago, training and post-harvest
management, processing and value adding technologies.
It is reported that the total annual amount of sago in PNG isestimated to be around 100,000 mt (Gibson 2001). Considering
the total space of growing area is around 1 million ha, however,there is scope for more sago production. If the area has 20
stands of sago per ha, and if we expect 50 kg per stand, then 1
mt per ha is possible, which leads to the total amount of
1,000,000 mt (Pue 2018).
After the PNG office of FAO and SSPS consulted thepossibility of technical cooperation project, it was decided thatfour members of SSPS, who have an experience of research on

sago in PNG, would join the project. The members are, Ehara,
Toyoda, Naito and Mishima. The title of the project was‘Enhancing food security and combating climate change
through scaling-up sago production’. The objective of thisproject is to provide technical assistance to enhance theproduction of commercially viable sago palm nurseries to caterto large-scale plantings, training the sago-dependentcommunities on nursery development and management,
harvest and post-harvest management, processing, and value
addition technologies.
Due to the administrative affairs, the partner of theagreement was made not with SSPS, but with Tokai National
Higher Education and Research System (TNHERS), which
includes Nagoya University, to which the leader of the project,
Ehara, belongs. The project is supposed to be conducted from
August 2022 to August 2023 in collaboration with FAO Papua
New Guinea Office.
This paper is a report of the activities of the current project
and the authors discuss the social and cultural issues they face
with, when conducting the project.
Methodology
One of the authors, Toyoda, has been conducting
anthropological research on sago in Papua New Guinea forsome 30 years, and the contents of this paper is partly based on
this experience. In that sense, the research of this paper was
conducted with anthropological fieldwork. Also, interview withthose local people who are involved with sago growing was
conducted with semi-structural method.
Another methodology was the Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA),
which was used while staying in the field area, in order toassess the utilization of sago in Sepik area and the potential forcommercial utilization of sago starch, based on interviews withmany local people.

33

Purpose of the Project
After discussion between FAO PNG Office and the researchmembers, the purpose of the project has been decided. The
letter of Agreement was exchanged between FAO PNG Office
and TNHER, and it says the purpose of the project as follows;

the authors can expect that the result of the project willcontribute directly to the people’s life in this province. Later,
Manus Province was added to the project site, and additional
activities were conducted in August 2023.

OutcomeThe Services will contribute to the following outcome:
Increased sago production through improvement ofcropping, management, and value addition practices in thethree targeted locations.
Outputs
The Service Provider (TNHERS) will produce, achieve ordeliver the following outputs:
1) Implement an improved sago cultivation system in theselected locations in the provinces;2) Increase sago production (sago palm production) throughcommunity-based cropping, management, and value
addition practices in the targeted locations;3) Improved post-harvest management practices and value
addition methods introduced to the farmers in the targeted
provinces;
4) And develop sago palm cropping and management
capacities of farmers and technical staff in the targeted
provinces at the national, provincial and community level.

Fig. 1. Map of research sites in East Sepik
During the 1st visit, the authors had a look on some of thecandidate sites, and finally, they have chosen 2 villages for the
research sites, which were Moem and Parom (Fig 1). The
authors had a talk with local people, and they decided to carryout two things for up-scaling sago production; These are , 1) toestablish nurseries and to apply seed propagation method rather
than vegetative one for efficient propagation of planting
materials. 2) to introduce rasping machines for grinding sagopith tissues into small pieces in order to increase starch
extraction efficiency.
In order to increase sago production, first, the authors
planned to establish nurseries and to apply seed propagation,
not vegetative propagation, which is through using suckers. It
is reported that the rate of growing through seed propagation isbetter than using suckers (Ehara (2006), Ehara et al. (1998,
2001, 2006), Naito et al. (2006), Takagi et al. (2019).
Therefore, the authors expected that they can expect more
efficient sago growing with this approach.
As for the rasping machines, they are widely used in
Malaysia and Indonesia for small-scale farmers. But in PNG,
they have never been used so far. The people in PNG get sago
starch mostly by scrapping by hands, mixing with water.
Therefore, by introducing rasping machines, the authors
expected that the procedures of grinding sago pith will beeasier, and also more efficient, since the rate of starch
extraction through rasping machines is better than the one
through scrapping by hands. In order to introduce a raspingmachine, the authors arranged importing one from Indonesia.
Before finishing the 1st visit, the authors suggested thevillagers of Moem to build a nursery, and gave them a blueprint,
specification, and some constructing materials. After the 1stvisit, the authors received a report saying that the villagers ofMoem people began to build a nursery for sago growing.
Before the authors’ second visit, they had almost completed thenursery.
In November 2022, three members conducted a 2nd visit to
the research sites. During the 2nd visit, the authors conducted
the following things;
1) To give instructions for seed propagation method to thevillagers
2) To organize a workshop to give instruction to the villagers
how to scale up sago production
As for the instructions for seed propagation, the authors
showed the ways of seed propagation as follows;
1) Preparing clean seed after removal of seed coat tissues,
pericarp (exocarp and mesocarp) and sarcotesta, from thefruit. To minimize practical work and save time, cutting of

Activities
The Service Provider (TNHERS) will undertake the following
activities:
1) Conduct survey and assessment of cropping and or
production system in targeted provinces;
2) Set about the work for establishing sago palm nursery inthe targeted provinces;
3) Set about the works for establishing 2-3 community-sagobased household food security and income generation
program4) Conduct capacity training on cropping and managementof sago palm for increased sago yield;5) Conduct capacity training on mechanized improved
harvesting practices and post-harvest management
practices; and
6) Conduct capacity training on downstream processing ofsago starch.
Research Site
To complete the project, the authors decided to arrange 4
trips to the research areas. In August 2022, they had a first visit
to PNG, and they decided to conduct preliminary researchduring the 1st visit. First, the authors had a meeting with thelandowners of the areas, and explained the objectives of the
projects to them beforehand, and got a permission from them toconduct the project.
Among several suggested sites, two sites near Wewak, thecapital city of East Sepik Province, have been chosen for the
project. Later it was found that one of these two sites were to
be considered as 2 villages, and 3 villages have become project
candidates. Preliminary research was conducted by threeresearch members in August 2022.
Activities of the Project
The authors planned to upscale the sago production throughtheir technical assistance, based on their experience of previous
research in Papua New Guinea. For the project, someprovinces are planned as candidate sites from the office of FAO
PNG Office, and among these provinces, the authors havechosen East Sepik Province, where sago is the staple food, and34

Conclusions
As the result of the authors’ activities,
1) The people of Moem village have constructed a sago
nursery as a community.
2) They learned a way of seed propagation of sago and began
to grow sago seeds in a nursery.
3) The people of other areas in East Sepik Province got
interested in constructing sago nurseries and a landownerof Sepik River area began to construct one.
4) Not only Moem people but also the people of surroundingarea joined a workshop and got lectures of growing sago
efficiently.
5) The Moem people got a rasping machine and they are
ready to use it.
Therefore, the authors found a certain amount to possibility of
up-scaling sago production in East Sepik Province, Papua New
Guinea.

husk of fruit (top part of husk above embryo) will be
acceptable
2) Soaking the clean seed in enough amount of water (oneseed/100 mL water) for a few days with frequent renewalof water (To save time or in case of husk cut fruit, thesoaking process will be skipped.)
3) Planting the seed/husk cut fruit one each in a pot (seedlingbag) filled with soil at an angle of embryo by 90 degrees tothe soil surface
4) Covering the seed /husk cut fruit with soil up to theseed/fruit5) Supplying water well every morning and/or evening
considering atmosphere
6) Recording the growth (appearance of each organ)especially the number of leaves to consider preferable
timing for transplanting (As basic information, leaflets willappear from the third leaf stage)
The authors also organized a workshop titled ‘Sago Planting
Materials’ in Wewak city, and gave instructions for growing
sago to local people. In the workshop, 21 local people fromthe province joined in the discussion. In the Q&A session, a
lively discussion was held between the participants and theteam members.
After the 2nd visit, the people in Moem village finishedmaking a nursery in their village, which was the first sago palm
nursery in Papua New Guinea, and began to grow sago seeds
with seedling bags in the nursery for seed propagation.
The rasping machines were introduced in May, 2023. It wasused just for demonstration to show its possibility to the local
people and is not yet used regularly. The effect of theintroduction of rasping machine is, therefore, not yet evaluatedat the time of July, 2023.

Discussion
As the activities of the project shows, the authors found a
possibility of up-scaling sago production in this area in thatshowing the ways of seed propagation and introducing arasping machine. But at the same time, some social andcultural aspects to be considered were found when the authors
are carrying out the project as follows;
1) Issues of management
To keep the project going, the people have to manage
common properties, such as nurseries and rasping machines,
and other equipment. But they have little experience ofmanaging these things. The issues are: who will hold theseproperties, and, if someone wants to use them, who will handle
the procedures. Also, to maintain these facilities, they needsome cash for repairing and fuels, and the problem is who will
pay for that.
2) To keep the people motivated to continue the project is noteasy
The authors introduced these two approaches, seedpropagation and introducing rasping machines.
Theefficiency of rasping machine is easy to understand, but theresults of new propagation method is not easy to understand.
The timing of getting starch is some 10 years after they plantseeds, and far ahead. Therefore, it will not be easy to keep the
people to continue the project. In order to keep people
motivated, continuous guidance might be necessary.
3) Financial problems
When the authors start the project and also keep the project
going, they need some funds for that. With this current
project, the authors provided the local people building
materials for constructing nursery, and also a rasping machine.
But when the authors leave the project, the local people have tomanage with their own funds for that. Not so many people
have such enough funds to keep the project going.
Therefore, the authors found that there is a possibility of
up-scaling sago production, but at the same time they arefacing these social and cultural problems.

Fig. 2 Sago Nursery and Seedling of Sago in Moem
When the authors had a 3rd visit in May 2023, they did nothave enough time because of the delays of air flights and they
had only a ceremony of opening a sago nursery, and also ademonstration of using a rasping machine (Fig. 3) to thevillagers.

References
Bourke and Harwood 2009 Agricultural Systems of Papua New
Guinea, National Statistics Office, Port Moresby.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,
Climate change and food security: risks and responses,
2015.
Gibson 200, In Bourke R.M., Allen M.G., Salisbury J.G. (eds)
Food security for Papua New Guinea. Proceedings of the
Papua New Guinea food and nutrition 2000 conference.
PNG University of Technology, Lae, PNG, 26–30 June

Fig. 3 Rasping machine of sago introduced in Moem Village

35

Kyoto Univ. Press.
Toyoda, Y., R. Todo, & H. Toyohara, 2005 Sago as Food in the
Sepik Area, Papua New Guinea, SAGO PALM Vol.12(2),2005:1-11.
Toyoda, Y. 2008 Anthropological Studies of Sago Palm in
Papua New Guinea. Rikkyo University Centre for AsianArea Studies, Occasional Paper No. 13.
Pue, J., M. T. Fletcher, B. Blaney, A. R. Greenhill, J. M. Warner,
A. Latifa, and J. C. Ng, 2018 Addressing Food Security in
Papua New Guinea Through Food Safety and Sago
Cropping. In Ehara, H., Toyoda, Y. and D. V. Johnson(eds.), Sago Palm: Multiple Contributions to Food
Security and Sustainable Livelihoods, Springer.

2000. Australian Centre for International Agricultural
Research (ACIAR), Canberra, pp 395–406.
King, D. and S. Ranck (eds.) 1982 Papua New Guinea atlas. A
nation in transition. Papua New Guinea: Robert Brown
Assoc.
Temu P.I., Saweri W., 2001 Nutrition in transition. In: Bourke
R.M., Allen M.G., Salisbury J.G. (eds) Food security for
Papua New Guinea. Proceedings of the Papua New
Guinea food and nutrition 2000 conference. PNG
University of Technology, Lae, PNG, 26–30 June 2000.
Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research(ACIAR), Canberra, pp 395–406.
The Society of Sago Palm Studies, 2015 The sago palm―thefood and environmental Challenges of the 21st century,36

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

Potential Study of Sago Dregs Waste as Renewable Energy:
Quality and Economic Value of Sago Dregs Briquette Production
Hafidawati1*, Elvi Yenie1, Ida Zahrina2, Khairat2, Bagus Duhan Irfandy1
1 Environmental Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Riau University, Riau, 28298, Indonesia
1 Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Riau University, Riau, 28298, Indonesia*e-mail: hafidawati@lecturer.unri.ac.id
Abstract Currently, the world's energy consumption tends to depend on fossil fuels. Renewable energy is still underdeveloped.
Indonesia has the potential to develop renewable energy, especially from the field of biomass. One of the Biomass is sago dregs
waste (repu) which can be processed into briquettes. Sago dregs briquettes can be used as an alternative fuel that can be a solution to
the energy crisis. Economically, sago dregs briquettes can be a very potential business. Making sago dregs briquettes can be donewith the simplest technique. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out a calculation of economic value of sago dregs briquettes. This
research was conducted using sago starch waste adhesive with a weight percentage of 5 % of the weight of sago dregs briquettes. The
results of this study were that sago dregs briquettes had a moisture content of 9.74 %, ash content of 11.44 %, volatile matter content
of 15.89 %, and calorific value of 4,598 kcal/kg. When compared with the quality of Indonesian national standard (SNI)
01-6235-2000 briquettes, sago dregs briquettes have not reached the specified quality standards. The results of calculating the
economic value of production in local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME’s) to produce sago dregs briquettes with acapacity of 1,350 kg, total income per month is IDR.5,461,865 with a net profit is IDR 243,000. The cost of goods sold sago dregs
briquettes is IDR 4,045/kg and the new selling price that can be offered to consumers is IDR 4,225/kg. In this calculation, thebreak-even point (BEP) value per unit of sago dregs briquettes in one month is 1,255 kg while the payback period is 22 days.
.
Keywords: Economic value, Renewable energy, Sago dregs briquette
Introduction
Indonesia is a country facing serious energy problems
because of its high dependency on fossil fuels. Despite paying
little attention to alternative energy development, Indonesia has
considerable potential to develop renewable energy. For
example, by utilizing sago waste as bioenergy. Sago
(Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) is a monocot plant from the Palmaefamily, genus Metroxylon, and order Spadiciflorae, including
carbohydrate-producing plants that are useful in supportingfood security programs in Indonesia (Tarigans, 2001). Sago
plants ranging from leaves to stems can be used, the leaves canbe used as roofs, the midrib can be made into handicrafts andthe stems can be processed into sago starch. Utilization of sago
at this time can be processed into food additives, animal feed,industry, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and sources of raw
materials in product innovation to address environmental
problems (Murod, 2018).
The area of sago plantations in Indonesia is one of thelargest in the world, more than 50 % of the world's sago area isin Indonesia with production in 2021 will reach 381,065 t(Badan Pusat Statistik, 2021). Riau Province is the largest
contributor to sago starch production in Indonesia reaching
274,807 tons in 2021, of which more than 85 % of the supply
comes from Kepulauan Meranti Regency with a record
production of 243,708 tons. The prospect of developing thesago business in Kepulauan Meranti Regency has a great
opportunity to increase food security and the national economy.
Viewed from a geographical aspect.
Kepulauan Meranti Regency is very strategic, because it isclose to neighboring countries, namely Malaysia and Singapore
as the country's export destinations. Until now, it has beenrecorded that 95 sago refineries have been established in legal
companies, which has resulted in the addition of new jobs in
Kepulauan Meranti Regency. This sago dregs briquetteindustry was developed by a research team of sago dregs
briquettes, Environmental Engineering Study Program, Riau
University. Good quality briquettes have a calorific value of

20,055 J/kg while poor quality briquettes have a calorific valueof 12,293 J/kg (Supriyatno and Merry Chrishna, 2010).
Syamsiro et al. (2020) said, from an economic analysis, thatmaking briquettes from sago dregs is a very potential business.
This is because sago waste is currently the main contributor topollution in the sago processing industry. Today's society reallywants stable fuel prices and supplies. So, it is necessary to
carry out a calculation of economic value for the process of
producing sago dregs briquettes, so that it is suitable for use by
the community as an alternative fuel to replace fuel oil.
Research Methods
The implementation of this research consists of 2 stages:
1) Making briquettes and analyzing the quality of briquettes(proximate analysis).
2) Calculation of cost of sales, break-even point, and cost
analysis (economic aspect).
a. Briquette Making Process
The raw material to be prepared is sago dregs resulting
from industrial processing of sago starch (Sentra IKM Sagu)
location in Sungai Tohor, Kepulauan Meranti Regency which iscollected and cleaned of impurities. continued through thecarbonization process in a furnace burning sago waste waste
into charcoal, which is indicated by the appearance of whitesmoke from the top of the can. Then reducing the size of thematerial is done by using stone collisions. The results of the
reduced material are sifted with a 50 mesh. The selection of thesieve size for each of these materials is based on the statement
Pancapalaga (2008), sifted dry sago dregs with a pass size of
50 mesh. The filtered ingredients are then mixed with anadhesive treatment with sago starch binder.
The binders contain sago starch are mixed with as much as
30 % of the weight briquette dough (sago dregs) to form arather dry dough. The briquette mixture that has been mixed
with the binder is put into a cylindrical mold with a diameter of
2.8 cm and a height of 4 cm. Molding process using machinepressure based on Kurniawan (2017) with a pressing force of37

100 kg/cm2.
The next step is to dry briquettes with sunlight for 6 days,
the aim is to reduce the water content in the briquettes. So thatthe briquettes burn quickly and do not smoke. Briquettes are
not dried in an oven because temperatures that are too high cancause the concrete to crack.

1.1 Moisture content
Moisture contained in the sago dregs briquettes is 9.74%.
Based on the results of the moisture content test and thecalculations that have been carried out is not eligible. show thatthe moisture content of the briquettes using sago starchadhesive has a fairly large water content exceeding theapplicable standards set out in SNI 01-6235-2000 where themaximum moisture content is 8 %. Pancapalaga (2008) said thehigh water in sago binders is because sago has many pores andstill contains chemical constituents such as cellulose, lignin,
and hemicellulose.
Moisture content in briquettes is very influential on thecalorific value and the process of lighting a fuel briquette. The
moisture content affects the quality of the briquettes resulting
from. The lower the moisture content, the higher the calorificvalue (Nurmalasari and Afiah, 2017). Lestasi et al. (2015)
explain, on the other hand, the higher the water content, thedecrease in calorific value.

Raw Material
Raw material preparation
Carbonization process
Size reduction
Making briquettes dough

1.2 Ash content
Ash is the residue from combustion, in this case, ash fromburning briquettes. One of the ash components is silica which
adversely affects the calorific value of the resulting charcoal
briquettes. The ash value of sago dregs briquettes is 11.44%(not eligible). The high ash content is caused by the
carbonization process which tends to be weak and unevenbecause the water content in the waste waste is quite high. The
high ash content makes the ignition process difficult.
This ash can reduce the calorific value and cause scale on
the equipment so the permissible percentage of ash is not canbe too big. The higher the level of ash, causing lower thebriquette quality so that the resulting calorific value decreases.
An increase in ash content can be affected by the increase in
the concentration of the adhesive and the type of adhesive used
This statement is supported by Faijah et al. (2020) said the best
briquette formulations with low ash content were made using
adhesive based on sago starch with the lowest concentration.

Briquettes forming
Drying briquettes
Briquettes
Fig. 1. Sago dregs briquettes production flowchartb. Process testing and analysis briquettes
The briquette testing stage is the stage of testing thecharacteristics of the briquettes to find out whether the
resulting briquettes are of good quality according to SNI, thetest steps (proximate analysis) carried out include moisture
content, ash content, carbon content, volatile matter content,
and calorific value. The stages involved in research, concept
development, or case resolution are written in the methodology
section.

1.3 Volatile matter content
Meanwhile, the volatile matter content obtained from thesago dregs briquette test was 15.89%. Based on SNI
01-6235-2000, the value of volatile matter content in sago
briquettes is still quite high and is not eligible. Volatile matterin a briquette is a substance that can be vaporized as thedecomposition of remaining compounds contained in charcoal
besides water, carbon bonds, and ashes.
Research results put forward by Purnomo et al. (2015)
explain starch contains a lot of organic matter such ascarbohydrates which improves the content of volatile
substances such as CO, CO2, H2, CH4, and H2O in briquettes
because ingredients containing carbohydrates are not caught
fire in the process burning. Different types of adhesives affectthe amount of volatile matter in briquettes. Volatile matter inmaking briquettes is expected as low as possible so that thesmoke produces briquettes at the timeless burning.

Results and Discussion
1. Quality of sago dregs briquette
Briquettes are a material in the form of powder or small
pieces compacted using a press machine with mixed adhesive
thus producing a shape compact (Faijah et al., 2020). Sagodregs briquettes that have been made based on the treatment
adhesive formulation from sago starch are then carried out aproximate analysis to determine the quality of the briquettes
produced.
Table 1. Results of briquette analysis and comparison briquettequality based on SNI 01-6235-2000.
Parameter
Moisturecontent (%)
Ash content(%)
Volatile
Mattercontent (%)
Calorific
value (cal/g)

SNI
Adhesive
Information(01-6235-2000) (Sago starch)
Max 8

9,74

Not eligible

Max 8

11,44

Not eligible

Max 1515,89

Not eligible

Min 5,000

4,598

Not eligible

1.4 Calorific value
The calorific value greatly affects the quality of thebriquettes. The higher the calorific value, the higher the qualityof the briquettes produced. The lowest calorific value wasobtained when the briquettes were given a sago binder of 4,598
cal/g (not eligible). Briquettes with sago binder had a higher
calorific value due to higher water content and ash content.
This is the same as Nurhayati (1974) in Masturin (2002), where
the calorific value is affected by the moisture content and ash
content of the briquettes.

38

Table 3. Calculation profit sago dregs briquettes per month(capacity 1,350 kg if market price IDR 4,300/kg)

Anizar et al. (2020) said calorific value is the mostimportant parameter in the manufacture of fuel. The calorificvalue can determine the quality of briquettes. Calorific value isa very decisive quality of the briquettes produced. The higher
the calorific value, the higher the quality of the briquettes
resulting from. Necessary calorific value is analyzed to find out
the value of possible combustion heat produced by briquettes
as an ingredient burn (Nurmalasari and Afiah, 2017).

Cost description

Value per month (IDR)

Total income
Total cost
Gross profit from revenue
Marketing cost
Net profit per kilograms

2. Calculation of economic value
Calculation of economic value is very important insupporting the continuity of production. Hamid (2023)
explained prospects for the briquette business in efforts toassist and empower the community towards a circular economy
indicating that the opportunities and prospects for the existing
briquette business can have a significant circular economic
impact on society to improve family welfare.

5,805,000
5,461,865
343,135(100,000)180

Based on Table 3, the market price of the briquettes is
IDR.4,300 referred to Mulyati (2016). The new price for sago
dregs briquettes is the cost of sales + net profit per kg = 4,045+ 180 = IDR.4,225/kg. This price is still below the market
price, so there is a great opportunity to improve quality at amore affordable price.
2.3 Break-even point
The break-even point (BEP) is a situation where in thecompany's operations, the company does not make a profit anddoes not suffer a loss. Known that the fixed cost value is
IDR.4,609,865 and the variable cost per unit is IDR 629. The
break-even point for sago dregs briquettes per month is:
BEP (Kg) =Fig. 2. Local MSME’s sago dregs briquette production=

From an aspect Economically, briquette processing isrelatively simple and is carried out by small and medium-scalebusinesses. Machmud (2011) said, financial limitations, accessto information limited market and market uptake as well as
quality that does not meet requirements, are constraints andproblems in developing a briquette production industry. So, weneed a clear and correct analysis of economic calculations.

Variable cost:• Raw material• Daily worker wages• Equipment Depreciation• Distribution product
Total
Cost of sales= 1,255 kg/month

Payback period = Investment = 5,461,865 = 22 days
Net profit
243,000
2.1 Cost analysis
Production costs indicate that briquettes from sago dregs
are relatively cheap. This is because the selling price ofbriquettes per kg may still be affordable in general. The priceof sago dregs briquettes can compete with the prices of otherfuels, namely kerosene and gas. This shows that comparison
briquettes made from sago dregs and other fuels can be seen in
Table 4.

Table 2. Calculation of the cost of goods sold sago dregs
briquettes 1,350 kg/month in May 2023.

Fixed cost:• Building & land tax 100 m2• Fix 2 employee salary• Electrical energy 1,300 VA• Insurance 2 employee

4,609,865
4,300 - 629

2.4 Payback Period
The Payback Period in one month for investment in thebusiness of making sago dregs briquettes is:

2.1 Cost of goods sold
The cost of goods sold is obtained by adding up all costs
incurred by the local MSME group for one month. The daily
production capacity is 45 kg and the annual production
capacity is 1,350 kg/month. The following data to determine
the cost of goods sold can be seen in Table 2.

Cost Description

Fixed Cost
Price – Variable cost per unit

Table 4. Comparison of fuel consumption and costs of several
types of household energy sources per month

Cost Per Month (IDR)

Item

32,8654,000,000
500,000
77,000Kerosene
(Oil)

LPG
(Gas)

Sago dregs
briquettePrice
11,000*6,000*
4,225(kg or L)
Total Calories
10,478
11,254
4,598(Kcal/kg)
Energy demand
44,00044,00044,000(Kcal/kg)
Household
4.1
3.9
9.5
demand(kg or L)
Total costs
45,10023,40040,137
consumption(IDR)
Source: *Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Republicof Indonesia (2023)

400,000
150,000
200,000
100,000
5,461,865
4,045

39

If a household needs 4.1 L of kerosene per month, thecalorific value of kerosene is 10,478 kcal, and the energy
needed by this household is 44,000 kcal/kg per month. If thecurrent price of kerosene is IDR 11,000 then the family needs
energy costs of IDR 45,100 per month. The value of the energy
requirement of kerosene is used as a basis for comparing
calorie requirements of two different fuels: LPG and sago dregs
briquettes. To meet the household's energy needs of 44,000kcal/kg per month using LPG, the cost of energy consumption
is IDR 23,400. By using briquettes from sago dregs, the energy
consumption cost is only IDR 40,137 to meet the householdenergy needs of 44,000 kcal/kg. From the results of thiscomparison of energy consumption costs, using briquettes fromsago dregs can be an alternative energy combined for otherhousehold activities, such as cooking food by burning, baking,or grilling process.
In addition to reducing dependence on non-renewable andunsustainable fossil fuels, the use of briquettes made from sago
dregs production by local MSME group is a cost-effectiveenergy source, especially for the lower-middle class economy.
Mulyati (2016) Explained the development of alternative
energy in this case is carried out to avoid an energy crisis
happening with the supply of materials non-renewable fossil
fuels running low and the price getting more expensive

Kurniawan, A 2017 Effect of Pressing Variation on Character
Characteristic of Coconut Shell Charcoal. Thesis UNNES
University pp. 37. (in Indonesian)Lestari, L., V. I. Variani., I. N. Sudiana., D. P. Sari., W. O. S.
Ilmawati and E. S. Hasan 2015 Characterization ofbriquette from the corncob charcoal and sago stem alloys.
The 5th International Conference on Theoretical andApplied Physics 846:1–6.
Masturin, A 2022 Physical and chemical properties of charcoal
briquettes from waste charcoal mixture. Thesis IPB
University pp. 30. (in Indonesian)
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Republic ofIndonesia 2023 Conversion of Kerosene to Gas.
Directorate General of Oil and Gas Republic of Indonesia.
(in Indonesian)
Mulyati, M 2016 Techno-economic analysis of charcoal
briquettes from dried leaf waste. Teknoin 22:505–513.
(in Indonesian)
Murod, M., C. Kusmana., M. H. Bintoro., N. Widiatmaka and
E. Hilmi 2018 Structure analysis of the contstraint sago
sustainable management in Kepulauan Meranti Regency,
Riau Province. Buletin palma 19: 101-116. (inIndonesian)
Nurmalasari and N. Afiah 2017 Sago bark briquettes(Metroxylon sagu) using tapioca starch adhesive andkapuk leaf extract (Ceiba pentandra). Jurnal Dinamika
8: 1-10. (in Indonesian)Pancapalaga and Wehandako 2008 Evaluation of cow manureand agricultural waste (kosap plus) as alternative fuels.
Thesis University of Muhammadiyah Malang. Pp. 43. (inIndonesian)Purnomo, R. H., H. Hower and I. R. Padya 2015 Utilization of
biomass waste for briquettes as alternative energy.
Proceedings of the FKPT-TPI Agro-industry Seminar andNational Workshop. B:54-67. (in Indonesian)Supriyatno and M Chrishna 2010 Case study of alternative
energy for environmental waste briquettes in campus
POLBAN Bandung. National Proceedings Seminar"Kejuangan". Yogyakarta. (in Indonesian)Syamsiro, M., M. N. Aridito and S. Maarif 2020 Potential
application of sago briquette for electricity generation
using gasification technology in Papua Province,
Indonesia. Key Engineering Materials 849:20-26.
Tarigans, D. D. 2001. Sago strengthens self-sufficiency in food.
Warta Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pertanian 23:1–3.
(in Indonesian)
Triono, A 2006 Characteristics of charcoal briquettes from a
mixture of African Sawdust (Maesopsis eminii Engl.) andSengon (Parasenrianthes falcataria L. Nielsen) with theaddition of coconut shell (Cocos mucifera L). Thesis IPB
University pp. 30. (in Indonesian)
Widarti, Sarwono, R. Hartono 2007 Experimental study oforganic briquettes with raw materials from PPL
Seloliman. Thesis ITS University pp. 54. (in Indonesian)Conclusions
From the results of the research conducted, it can beconcluded that the ratio of starch adhesive with a concentrationof 30% by weight of sago dregs waste briquette can beproduced, but it still does not meet the standard quality
requirements in SNI 01-6235-2000. Quality of sago dregs
waste briquettes with sago starch binders was carried out by
analyzing the moisture content of 9.74 %, ash content of
11.44 %, volatile matter value of 15.89 %, and calorific valueof 4,598 kcal/kg. Calculation of economic value resulted has avery promising economic potential. The price sago dregs
briquettes produced by local MSMEs is IDR.4,225 when
production reaches 1,350 kg/month in a cost of production IDR
5,461,865 with a net profit is IDR 243,000. The break-evenpoint (BEP) per unit in one month is 1,255 kg while thepayback period is 22 days.
Suggestion
This research is basic research regarding the calculated
economic value of briquettes production from sago dregs waste.
There are still weaknesses and shortcomings in this study, so it
is hoped that future researchers will be able to complete andperfect this research on briquettes from sago dregs waste. The
availability of abundant, renewable, and sustainable raw
materials is a huge capital for developing briquettes from sago
waste as an alternative fuel to replace fossil fuels.
References
Anizar, H., E. Sribudiani and S. Somadona 2020 The effect oftapioca adhesive and sago adhesive on the quality ofcharcoal briquette from rind of Nipah. Perennial
16:11–17. (in Indonesian)
Badan Pusat Statistik. 2021. Sago production by province inIndonesia 2017-2021. Indonesian Statistics Center. pp. 3.
(in Indonesian)Faijah., R. Fadilah and Nurmila 2020 Comparison of tapiocaand sago in the manufacture of Nipah rind
(Nypafruticans) briquettes. Jurnal Pendidikan dan
Teknologi Pertanian. 6:201-210. (in Indonesian)Hamid, A 2023 Experimental Studies and Economic Analysis
of Biomass-Based Briquettes. Journal of Energy andTechnology Innovation (ENOTEK) 2:59–63.

40

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS10Impact of Ultrasonication Treatment on Resistant Starch (RS) Content andCharacteristics of Sago StarchEndang Yuli Purwani1*, Agus Budianto1, Nurdi Setyawan2, Donny Ruben Yahya3
and Adil Basuki Ahza3
1 Research Center for Agroindustry, Research Organization for Agriculture and Food, National Research andInnovation Agency, KST Soekarno J. Raya Jakarta-Bogor KM 46, Cibinong, 16911, Indonesia

2 Research Center for Food Technology and Processes, Research Organization for Agriculture and Food,

National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jl. Jogja-Wonosari Km. 31,5 Gading, Playen,
Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta 55861, Indonesia
3 IPB University, Kampus IPB Dramaga Jl. Lingkar Akademik, Babakan, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia*e-mail: enda060@brin.go.id

Abstract. Ultrasonication is a nonthermal technique widely used in food science and technology. Sago starch of three different
varieties (iwamuluk, iwayuluk, and iwasnan) were subjected to ultrasonication (US) of 42 kHz at 30°C and 50°C for 15 and 45 min.
The US untreated and treated samples were analyzed for resistant starch (RS) content, chemical component, and pasting properties.
Starch granules were characterized by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that under US
treatment, the RS content significantly increased from 1.08-1.56% (db) to 17.66–31.96%(db). Iwayuluk consistently produces highcontent of RS compared to the varieties of iwamuluk and iwasnan. Ultrasonic treatment induced cracks and pores in starch granules
with small loose of maltese cross properties. The pasting properties of US treated were comparable with those of US untreated sago
starch. This study provides insights into the future direction on the benefit of ultrasonication treatment for the modification of sago
starch functional properties.
Key words: Resistant starch, Sago, Ultrasonication
Introduction
Sonication is a technique that apply the ultrasonic wave,
covering the frequency range of low-energy (high frequency)
diagnostic ultrasound (10 to 1 MHz), extended range
ultrasound (1 MHz – 100 kHz), and power ultrasound (100–16
kHz) (Bonto et al. 2021). Sonication techniques offer wide
applications on starch modification. It can be applied on either
native starch granules suspended in solution (Rahaman et al.
2021; Sujka and Jamroz 2013; Zhang, Li, and Zhu 2018) or on
starch after gelatinization (Liu et al. 2023). It was reported thatin starch-water system, the physical effects (such as hole effect,mechanical effect, etc.) generated by ultrasonic treatment willproduce strong shear force, high temperature and free radicals
in the local area, which will change the multi-scale structure of
starch, including formation of resistant starch/RS (B. Wang etal. 2023). The advantages of ultrasonication are higher
selectivity and quality, less chemical usage, and processing
period. Ultrasonication is also one of the advance technologies
that are environmentally friendly, efficient, and usable in food
(Bhargava et al. 2021). Ultra sonic (US) treatment can affectthe physicochemical and functional properties of starch derived
from different botanical origins as reported by several studies(Bonto et al. 2021; Rahaman et al. 2021).
Sago starch is produced from sago palm (Metroxylon sagu)
trunk which is origin to Southeast Asia. Mostly, sago palm field
was found in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea(Ehara, Toyoda, and Johnson 2018). The tree is very immune toextreme conditions such as drought, flood, strong wind, andfire (Ehara, Toyoda, and Johnson 2018). Currently, sago starch
has received more attention because of the sustainability of thecrop (Karim et al. 2008). It also absorbs a large amount ofCO2, mitigating the climate change and global warming(Singhal et al. 2008). Therefore, it plays a significant role infood security.
Unfortunately, sago starch is still considered as anunderutilized starch due to its low functionality, especially as
an ingredient for food products. Starch with high content ofresistant starches (RS) can be considered to have a functional

food property. RS provide several benefits due to thecontribution on intestinal and colonic health, glycemic andlipid management (Bojarczuk et al. 2022; Purwani, Iskandriati,
and Suhartono 2012; Purwani, Purwadaria, and Suhartono
2012). The RS can be developed by physical treatment of
ultrasonication (US) as described by earlier researchers (Bontoet al. 2021; Liu et al. 2023; Noor et al. 2021). Limited
published report was available on sago starch. Based on theabove-mentioned condition, the study was carried out toexamine the impact of high-power ultrasound of 42 kHz
frequency on the formation of RS, morphological andphysicochemical properties of sago starch.
Materials and Methods
The sago starch of three (iwasnan, iwamuluk, and iwayuluk)
different accession was obtained from sago field at Sorong,West Papua Province, Indonesia. Iwasnan and iwayuluk wereidentified as spiny type with high yield productivity, while
iwamuluk was not well identified yet. Sago was stored atroom temperature, and it had moisture content of less than
10 %. The starch had amylose content of approximately
29.96% (iwaluyuk), 32.70% (iwasnan), and 33.42%(iwamuluk) respectively.
Ultrasound treatment
The ultrasonic treatment of sago starch granules was carriedout by the ultrasonicator bath BRANSONIC 3510.
Approximately 12 g of sago starch was mixed in 28 mL
distilled water in a beaker. The treatment was carried out withfrequency 42 kHz at temperature of 30°C for 15 min, 30°C for
45 min, 50°C for 15 min, 50°C for 45 min.
After the treatment, the solutions were cooled (4-5°C) in arefrigerator for 24 hrs and it was then decanted followed bydrying in a oven dryer at 50°C for 1 hr and stored for further
analysis. The samples were assigned as Ultrasonic(US)-untreated, US 30:15 (Ultrasonic treatment at 30°C for 15min), US 30:45 (Ultrasonic treatment at 30°C for 45 min), US
50:15 (Ultrasonic treatment at 50°C for 15 min) and US 50:45

41

(Ultrasonic treatment at 50°C for 45 min).

test applied to determine differences between means using thecommercial statistical package (SPSS 16.0).

Resistant starch analysis and proximate analysis
Resistant starch (RS) content was analyzed according to themethod described by Goñi et al. (1996).
Briefly, theprocedure was described as following: sample, approximately
50 mg was mixed in 5 mL of KCl-HCl solution pH 1.5. The
mixture was incubated with 4400 units of pepsin solution at
40°C for 60 min with constant shaking to remove theproteinous substances. Tris maleate buffer 0.1 M, pH 6.9 (4.5mL) was added to the sample mixture and furthur incubatedwith 100 unit of amylase at 37°C for 16 h with constantshaking to hydrolyze the digestible starch, then centrifuged(1000 g for 15 min) twice, to discard the supernatant. The
residue was moistened with 1.5 mL of distilled water andsolubilized with 1.5 mL of KOH 4 M. RS solution was mixed
with HCl 2 M and Na-acetate 0.4 M buffer, pH 4.75, thenincubated with 100 unit of amyloglucosidase solution at 55°C
for 45 min. Glucose formed in the supernatant (collected after
centrifugation at 1000 g for 15 min), was determined using
phenol-sulfuric acid method. RS content was calculated as
glucose (g) 0.9 and was expressed as percent of RS in sample
analysis.
Chemical component (moisture content, ash, proteins, andfat) was analysed according to the standard method of (AOAC
2019).

Results
Resistant Starch (RS) Content and Chemical Component
Table 1 showed the resistant starch (RS) content of US
untreated and treated sago starch, while Table 2 presented thechemical component of US untreated and treated sago starch.
Table 1. Resistant starch content of ultrasonication untreated
and treated sago starch.
Treatment
US-untreated
US 30oC/15min
US 30oC/45min
US 50oC/15min
US 50oC/45min

iwamuluk
1.56 ± 0.39a
6.60 ± 0.42b
10.18 ± 2.24c
13.88 ± 0.45d
27.41 ± 1.23e

RS (%, db)
iwayuluk
1.08 ± 0.04a
7.02 ± 0.84a
17.06 ± 0.35b
29.46 ± 0.00c
31.96 ± 5.73c

iwasnan
1.36 ± 0.01a
7.21 ± 0.01b
11.14 ± 0.11c
12.38 ± 1.03c
17.66 ± 1.87d

Each value is expressed as the means ± SD (n = 3). Different letters in thesame column showed significant differences (p=0.05).

Table 2. The chemical composition of US untreated and US
treated sago starch at 50oC for 45 min
Composition
Moisture (%)
Ash (% db)
Fat (% db)
Protein(% db)
Carbohydrate(% db), bydifferent

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
Sago sample of US untreated and treated were sprinkled
thinly onto the specimen holder which had been coated withcarbon tape and given a gold coating using the Sputter Coater(Quorum Q150R ES, Germany). Gold plating was carried out
with a voltage setting of 20 mA for 60 seconds. The
gold-coated sample was then mounted in a stage holder for
analysis using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) (ZEISSEVOIMA10, England). A series of pictures were taken using
SEM at a shooting point of 8 – 9 mm and an EHT of 16 kV.
2.6.

iwamuluk
9.52
0.18
0.24
0.68

US untreatediwayuluk
9.56
0.23
0.18
0.76

iwasnan
9.49
0.21
0.05
0.71

iwamuluk
9.92
0.22
0.07
0.61

US treatediwayuluk
10.02
0.19
0.01
0.72

iwasnan
11.82
0.19
0.03
0.23

98.90

98.83

99.03

99.19

99.17

99.60

Morphological properties
The surface morphology of RS and US-treated samples wasanalysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Starch
granule surface having holes/pores and fissures was noticed on
US untreated and US treated sample. More pores was found on
US treated sample than those of US untreated samples (Fig. 1).
The pore was clearly observed when the SEM imaging was
magnified at 2000 times. Pore formation was occurredconsistently on all three-sago accession.

Polarized light microscopy.
Polarized light microscopy was applied to examine thebirefringes of the starch sample. Sago sample of US
untreated and treated were taken using a spatula/spatula thendispersed on a glass object with 1 drop of distilled water thenthe sample was flattened until no water bubbles were visible on
the object glass. The object glass is then placed on the
preparation table/object table and the light is adjusted on the
microscope until the sample of starch granule was clearlyvisible.
The pasting properties determination
Pasting properties of samples were analyzed using a Rapid
Visco Analyzer (RVA). The sample (approximately 43%, db)
was dispersed in distilled water and stirred in an RVA canisterat 960 rpm for 10 seconds. The rotation speed was thenlowered to 160 rpm until the end of the test. The test lasted for
20 min. The temperature used was 15°C at the beginning of thetest until minute 2, then it was raised to a temperature of 95°C
in minute 7 past 43 seconds and was held (at 95°C/constanttemperature) until minute 10. After that, the temperature wasthen slowly lowered to 25°C in the minute 15 and was stable atthat temperature until the end of the test in the minute 20.

Fig. 1. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs of US
untreated (left) and US treated sago: (a,b) iwamuluk, (c.d)
iwasnan, (e,f) iwaluyuk.

Data analysis
The data were descriptively analyzed and reported as
averages of triplicate observations. An analysis of variancewith a significance level of 5% was established and Duncan’s

42Viscoamylogram US untreated and US treated sago starch
was similar (Figure 4), indicating that there was no significant
impact of ultrasonication on the starch pasting properties,
compatible with the studies of by Bian and Chung (2016);
Yang et al. (2019).

Fig. 2. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs of US
treated at magnification of 1000 times (left) and 2000 times:(a,b) iwamuluk, (c.d) iwasnan, (e,f) iwaluyuk.
Under polarized light microscopy, sago starch of US
untreated and US treated showed birefringence, with strong
patterns at the granule centre’s known as Maltese crosses.
Native starch granules have a semi-crystalline structure, andthe crystalline structure and the amorphous structure exhibited
anisotropy in density and refractive index under a polarizing
microscope, resulting in birefringence and exhibiting a uniquecharacteristic of the Maltese cross (Xie et al. 2013). The
appearance changes of the Maltese cross reflected the change
in the crystal structure of the internal particles (Ji 2018).
This study showed that sonication treatment resulted in asmall change toward the birefringence of the starch granule.
Weak birefringence and fade luminance was observed on US
treated sago starch especially on iwayuluk variety/accession, as
shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 4. Viscoamylogram of US untreated (red) and US treated(green) sago starch: (a) iwamuluk, (b) iwayuluk, (c) iwasnan
Discussion
Sonication treatment significantly increased resistant starch.
RS content significantly increased with increasing oftemperature and time sonication at 42 kHz. Under US
treatment, the RS content significantly increased from1.08-1.56% (db) to 17.66–31.96% (db). US treatment wasnoticed to be effective in increasing the RS content. Amylose
content of iwayuluk was lower (29.96%) than those of iwasnan(32.70%) or iwamuluk (33.42%). However, RS content of
iwayuluk was higher than those of iwamuluk and Iswanan asshown in Table 1. The result of this study agreed with previous
study reported by several researchers. Type 3 resistant starch(RS3) was prepared from native potato starch using an
ultrasonic method combined with autoclave gelatinization.
Under the optimal treatment conditions, the RS3 content
increased from 7.5% to 15.9% (Liu et al. 2023). Lotus starchsubjected to ultrasonication contained RS of more than 90%(Noor et al. 2021). The formation of RS might be contributionof the cleavage of long chain amylose and depolymerization ofFig. 3. Polarized light microscopy micrographs of US
untreated (left) and US treated (right) at magnification of 400
times: (a,b) iwamuluk, (c.d) iwasnan, (e,f) iwaluyuk.
Pasting properties

43

amylopectin resulted from the effect of cavitation during US
treatment. Thus, the molecule formed the alignment or
aggregation which leads to an enhanced yield of RS (Yang et al.
2019). In this study, the sample of US treated at 50°C for 45
min was selected for further analysis, due to the high RS
content. A slight change in the chemical component was
found due to US treatment as shown in Table 2.
According to (Bonto et al. 2021), formation of fissures andpores, as well as the degradation of the starch granule underultrasonic conditions, were induced by the shear forces andmicro-jets of the collapsing bubble during cavitation. It wasreported that the magnitude of ultrasonic power is an essential
parameter of the mechanical effect in distorting the starch
granules. The appearance of pores/holes and fissures on thesurface of starch particles induces changes in themorphology/ultrastructure of polymers (Yang et al. 2019), thuschanging the structure and properties of starch (Zhu 2015).
Because of its capacity to produce fissures and pores, US
treated sago starch also has potential as a carrier of active
compound for specific uses of sago starch.
Several reports demonstrated that ultrasonication causes
depolymerized starch through hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds instarch granules, which tends to produce lower starch viscosity
because of starch molecular weight loss [20,24,25].
Ultrasonication changes the pasting properties, especially bydecreasing the peak viscosity (Herceg, Jambrak, and Šubarić
2010; Satmalawati et al. 2020). The differences in US treatedpasting properties can be attributed to several factors such as
frequency, power, and temperature of applied ultrasonicparameters and also differences in botanical sources of starch.
L. Wang and Wang (2004b, 2004a) observed no damage on UT
starch even with the application of ultrasonic frequency (20kHz, 750 W) arguing that only non-covalent bonding between
the starch and protein was most likely affected byultrasonication.

Sago Palm: Multiple Contributions to Food Security andSustainable Livelihoods Sago Palm: Multiple
Contributions to Food Security and Sustainable
Livelihoods.
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Analysis of Resistant Starch: A Method for Foods andFood Products. Food Chemistry 56(4): 445–49.
Herceg, Ivana Ljubić, Anet Režek Jambrak, and Drago Šubarić
2010 Texture and Pasting Properties of Ultrasonically
Treated Corn Starch. Czech Journal of Food Sciences
28(2): 83–93. https://doi.org/10.17221/50/2009-CJFS.
Ji, Ying 2018 In Vitro Digestion and Physicochemical
Characteristics of Corn Starch Mixed with Amino Acid
Modified by Low Pressure Treatment. Food Chemistry242:
421–26.
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2008 Starch from the Sago (Metroxylon Sagu) Palm
Tree—Properties, Prospects, and Challenges as a New
Industrial Source for Food and Other Use. 7(1977).
Liu, Xiangyun et al. 2023 Preparation and Characterization ofType 3 Resistant Starch by Ultrasound-Assisted
Autoclave Gelatinization and Its Effect on Steamed
Bread Quality. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 92(October2022):
106248.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2022.106248.
Noor, Nairah et al. 2021 Resistant Starch Type 2 from Lotus
Stem: Ultrasonic Effect on Physical and Nutraceutical
Properties. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 76: 105655.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2021.105655.
Purwani, Endang Yuli, Diah Iskandriati, and Maggy
Thenawidjaja Suhartono 2012 Fermentation Product of
RS3 Inhibited Proliferation and Induced Apoptosis in
Colon Cancer Cell HCT-116. Advances in Bioscienceand Biotechnology 03(08): 1189–98.
Purwani, Endang Yuli, Tresnawati Purwadaria, and Maggy
Thenawidjaja Suhartono 2012 Fermentation RS3
Derived from Sago and Rice Starch with Clostridium
Butyricum BCC B2571 or Eubacterium Rectale DSM
17629.
Anaerobe
18(1):
55–61.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anaerobe.2011.09.007.
Rahaman, Abdul et al. 2021 Ultrasound Based Modificationand Structural-Functional Analysis of Corn and Cassava
Starch. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 80(August): 105795.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2021.105795.
Satmalawati, E. M., Y. Pranoto, D. W. Marseno, and Y.
Marsono 2020 The Physicochemical Characteristics ofCassava Starch Modified by Ultrasonication. IOP
Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering
980(1).
Singhal, Rekha S. et al. 2008 Industrial Production, Processing,and Utilization of Sago Palm-Derived Products.
Carbohydrate Polymers 72(1): 1–20.
Sujka, Monika, and Jerzy Jamroz 2013 Ultrasound-TreatedStarch: SEM and TEM Imaging, and Functional
Behaviour. Food Hydrocolloids 31(2): 413–19.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2012.11.027.
Wang, Baoshi et al. 2023 Recent Progress of Starch
Modification Assisted by Ultrasonic Wave. Food
Science and Technology (Brazil) 43: 1–6.
Wang, Linfeng, and Ya Jane Wang 2004a Application ofHigh-Intensity Ultrasound and Surfactants in RiceStarch Isolation. Cereal Chemistry 81(1): 140–44.
——— 2004b Rice Starch Isolation by Neutral Protease andHigh-Intensity Ultrasound. Journal of Cereal Science
39(2): 291–96.
Xie, Yanli et al. 2013 Effect of Microwave Treatment on theConclusions
US treatment of sago starch 42 kHz at 50°C for 15 and 45
min induces the RS formation. The treatment dominantly
modified the morphological properties rather than finestructure such as pasting properties, providing additional
information for its application.
References
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International. 21st ed. ed. George W. Latimer. Maryland:
AOAC International.
Bhargava, Nitya, Rahul S Mor, Kshitiz Kumar, and Vijay Singh
Sharanagat 2021 Ultrasonics - Sonochemistry Advancesin Application of Ultrasound in Food Processing : A
Review. Ultrasonics - Sonochemistry 70(July 2020):
105293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2020.105293.
Bian, Linlin, and Hyun Jung Chung 2016 Molecular Structure
and Physicochemical Properties of Starch Isolated from
Hydrothermally Treated Brown Rice Flour. Food
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345–52.
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Bojarczuk, Adrianna, Sylwia Skąpska, Amin Mousavi
Khaneghah, and Krystian Marszałek 2022 Health
Benefits of Resistant Starch: A Review of the Literature.
Journal of Functional Foods 93(April).
Bonto, Aldrin P., Rhowell N. Tiozon, Nese Sreenivasulu, andDrexel H. Camacho 2021 Impact of Ultrasonic
Treatment on Rice Starch and Grain Functional
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Ehara, Hiroshi, Yukio Toyoda, and Dennis V. Johnson 201844

Physicochemical Properties of Potato Starch Granules.
Chemistry Central Journal 7(1): 1–7.
Yang, Qing Yu et al. 2019 Fine Structure, Crystalline andPhysicochemical Properties of Waxy Corn Starch
Treated by Ultrasound Irradiation. Ultrasonics
Sonochemistry51(August2018):
350–58.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2018.09.001.
Zhang, Hao, Mei Li, and Chuanhe Zhu 2018 Effect ofUltrasound Pretreatment on Physicochemical Properties
of Corn Starch. 164(Icmse): 572–76.
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Physicochemical Properties, Modifications, andApplications of Starch. Trends in Food Science &Technology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2014.12.008.
Authorship contribution statement.
EYP: conceptualization, funding acquisition and Writing –original draft.
AB: providing sago
NS: validation, review and editing draft
DRY: technical laboratory analysis
ABA: conceptualization, methodology, data curation andvalidation

ESD

45

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS11

Maltodextrin from Sago Starch at Different Hydrolysis Times
Budi Santoso1*, Zita Letvyani Sarungallo1 and Angela Myrra Puspita Dewi11) Department of Agricultural Yield Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, University of Papua.

Jl. Gunung Salju, Amban, Manokwari-98314, West Papua, Indonesia.
*e-mail: bd.santoso@unipa.ac.id

Abstract Maltodextrin is widely used in the food and beverage industries causing the need for maltodextrin to increase every year,
then it is necessary to conduct this study. This study aimed to determine the characteristics of maltodextrin from spineless sago starch
type at different hydrolysis times. The study was designed using a completely randomized design. The main raw material in thisstudy was spineless sago starch. The enzymes used were Liquozyme Supra 4.5X with different hydrolysis times, that was A = 15
minutes; B = 25 minutes; C = 35 minutes with the concentration of enzyme being 0,015 µl/g dry starch. Each treatment was repeated
2 times. The sago starch suspension of 20% was prepared in 200 ppm CaCl2 solution and adjusted to pH 6. Hydrolysis was carriedout at 80°C and stirred at 950 rpm. After that, the slurry was dried in a cabinet dryer at 50°C for 2 days (± 5% of water content). The
size uniformity of dry maltodextrin was carried out using a 100 mesh sieve. The results showed that the brightness level of themaltodextrin color for the three treatments ranged from 79.86-80.66. Slight roughness on the starch granule's surface was found at all
treatments, but X-ray diffraction patterns did not change from the native sago starch pattern. The viscosity ranged from3826.0-5294.0, the breakdown ranged from 774.0-1839.0, set back ranged from 401.0-1844.0, the pasting temperature ranged from76.15-76.50, and equivalent dextrose ranged from 2.14-3.13. The DE value in this study was very small, which may be due to low
enzyme concentration.
Keywords: Hydrolysis time, Maltodextrin, Ssago starch

Introduction

factors for the interaction of starch with the catalyst. Meriatna(2013) found that the best conditions for the manufacture ofmaltodextrin from sago starch at 80 °C within 130 min ofhydrolysis using hydrochloric acid. Meanwhile Haryani et al(2022), hydrolysis of sorghum starch with α-amylase 0.2 % v/v
for 10 minutes at 75°C and 9 % of starch concentration
produced good maltodextrin with a DE value of 16.99.
Therefore, the characteristics of maltodextrin from sago starchthat hydrolyzed using Liquozyme Supra 4.5X at varioushydrolysis times will be studied.

Sago has an important role as a potential raw material forfood and non-food products, cause they have high production
per land area compared with other starch source plants; sago isa clumping plant so it doesn't need to be replanted; there are noserious diseases and predators, and sago can adapted to
extreme growing conditions; and sago can be used to produce
many foods (noodles, bread, vermicelli) and also used as athickener in the production of soup and baby food as well as anadditive in various food products; and for non-food products,
such as bioethanol.
The total sago population in Indonesia is around 5.5 Mha,and around 4.7 Mha (85.5 %) grows in Papua (Bintoro, 2018).
Productivity of sago starch in Indonesia averages 30 t of dry
starch/ha/year (Bintoro, 2011), while cassava around 1.5
t/ha/year, potatoes around 2.5 t/ha/year, wheat around 5.0
t/ha/year, corn around 5.5 t/ha/year, and rice 6.0 t/ha/year(Ishizaki, 1998). Based on the sago population, it can bepredicted that the total sago starch production in Papua isaround 141 Mt/year. However, the utilization of sago starch in
Papua is only around 5 %. Therefore, it is necessary to develop
various products made from sago starch to increase sago starchutilization.
Sago starch content is around 96 % with amylose
composition ranging from 33.61 % -38.47 % and amylopectin
ranging from 61.54 % -66.40 % (Santoso et al., 2021), which
can be used to manufacture maltodextrin. The need for
maltodextrin in the world continues to increase because it isused as a raw material in the food and beverage industries.
Based on data, the Global Maltodextrin Market Size Reached
USD 2154.2 Million in 2022, and it is expected to grow around
8.2 % per year
(https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/global-maltodextr
in-market-2023-2030-booming-industry-expected-to-surpass-3
7055-2023-05-16).
Maltodextrin is produced from incomplete hydrolysis(Pycia et al., 2016). Factors that influence the manufacture ofmaltodextrin are the type of raw material, enzyme or acidconcentration, temperature, and speed of stirring during thehydrolysis process. Hydrolysis time is one of the important

Materials and Methods
Materials
The main raw material used in this study was starch fromspineless sago. The hydrolysis process of sago starch used
Liquozyme Supra 4.5X. Other materials were aquadest, 2N
NaOH, 0.1 M HCl, and 200 ppm CaCl2.
Hydrolysis process
The study was designed using a Completely Randomized
Design. The sago starch suspension of 20 % was prepared in
200 ppm CaCl2 solution and adjusted to pH 6. Hydrolysis was
carried out at 80 °C and stirred at 950 rpm. Hydrolysis timewas 15 min (A); 25 min (B); and 35 min (C) with the enzyme
concentration of 0.015 µL/g dry starch, and each treatment was
repeated 2 times. After the hydrolysis was complete, thesuspension and its container were immersed in cold water, and
0.1 M HCl was added to a pH of around 3 to inactivate the
enzyme. The suspension cooling process continues until thetemperature drops to 300 °C and then maintained for 30 min.
After that, the suspension was neutralized using 2N NaOH to
pH 7. The suspension was centrifuged at 250 rpm for 10 min to
separate the water. Then the slurry was dried in a cabinet dryer
at 50 °C for 2 days (± 5 % of water content). The dry
maltodextrin was sieved using 100 mesh and packed in aplastic bottle.
Analysis of maltodextrin
Color

46

Color analysis was performed using a Minolta CR 300
Chromameter (Japan). Tests were performed with the Hunter
L*, a*, b* color system. Before measurement, the chromameter
was calibrated with the white standard contained in the tool.

containing 1.5 mL of the DNS reagent. Then, the solution was
shaken with a vortex for 10 sec and heated in boiling water for
10 min. The equivalent Dextrose was calculated by using theequation: 𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷 =(𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 𝑠𝑠𝑅𝑅𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝑅𝑅𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑅𝑅𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 / 𝑆𝑆𝑅𝑅𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠(𝑅𝑅𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐ℎ𝑦𝑦𝑅𝑅𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑐𝑐𝑅𝑅) 𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑠𝑠𝑡𝑡) × 100.

Scanning Electron Microscopy
The microscopic structure of maltodextrin was performed
using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) XRD-7000
Shimadzu, which operated at an accelerating voltage of 20 kV.
The samples were spread thinly and evenly on circular metal
stubs using double-sided adhesive tape.

Results and Discussion

Color of maltodextrin
Observation of maltodextrin color using Chromameter has
three values, namely L*, a*, and b*. The L* value indicates thebrightness level, where the greater the L value shows thebrighter the sample color, and conversely. The a* value
indicates the level of redness, and the b* value indicates thelevel of yellowness (Pardede et al., 2017). Based on data (Table1), showed that the brightness level of the maltodextrin for thethree treatments ranged from 79.86 to 80.66, which was lower
than the native sago starch (87.56). This fact indicates that
occurs the process of non-enzymatic browning reactions,especially the Maillard reaction during the hydrolysis. Maillard
is a complex reaction, in which the formation of characteristic
flavors, aromas, and colors (browning) in foods prepared byheating can occur due to the reaction between reducing sugars
and amino acids (Verma et al., 2019).

Xray-Diffraction
X-ray diffraction of maltodextrin was obtained using a
Philips diffractometer using cobalt monochromatic radiation,
31 kV, 26 mA. Diffractogram recorded at 2θ = 4° to 35° with
rate of scan 1°/minute.
Viscosity
The viscosity of maltodextrin was conducted using Rapid
Visco Analyser (RVA) (Model RVA-4SA, Newport Scientific
Pty Ltd. Warriewood, Australia). Maltodextin (about 3 g) was
dispersed in distilled water (25 mL) and stirred in an RVA
canister at 960 rpm for 10 seconds, and then the speed was
adjusted to 160 rpm until the end of the test. Measurements
were made within 13 min. The temperature and time used is
50 °C for 1 min then the temperature is raised to 95 °C in 3 min
45 sec then maintained at 95 °C for 2 min 30 sec and followedby cooling to 50 °C in 3 min 45 sec, then maintained at 50 °C
for 2 min.

Table 1. Color parameters of maltodextrin from sago starch
Treatments
L*
a*
b*
A
79.86
7.92
9.83
B
80.66
7.64
9.43
C
80.45
7.65
9.57
NSS*
87.56
9.54
4.96
A: 15 min, B: 25 min, C: 35 min, NSS: Native sago starch) =Santoso et al. (2021).

Dextrose equivalent
The dextrose equivalent was analyzed following themethod of Miller (1959). The sample of maltodextrin (1000ppm) was taken as much as 1.5 mL and then put into a test tube

Fig. 1. SEM micrographs of native sago starch (NSS), Hydrolysis for 15 min (A), Hydrolysis for 25 min (B), Hydrolysis for 35 min(C) (1000× magnification).

47

Table 2. Pasting temperature, viscosity, and dextrose
equivalent of maltodextrin from sago starch
Treatments
Pasting temp.
Peak viscosity (cP)
(°C)
A
76.50
5294.0B
76.15
3826.0C
76.45
3970.0NSS*
74.65
7571.0Santoso et al. (2021)

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
The results of observations under SEM (Fig. 1) showedthat the sago starch granules remained intact the same as the
granules of native sago starch. This is because the hydrolysis
process in the manufacture of maltodextrin is partialhydrolysis which only reaches the liquefaction stage. During
the liquefaction stage is only occur the breakdown of α-1,4glycosidic bonds by α-amylase enzymes randomly on thepolysaccharide chain to produce glucose, maltose,
maltodextrin, and α-limit dextrin. While, the surface of starch
granules treated with the Liquozyme Supra 4.5X had
roughness and pores compared to the native sago starch(smooth without any pores and fissures), which the severityof starch surface was increasing with increasing hydrolysis
time caused by enzyme degradation.

Dextrose equivalent
The dextrose equivalent in this study ranged from 2.14 to
3.13 (Table 2). The DE value in this study was very small,which may be due to the non-optimal work of the enzyme.
Maltodextrin produced from the hydrolysis of sago starch by
the α- amylase enzyme with a hydrolysis time of up to 120
min can produce maltodextrin from sago starch with a DE
value of 12 (Arfah et al., 2018). According to Hidayat et al.,(2003), the DE value of 2 to 5 can be used as a substitute formilk fat in desserts mouth, yogurt, bakery products, and ice
cream, because they are readily soluble and dispersible inwater. Maltodextrin with a DE value of 3 to 9 can be used asa source of carbohydrates in isotonic sports drinks.
Meanwhile, maltodextrin with a DE value of 15-20 is used asa high-calorie food product (Anwar et al., 2009; Takelti et al.,2010).

X-ray diffraction
The native sago starch has C type pattern, with peaks at2θ of 5° to 15°, 17°, 18°, and 23°, and a small peak at 2θ = 5°
(Santoso et al., 2015). Observations under an X-ray
diffractometer showed that partial hydrolysis of sago starchusing Liquozyme Supra 4.5X enzyme with a concentration of
0.015 µL/g dry starch for 15 to 35 min did not change thediffraction pattern (Fig. 2). This showed that enzymatic
erosion preferentially occurred in amorphous areas of the
granules. This study is in line with a previous study by
Shariffa et al. (2009) on enzymatic hydrolysis in cassava andsweet potato starches, in which the amylolysis primarily
occurs in the amorphous regions of the starch granules.

Fig 3. Dextrose equivalen of maltodetrin from sago starch
Hydrolysis for 15 min (A), Hydrolysis for 25 min(B), Hydrolysis for 35 min (C)Fig. 2. X-ray diffraction patterns of maltodextrins from sago
starchConclusions
The color of maltodextrin was slightly brownish comparedto the color of native sago starch due to the Maillard reaction
during the hydrolysis process. However, the hydrolysis
process does not change the diffraction profile and thepasting temperature. The viscosity of maltodextrin was lower
than that of native sago starch, and the DE of maltodextrin
ranged from 2.14 to 3.13.

Viscosity
Hydrolysis of sago starch using the Liquozyme Supra
4.5X enzyme at a concentration of 0.015 µL/g dry starch for
15 to 35 min did not affect the pasting temperature, but theviscosity was decreased compared to native sago starch(Table 2). From the data can also be seen that the viscosity ofmaltodextrin tends to decrease with increasing hydrolysis
time. This may be the enzymatic erosion, especially inamorphous areas, causes some amylose and amylopectin
chains to break down shorter, and the granules become fragile
due to the effects of heating (Perez and Gonzales, 1997).
Amylose degradation occurs randomly into maltose andmaltotriose which then causes a decrease in viscosity.

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49

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

12ISS12Diversity of Medicinal Plants in the Sago area of Siberut National Park, West
SumatraRahmah Zikra Utami1*, Ervizal AM Zuhud2, dan Mochamad Hasjim Bintoro3
1 Graduate of the Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry andEnvironment, IPB University, Ulin Street, Dramaga Campus of IPB, Bogor, West Java,
Indonesia, 16680
2 Lecturer in the Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry andEnvironment, IPB University
3 Lecturer in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University*e-mail: rahmah_1023@apps.ipb.ac.id

Abstract Medicinal plants can be found in various types of habitats including in sago stands in Siberut National Park. The purposeof this research is to identify and describe the diversity of plant species in sago stands and their use by the Mentawai indigenous people.
Research activities were carried out from January to March 2022 in Siberut National Park using the methods of vegetation analysis,
interviews, and field observations. The results showed that there were 193 plant species from 64 families found under sago stands. The
composition of plant species under sago stands in Sakaladhat sub-village consists of 107 plant species from 51 families with an H' of
3.05. In the sago stands in Ukra sub-village, 140 species from 55 families were found with an H' of 3.14. The Community Similarity
Index between sago stands in Sakaladhat sub-village and Ukra sub-village is 43.72%. As many as 60 species from 31 families havebeen used by the community as medicine for 13 groups of diseases. The most widely used plant species came from the Cyperaceae
family (11.66%), herb habitus (63%), leaf parts (68.97%), internal use (50%), digestive tract disease group (26.67%), processed bygrating then brewing (60.37%), as a single drug (84%), and used only when sick (97.30%). Knowledge about the use of medicinal
plants is obtained by the community through dreams and passed down from generation to generation.
Key words: Diversity, Local Knowledge, Medicinal Plants, Sago Stands
Introduction
Medicinal plants are plant species, both cultivated anduncultivated, which are believed or known to have medicinal
properties that can be used as raw materials in the manufactureof modern or traditional medicines (Abdiyani, 2008). The use of
traditional medicinal plants is part of the cultural system of thelocal community. One of these community groups is the
Mentawai indigenous people in Siberut National Park (Zai,2018) whose implementation is carried out by sikerei. Sikerei isa shaman who provides treatment and is believed to have goodknowledge about the use of medicinal plants.
Siberut Island, one of the islands inhabited by the Mentawai
indigenous people, has the potential for a sizeable sago area,
which is 1,295 ha of the total area of Siberut Island (387,790 ha)(BPS, 2022). Aside from being the main food source, sago is also
used as a building material and is part of traditional rituals(Zamzami, 2014). Based on this, it can be said that thecommunity has a close relationship with sago in meeting their
daily needs. The use of sago and medicinal plants under sago
stands by the Mentawai indigenous people has become part oftheir daily life, but there is no complete information regarding
the variety of medicinal plants that grow under sago stands.
Studies on the diversity and use of medicinal plants in sago
stands have never been carried out. This study will be useful forthe added value of managing and cultivating sago stands. Thereis a need for research related to this matter to map the potential
utilization of medicinal plant species in sago stands. The resultsof research on the diversity of medicinal plants under sago
stands and their use by the community are expected to become acommunity asset in achieving health independence.

The research was conducted using several data collection
methods, namely vegetation analysis, interviews, and fieldobservations. Vegetation analysis was carried out by observing
all growth rates in a 50 m × 50 m observation plot. The plots
observed at each research location were five plots. Interviews
were conducted with eight informants who were believed tohave high knowledge regarding the use of medicinal plants.
Field observation activities were carried out to find out how to
use medicinal plants to maintain health.
The data obtained through vegetation analysis was analyzed
by calculating the Importance Value Index (INP) to see thecomposition of the vegetation. The Important Value Index (INP)
is the sum of the Relative Density (KR) and Relative Frequency(FR) at the growth rate of saplings, seedlings, and undergrowth.
The Important Value Index (INP) at the growth rate of trees andpoles is the sum of the Relative Density (KR), Relative
Frequency (FR), and Relative Dominance (DR). The data wasalso analyzed by calculating the Species Diversity Index (H')
and Community Similarity Index (IS) to compare species
diversity and species similarity in the two communities studied.
The following is the Shannon Index of General Diversity
formula,Information:nniniH' = Shannon Index'
H = - � � ln �
ni = I-species INP
NN
i=1
N = Total IVI
while the Index of Similarity formula is,Information:
IS = Community Similarity
Index
w = Same number of species
2𝑤𝑤
between the two communities (a× 100%
IS =and b)
𝑎𝑎 + 𝑏𝑏
a = Number of species found incommunity ab = Number of species found in
the community b
Data and information obtained through interviews wereMaterials and Methods
Research activities were carried out from January to March2022 in Sakaladhat sub-village, Simalegi Village, West Siberut
District, and Ukra sub-village, Malancan Village, North Siberut
District, Mentawai Islands Regency. The tools and materials
used in the research were vegetation analysis equipment,interview equipment, and herbarium-making equipment. The
research object is the vegetation on sago stands.

50

analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to provide an overview
and explanation of the data that has been collected. The data
analyzed included species used as medicine, parts of plants used,
types of diseases that can be treated, processing methods,
methods of use, and intensity of use.
Results
Species Diversity of Plants under Sago Stands
In general, the diversity of plant species found in sago stands
in Sakaladhat and Ukra sub-village is quite different. The
composition of plant species in the sago stands in Sakaladhat
sub-village consisted of 107 plant species from 51 families with
an H' of 3.05. In the sago stands in Ukra sub-village there were
140 species from 55 families with an H' of 3.14. The Community
Similarity Index between sago stands in Sakaladhat and Ukra
sub-village is 43.72%. A Community Similarity Index value ofless than 75% indicates that the species composition of the sago
stands in Sakaladhat and Ukra sub-village is relatively different.
Species that dominate a community are species with a highlevel of adaptation because they can utilize the environment
more efficiently. The dominant species is the species that has thehighest Importance Value Index. The most dominating species
for all growth stages were areca nut (Areca catechu) with a total
IVI of 250.93% under sago stands in Sakaladhat sub-village andlangsat (Lansium domesticum) with a total IVI of 141.43%
under sago stands in Ukra sub-village. Plant species found undersago stands in Sakaladhat sub-village, namely harendong(Melastoma malabathricum), bandotan (Ageratum conyzoides),knob grass (Cyperus kyllingia), taro (Colocasia sp.1), taro (C.
sp.2), and arum lily (Calla palustris). The plant species foundunder the sago stands in Ukra sub-village are banana (Musa sp.),
fresh pacing (Cheilocostus speciosus), and manggar (Merremia
peltata).

Species Name

1Cyperaceae

Cyperus cyperoides, C.
mindorensis, C. rotundus,C.
sphacelatus,C.
strigosus, C. kyllingia dan
Scleria sp.
Acmella caulirhiza, A.
paniculata,
Ageratumconyzoides,
Struchium
sparganophorumdanVernonia cinerea
Artocarpus heterophyllus,
A. sp., Ficus hispida dan
F. sp.
Hamelia
patens,Ophiorrhiza
mungos,Spermacoce remota dan
S. sp.
Ipomoea asarifolia, I.

2

Asteraceae

3

Moraceae

4

Rubiaceae

5

Convolvulaceae

7

Araceae8

Arecaceae

9Euphorbiaceae

10

Fabaceae

11Phyllanthaceae

12

Poaceae13

Verbenaceae

14

Vitaceae

15

Malvaceae

16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25

Acanthaceae
Campanulaceae
Commelinaceae
Costaceae
Dilleniaceae
Dipterocarpaceae
Flagellariaceae
Lamiaceae
Linderniaceae
Melastomataceae

carnea dan I. pes-carpe
Alpiniauraiensis,
Curcuma longa dan
Etlingera elatior
Aglaonemamodestumdan Calla palustris
Areca catechu dan Cocos
nucifera
Codieaumvariegatum
dan Manihot esculentas
Chamaecrista fallacina
dan Milletia
Phyllanthus niruri dan P.
urinaria
Eragrotis amabilis dan
Milium effusum
Stachytarpheta
jamaicensis dan Verbena
urticifolia
Leea
indicadan
Tetrastigma sp.
Hibiscus tiliaceus dan
Durio sp.
Justicia gendarussa
Hippobroma longiflora
Commelina sp.
Cheilocostus speciosus
Tetracera sp.
Dipetrocarpus sp.
Flagellaria indica
Lycopus uniflorus
Lindernia crustacean
Melastomamalabathricum
Musa sp.
Syzygium malaccense
Ludwigia erecta
Piper sp.1
Citrus sp.
Sellaginella sp.1

5.00
3.33
3.33
3.33
3.33
3.33
3.33
3.33
3.33
3.33
1.67
1.67
1.67
1.67
1.67
1.67
1.67
1.67
1,67
1,67
1,67
1,67
1,67
1,67
1,67
1,67
100.00

Based on plant habitus (stature), the most commonly foundwere herbs with 37 species (63%), while the least found werelianas with four species (7%) each habitus (Figure 1).
Tree
18%
Shrub
12%

Table 1. Diversity of medicinal plant species under sago stands
by family
Families

Zingiberaceae

26
Musaceae
27
Myrtaceae
28
Onagraceae
29
Piperaceae
30
Rutaceae
31
Selaginellaceae
Total

Species Diversity of Medicinal Plants under Sago Stands
The diversity of medicinal plant species found will begrouped based on plant family and habitus. The medicinal plants
found were from 31 families. The Cyperaceae family ranks
highest with a total of 11.66% of all existing families (Table 1).
Species from the Cyperaceae family are known as weeds, but
species from this family also have some benefits for humans.
The benefit is that it can be used as a raw material for medicines
for digestive disorders, bronchitis, blood disorders, menstrualirregularities, and inflammation (Taheri et al., 2021). Species of
the Cyperaceae family are used as remedies for sea sickness,fever, and trance.

No

6

Lianas
7%

Herbs
63%

Percentage
(%)
11.66

Pohon

Liana

Herba

Perdu

Figure 1. Diversity of medicinal plants based on habitus
Several species with herbaceous habitus found in the study
area were freshwater pacing (Cheilocostus speciosus),
Ophiorrhiza mungos, and kecombrang (Eltingera elatior).
According to Diana et al. (2021), many herbaceous habitualplants are found in shaded places except in very dark places andare plants in watery areas.

8.32

6.66

Utilization of Medicinal Plants by the Community
The Mentawai indigenous people know plants that can beused as medicinal ingredients. The knowledge possessed by thesikerei and siagai laggek comes from dreams and is passed downfrom generation to generation. The forms of utilization of
medicinal plants also vary according to individual knowledge

6.66

5.00

51

and skills. Sikerei is an individual who focuses on treating
serious illnesses that come from disturbances by evil spirits
using rituals ending with dance, while siagai laggek is more
focused on treating minor illnesses by concocting herbs into
medicine.
The results of interviews with five informants showed that 60
species of medicinal plants under sago stands were used bysikerei and siagai laggek to treat thirteen groups of diseases/uses
in Sakaladhat sub-village, Simalegi Village, West Siberut
District, Mentawai Islands Regency. The highest number ofplant species used is to treat digestive tract diseases, namely 16
species. This species is used to treat several types of diseases
including diarrhea, stomach pain, intestinal worms, ulcers,
vomiting, and heartburn. The minimum number of plant species
used is to treat several groups of diseases, including circulatory
disorders, antidotes, and malaria. For example, the species usedby sikerei and standby laggek to treat diarrhea are banana (Musasp.), Malay apple (Syzygium malaccense), Artocarpus sp., andluwingan (Ficus hispida).
Sikerei and siagai laggek in the Ukra sub-village, Malancan
Village, North Siberut District utilize medicinal plants based on
their expertise. Based on the results of interviews with key
persons, there are nine siagai laggek officers with various
expertise including treating wounds, bone diseases, pregnancy
and childbirth care, eye diseases, headaches and fever, antidotes
for poisons, gastrointestinal diseases, and non-physical diseases
related to interference spirits (trance). As many as three out ofnine standby laggek were willing to be interviewed about the
medicinal plants used. Other informants were reluctant to beinterviewed for fear that documentation and dissemination of
information related to the ingredients used would have an impact
on reducing income economically. According to the beliefs ofthe Mentawai indigenous people, medicinal methods obtained
through dreams may not be disseminated and used by otherindividuals without the permission of the dream owner. This isbelieved to have an impact on the healing properties of theconcoctions that are concocted.

the use of plant parts is related to the different active ingredientsin each part of the plant so the efficacy also varies (Pei et al.,2009). The part that is used most is the leaves (68.97%), while
the parts with a low percentage of use are bark (0.86%),
rhizomes (0.86%), and tubers (0.86%).
There are 19 ways of processing plants that are commonly
done in Dusun Sakaladhat. The most common processing
method was grated and then brewed (60.36%). Processing ofplants by grating is a characteristic of the processing of
medicinal plants by sikerei and siagai laggek. This can be seenin the form of processing plants with various grated methods. As
much as 11.71% of the medicinal plants were processed bysimply grating them while 68.47% of the other herbs were grated
and further processed in various ways such as boiling, baking,mixing with coconut, and soaking in water. Processed by simply
grating it is usually served wrapped in Calla palustris leaves(Figure 2).

Figure 2. Processing of medicinal plants (a) grated medicinal
ingredients and (b) the grated product wrapped in
Calla palustris leaves and (c) Calla palustris leaves
The use of medicinal plants is divided into three categories ofuse, namely internal use, external use, and external and internaluse (Figure 3). According to Wahyono et al. (2017), internal use
is a method of taking drugs by mouth and then swallowing or
drinking while external use is a method of using drugs outside
the body, for example when used on the skin by smearing or
dripping into the nostrils/eyes/ears.

Table 2. Diversity of traditional herbs and diseases that can betreated based on siagai laggek knowledge in Ukra Subvillage
No
.
1
2

3
4

Diseasegroup/
function
Wound
Treatment
OthersHeadacheand Fever
Gastrointes
tinal
Diseases

Type of Disease/Uses

Potion Name

Wound

Agot assak lorangobe
Sodjokjok ka sapeu,
sadjokjok,
sodjokjok
katalaganbaga
Agot gilo
Agot jomang
Origin katippuk
Agot ute
Besit ute belaelu
Geleng-gelengsioikateinung
Kalokkan

Disturbance of Spirits

Possessed
Disturbed Psyche
Diseases of Children
Migraine
HeadacheStomach ache
Sore Throat

Outsideand
Inside24%

Inside50%

Outside26%
Figure 3. Diversity of medicinal plants by category of use
Sikerei and siagai laggek in Sakaladhat sub-village use
medicinal plants for internal use more than for external use.
Medicinal plants with internal use are more dominant because
the existing diseases are dominated by internal medicine. The
diversity of ways of using medicinal plants by sikerei and siagai
laggek in Sakaladhat sub-village consists of 17 ways. The mostused form of medicinal plants was by drinking (48.65%). This isbecause the processing of medicinal plants that are mostly done
is grated and then brewed. The use of medicinal plants bydrinking and eating aims to treat various diseases originatingfrom within the body (Hutagalung, 2016).
Based on their composition, the use of plants by sikerei andsiagai laggek in Sakaladhat sub-village can be grouped into two,
namely single ingredients (one plant species) and ingredients (amixture of several plant species) (Figure 4).

Sago (Metroxylon sagu) is also used as medicine. Sago root isused as a medicine for toothache by crushing it and then boilingit in bamboo and drinking it warm. Sago root is also used as
medicine in Papua and Kalimantan. Sago root is used in Papua
as an antimalarial drug (Budiarti et al., 2020), while in
Kalimantan it is used as a medicine for diarrhea (Bakhriansyah
et al., 2011).
The Mentawai indigenous people have used various parts ofplants such as leaves, fruit, stems, flowers, buds, roots, bark,rhizomes, and tubers, to all parts of the plant. The diversity of52

(Metroxylon sagu). Majalah Farmasi Indonesia, 22(223),
158–165.
BPS. 2022 Kepulauan Mentawai dalam Angka 2022. BPS
Kabupaten Kepulauan Mentawai, Kepulauan Mentawai.
Budiarti, M., Maruzy, A., Mujahid, R., Sari, A. N.,
Jokopriyambodo, W., Widayat, T., dan Wahyono, S. 2020
The use of antimalarial plants as traditional treatment in
Papua Island, Indonesia. Heliyon, 6(12), 1-10. e05562.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05562
Diana, R., Mercury, Y. H., dan Nurhidayah 2021 Ekologi
Tumbuhan Herba dan Liana. CV. Pustaka Learning Center,
Malang.
Elenora, R., dan Ristiawati, N. 2019 Ketepatan penggunaan obat
tradisional serta pengalaman penyuluhan di lingkungan RW
02 dan RW 03, Kelurahan Jatipadang, Jakarta Selatan.
Bulletin Dharmesti Niramaya Jurnal Pengabdian
Masyarakat, 1(1), 10–13.
Hutagalung, M. R. 2016 Pemanfaatan tumbuhan obat padamasyarakat Suku Batak Toba di Kampung Pagaran
Lambung Kabupaten Tapanuli Utara, Sumatera Utara.
Skripsi. Fakultas Kehutanan dan Lingkungan Institut
Petanian Bogor. Bogor.
Pei, S., Zhang, G., dan Huai, H. 2009 Application of traditional
knowledge in forest management: ethnobotanical indicatorsof sustainable forest use. Forest Ecology and Management,
257(10),2017–2021.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2009.01.003
Taheri, Y., Herrera-Bravo, J., Huala, L., Salazar, L. A., SharifiRad, J., Akram, M., Shahzad, K., Melgar-Lalanne, G.,
Baghalpour, N., Tamimi, K., Mahroo-Bakhtiyari, J., Kregiel,D., Dey, A., Kumar, M., Suleria, H. A. R., Cruz-Martins, N.,
dan Cho, W. C. 2021 Cyperus spp.: a review onphytochemical composition, biological activity, and healthpromoting effects. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular
Longevity,
2021,
1–17.
https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/4014867
Wahyono, S., Mustofa, F. I., Rahmawati, N., dan Novita, A. 2017
Pedoman Pengumpulan Data (L. Handayani, W. Budiarto, H.
S. A. Putra, A. Isnawati, R. S. Handayani, dan U. Siswanto(eds.)). Kementerian Kesehatan RI, Jakarta.
Zai, Y. 2018 Bioprospeksi keanekaragaman spesies tumbuhan
obat di Taman Nasional Siberut, Mentawai Sumatera Barat.
Skripsi. Fakultas Kehutanan dan Lingkungan Institut
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Zamzami, L. 2014 Sekerei Mentawai: keseharian dan tradisi
pengetahuan lokal yang digerus oleh zaman. Antropologi
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https://doi.org/10.7454/ai.v34i1.3195

Potion16%

Single drug
84%

Figure 4. Diversity of medicinal plants based on the compositionof the ingredientsThe grouping results showed that sikerei and siagi laggek in
the Sakaladhat sub-village used a single medicinal ingredientmore often than using ingredients. As much as 16% of medicinal
plants are used as ingredients to treat fever, diarrhea, snake bites,
disturbances of spirits, cold sweats, heartburn, seasickness, soreeyes, and sore throat. According to the sources, the time to use
the drug is adjusted to the diagnosis of the disease. There are
four categories of time for the use of medicinal plants that areprevalent in society, namely when sick, after being sick, every
bath time, and every day. The dosage or dose for the use of
medicinal plants commonly used by the Mentawai people isbased on the number of relative doses such as leaf blades andhandheld. This is also in line with Elenora and Ristiawati (2019)
who state that compounding medicinal plants traditionally uses
doses that are difficult to determine precisely, such as a strecth,a handful, or a pinch.
Conclusions
The plant species found under the sago stands in Sakaldhat
and Ukra sub-villages are quite diverse with relatively different
community compositions. The variety of plants under sago
stands shows that sago can grow and be developed together withother plants. The various forms of utilization of medicinal plants
show that the community has knowledge and awareness about
how to use existing resources. Utilization is carried out
traditionally using simple equipment. This is influenced by thelimitations and exclusivity of knowledge that comes fromdreams and hereditary heritage.
References
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berkhasiat obat di Dataran Tinggi Dieng. Jurnal Penelitian
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Bakhriansyah, M., Febria, A., dan Rahmah, D. D. 2011 Efek
antibakteri in vitro dan antidiare in vivo infus akar sagu

53

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS13

Genetic Diversity of Sago (Metroxylon spp.) in Lingga District, Kepulauan Riau,
Indonesia
Mardiani Dwi Agustin1*, Mochamad Hasjim Bintoro Djoefrie1, Edi Santosa1
and Ervizal Amir Muhammad Zuhud2
1Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia

2Department of Conservation of Forest and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia*Email: mardianigustin@gmail.com

Abstract Indonesia has not been able to meet the food needs of its people. This can be seen from the import activity of several foodcommodities such as wheat, sugar, and rice. Sago starch can be used as a substitute for wheat flour for making bread and biscuits andcan be used as a substitute for cane sugar. Sago (Metroxylon spp.) is a potential commodity as an alternative food with high productivity,
which is around 20-40 tons of dry starch/ha per year. Food security based on the strength of local resources will reduce dependence on
imported commodities or products to create food self-sufficiency. The sago area in the world is 6,279,637 million hectares andIndonesia has 85% of the world's sago area or around 5,579,637 million hectares. This study aims to obtain information on the diversityof sago species through genetic analysis of various sago accessions in Lingga District. The genetic analysis method used is RAPD
(Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) analysis. Based on the results of the dendrogram analysis, sago samples can be grouped into
three major groups at a similarity coefficient value of 54%. Group I consisted of 4 samples and 2 large groups at a similarity coefficientvalue of 45%. Group II consisted of 10 samples and 1 large group at a similarity coefficient value of 70%. In Group III, 10 samples
have a similarity coefficient value above 70%. In these groups, there is visible genetic variation in sago palm in Lingga District whichcomes from differences in the growing environment, cross-pollination, and crosses between close relatives and different types of sago.
Key words: Genetic resemblance, Indonesia, RAPD
Introduction
A strategic geographical location with extensive and fertile
agricultural land and good natural carrying capacity isIndonesia's main strength in intensify the national food security
strategy (Miyasto 2014). Based on the 2020 population census,
Indonesia's population has reached 270 million. This makes
Indonesia the fourth most populous country in the world. This
number has increased by 1.25% compared to the population in2010 (BPS 2021a). It requires the state to be able to guarantee
the availability of food for the community.
Currently, Indonesia has not been able to meet the foodneeds of its people. This can be seen from the import activity ofseveral food commodities such as wheat, sugar, and rice.
Indonesia is the second country with the highest total wheat
imports in the world after Egypt. Indonesia's total wheat imports
in 2020 reached 10.29 million tons (BPS 2021b). This number
increases to 11.2 million tons in 2022 (FAO 2022; USDA-FAS
2023). The number of wheat imports continues to increase in linewith the increasing public interest in processed wheat products
such as bread, biscuits, and cereals. Indonesia's wheat
consumption in 2022 will reach 10.5 million tons (FAO 2022;
USDA-FAS 2023). Wheat plants can only grow in subtropicalregions (Riska 2018). Until now, Indonesia has not been able toproduce its wheat.
Sago starch can be used as a substitute for wheat flour for
making bread and biscuits and can be used as a substitute forcane sugar. Bintoro et al. (2010) stated that 30% substitution ofsago starch did not affect the quality of the product produced.
Based on research conducted by Ramadhani and Mulyani (2018),
the preferred cake product is a substitute product of 50% wheat
flour with 50% sago starch. Substitution of wheat flour with sago
starch can reduce Indonesia's dependence on wheat imports.
Sago starch can also be used as a raw material for making liquidsugar or powdered sugar through an enzymatic reaction and canbe used as a raw material for making fuel (methanol and ethanol)(Bintoro et al. 2010).
Sago palm (Metroxylon spp.) is a potential commodity as analternative food with high productivity, which is around 20-40
tons of dry starch/ha per year. Food security based on thestrength of local resources will reduce dependence on imported
commodities or products thereby creating food self-sufficiency(Kusumawaty et al. 2018). Bintoro et al. (2021) says one
individual sago palm can produce as much as 200-400 kg of dry
starch. The total area of sago fields in the world is 6,279,637
million hectares and Indonesia has 85% of the world's sago areaor around 5,579,637 million hectares. According to Pranata et al.
(2018) the vast land is still not properly utilized. The potential
utilization of sago palm is still low, estimated at only around 1520%. Many sago palm that has entered the harvest period is notharvested and is eventually damaged. One of the ways todetermine sago palm accession is through the analysis of sago
palm genetic diversity.
More than 50% of sago palm in Indonesia is in Papua(Bintoro 2008). Abbas et al. (2009) stated that Papua is thecenter of origin of the sago palm species. In a study conductedby Dewi (2015) in Sayal Village, Saifi District, South Sorong
District, West Papua, 11 sago palm accession groups had quite
a genetic relationship. Previous research by Abbas et al. (2009)
stated that Papua has the highest sago palm genetic diversity as
indicated by haplotype diversity and the percentage ofpolymorphism haplotypes.
This study aims to obtain information on the diversity ofsago palm species through genetic analysis of various sago
accessions in Lingga District, Kepulauan Riau. The hypothesis
used as a reference for this research is that there are differencesin genetic diversity of various accessions of sago palm(Metroxylon spp.) in Lingga District, Kepulauan Riau.
Materials and Methods (or Research Methods)
The research was conducted from October 2022 – February
2023. The locations for taking leaf samples for RAPD (Random
Amplified Polymorphic DNA) analysis were in 6 villages in
Lingga District, which are Teluk Village, Musai Village, Keton
Village, Pekaka Village, Nerekeh Village, and Panggak Laut
Village.
The materials used in this study consisted of 24 samples
from 6 villages in Lingga District (Table 1). Other materials usedwere CTAB buffer, CIA (Chloroform isoamyl alcohol), Aquades,

54

TAE buffer, Ethidium Bromide (EtBr), 10 mM agarose gel, 2x
MyTaq HS Red Mix, DNA Ladder (VC 100bp Plus), and DNA
Primer P01, P04, P06, P17, PA4, PAA17, PAB4, PAB18, andPG2. The tools used are a microtube, PCR tube, mortar andpestle,micropipette,
centrifuge,
spectrophotometer,
electrophoresis chamber, thermal cycler, hot plate, pipette tip,
vortex, spatula, beaker glass, Erlenmeyer, and computer.

µL stock solution of DNA to be dissolved in 200 µL of distilledwater.
b. PCR (Polymeration Chain Reaction) amplification for RAPDThe RAPD primers used in the experiment were 9 types ofprimers that had been selected by Ehara et al. (2003) as follows:
1) P01 (5’ GCGGCTGGAG 3’)
2) P04 (5’ CGTCTGCCCG 3’)
3) P06 (5’ TTCCGCGGGC 3’)
4) P17 (5’ ATGACGACGG 3’)5) OPA04 (5’ AATCGGGCTG 3’)6) OPAA17 (5’ GAGCCCGACT 3’)
7) OPAB04 (5’ GGCACGCGTT 3’)8) OPAB18 (5’ CTGGCGTGTC 3’)9) OPG02 (5’ GGCATCGAGG 3’)
PCR components were added to each microtube, namely 2x
MyTaq HS Red Mix (50 µL), DNA working solution (25 µL),
and primer (25 µL). Each of these components is attached to adifferent side of the microtube wall. Furthermore, the entire
microtube is centrifuged to collect these solutions at the bottomof the microtube. Microtubes that have been centrifuged are thenput into the Thermal cycler for 2 hours and 55 minutes.

Table 1. Sample data of sago palm accessions in Lingga District
No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

Village

Keton
Keton
Panggak Laut
Panggak Laut
PekakaPekakaMusai
Musai
Nerekeh
Nerekeh
Nerekeh
Nerekeh
Teluk
Teluk
Teluk
Teluk
Musai
Musai
Nerekeh
Nerekeh
Nerekeh
NerekehPanggak Laut
Panggak LautSpine/Spineless
Spine
Spine
Spine
Spine
Spine
Spine
Spine
Spine
Spine
Spine
Spine
Spine
SpinelessSpine
SpinelessSpine
SpinelessSpinelessSpinelessSpinelessSpinelessSpinelessSpinelessSpinelessc. DNA electrophoresis
1) Preparation of agarose gel
0.6 g agarose powder and TAE buffer were put into theErlenmeyer and stirred into a solution. The agarose solution isheated using a hot plate until it is homogeneous. The
homogeneous solution is poured into a mold equipped with acomb to make wells. This solution was left for 45 minutes until
it solidified and after that, the comb was removed from the mold.
The next step is to put the TAE solution into the mold until it
covers the agarose gel.
2) Loading DNA and ladders
The PCR result solution (DNA) was put into the well as
much as 2.5 μL. In the first and last wells, 5 μL of DNA ladder
was added. The next step is the electrophoresis chamber isturned on at a voltage of 90V for 85 minutes. The electrophoretic
agarose gel was then stained by immersion in ethidium bromide
solution for 15 seconds. The gel was rinsed using distilled waterby soaking it for 15 minutes. The DNA bands were observed
using UV light.
The electrophoretic PCR results were then photographedand analyzed by scoring. The DNA band profile from the RAPD
analysis was scored based on the presence or absence of
amplification results in the polymorphic DNA bands. The
genotype will be given a value of 1 if there is a band and givena value of zero if there is no band.
The accession genetic relationship can be identified from thenumber of polymorphic bands in the plant's DNA. These
polymorphic bands will be converted into binary data bycomparing the presence of polymorphic bands in selected
samples from sago palm accessions. There are certain base pairs(bp) in the DNA band. Each band is considered a homologous
locus. The locus is then converted into binary data by giving avalue of one for the locus that has polymorphic bands and avalue of zero if the locus does not have polymorphic bands. The
scoring table is used in the analysis of similarity and clustering
analysis. The data in the table will be analyzed using the
Numerical Taxonomy and Multivariate Analysis System(NTSYS-pc version 2.02) program (Rohlf 2009). The data will
be processed using the Simqual (Similarity of Qualitative)
procedure to obtain similarities. The next step is to perform aclustering analysis using the UPGMA (Unweighted Pair-Group
Method Arithmetic) method to create a dendrogram.

Genetic characters were observed in the DNA of each sago
palm accession using the RAPD (Random Amplified
Polymorphic DNA) method. DNA samples were taken from theshoots of sago palm leaves during the tillering phase, then thecollected leaves were stored in a plastic clip (zip lock) and stored
in a cool box to keep the leaves fresh when in the field. Leaf
samples were then taken 2 cm2 and put in 700 µl of CTAB buffer
solution until ready to be extracted in the laboratory. The stagesof DNA extraction and RAPD analysis are as follows:a. DNA extraction
The leaf samples were crushed using a mortar and pestle.
The sample was then transferred into a 1.5 ml microtube andimmersed in a water bath at 65℃ for 30 minutes. Then thesamples were incubated for 10 minutes at room temperature.
Each sample was added with 700 μL of CIA (Chloroform
Isoamyl Alcohol) solution and slowly inverted.
The sample is then centrifuged so that the solution is mixed
until homogeneous, at a rate of 10 000 - 15 000 rpm for 5
minutes. The DNA solution will separate from the chloroform
solution. The upper phase is taken and inserted into a new
microtube. Absolute ethanol is added 2 times the sample volume.
The sample is then incubated at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Next centrifuged in 11,500 rpm for 5 minutes.
The supernatant solution resulting from centrifugation will
be discarded leaving a DNA precipitate at the bottom of the
microtube. The DNA precipitate will be dried using a vacuumfor 45 minutes. The dried DNA was then dissolved using 50 µL
of distilled water and tapped to dissolve the DNA (stock
solution). The DNA stock solution was then stored at -20℃. The
working solution for DNA samples was prepared by mixing 255

Results and Discussion
a. General condition of Lingga District
Lingga District has a space of 45,456.72 km2. 95% of thearea is an ocean and only 5% is land area. Lingga District islocated between 0° 20' North Latitude - 0° 40' South Latitude,
and 104° 30' - 105°00' East Longitude. The land area of Lingga
District is dominated by hilly areas with slope levels which are
divided into six classes, namely 0 – 2%, 2 – 8%, 8 – 15%, 15 –
25%, 25 – 40%, and >40%. Soil types in Lingga District arelitosol, red-yellow podzolic, and organosol. The soil layers inthis area have a crumb-to-lumpy structure with a clay-enveloped
and firm bottom layer (BPS Kabupaten Lingga 2019).
The land area of Lingga District is dominated by hilly areas
with slope levels which are divided into six classes, namely 0 –2%, 2 – 8%, 8 – 15%, 15 – 25%, 25 – 40%, and >40%. As muchas 77% of the Lingga District area has a slope of > 15%.
Generally, the soil types in Lingga District are litosol, red-yellow
podzolic, and organosol. The soil layers in this area have acrumb-to-lumpy structure with a tough, clay-enveloped
underlayer. The rivers in Lingga District in flat areas have depths
ranging from 2-3 meters from the water surface. In hilly areas,
the rivers in Lingga District have depths ranging from 3-7 meters(BPS Kabupaten Lingga 2019).
Lingga District has a tropical and wet climate (BPS
Kabupaten Lingga 2019). The average rainfall in this area in
2022 is 879 mm3. The highest rainfall occurred in May of1786.4 mm3 and the lowest in September at 308.5 mm3. The
average temperature in Lingga District in 2022 is 27 ℃ with aminimum temperature of 22 ℃ and a maximum temperature of
33 ℃. The highest average humidity occurs in June 2022, which
is 90.4%, while the lowest humidity occurs in January, which is
84.9% (BMKG 2022).

events of the electropherogram (Fig 1) of 24 samples of sago
palm leaves from 7 villages in Lingga District, DNA isolation
can be said to have been successfully carried out. This was
identified by the presence of DNA fragments which could beseen in the agarose gel being analyzed. The results of DNA
isolation can be used for RAPD analysis because the DNA
fragments on the electropherogram are not damaged and can beseen even though there are still smears or DNA bands that areelongated in the form of elongated stains on some DNA bands.
According to Hikmatyar et al. (2015), DNA bands that shine
firmly and clearly on agarose gel when exposed to ultraviolet
light are well-isolated DNA.
Smear on the isolated DNA occurs because the DNA thatcomes out due to the lysis process is cut by the endonuclease
enzyme during the extraction process in the CTAB buffer during
the DNA isolation process (Mulyani et al. 2011). According to
Iqbal et al. (2016), smears on DNA electrophoresis results arecaused by contaminants such as protein and residual solution in
the DNA isolation process. According to Husniyati (2012),
smears can form during the DNA isolation process due tocentrifugation, temperature treatment, and the remaining
solutions used. The smear will affect the quality of the DNA thatwill be used.
c. DNA Amplification
DNA amplification was carried out on 24 sago palm
accession samples from 7 villages in Lingga District with two
types of sago palm, namely thorny sago and non-thorny sago.
The primers used were P01, P04, P06, P17, OPA04, OPAA17,
OPAB4, OPAB18, and OPG02. The sequence of bases and thenumber of DNA fragments obtained from the amplification
results are shown in Table 7. The amplification results produced
between 7 – 22 fragments from each primer used. The sizes ofDNA fragments ranging from 100 bp – 2600 bp. In Firmansyah's
research (2022), from 24 sago palm accession samples in Siberut
National Park, a total of 158 DNA fragments were obtained.

b. DNA isolation
The isolation of sago palm DNA was given out using the
DNA isolation method combined with CTAB (Abhal 2022). P06
primer was adopted to test the quality of the DNA. Based on the

Picture. 1. Results of DNA amplification based on genetic characters (RAPD) of various sago accessions in Lingga District
The results of the DNA amplification showed that there waspolymorphism in the pattern of the DNA fragments (Fig. 1). The
number of DNA fragments produced is different for each primer.
The DNA fragment in the OPAB04 primer yielded 22 fragmentswith sizes between 100 bp – 1700 bp. This amount is the mostcompared to other primers. P01 primers produced the least
number of fragments, namely 7 DNA fragments ranging in size
from 375 bp to 2500 bp. The difference in the size of the DNA
fragments (polymorphism) in the amplification results is causedby the distribution of nucleotide base locations in the genome
which are the sites of primary attachment. RAPD results frompolymorphism come from deletions, mutations, and insertions.
The success of genomic DNA amplification in RAPD analysis
is determined by the sequence of primers used, quantity(Susantidiana et al. 2009), and suitability of PCR conditions
such as primer annealing temperature and extension (Gusmiaty
et al. 2012).

56

Figure 2. Dendrogram of 24 sago samples in Lingga District
samples have a similarity coefficient value of 84%. This value
is the largest similarity coefficient value based on the RAPD
results. This shows that the Teluk 2 spine and Musai 1 spinelesssample have the closest genetic resemblance among the othersamples. The Teluk 1 spine and Teluk 2 spine samples still havea fairly large similarity coefficient value, which is 80%.
Group III is at a similarity coefficient value between 70%- 82.5% and node N18. All samples in this group are spine sagopalm. The 1st spiked sea arch sample is the one that has thelowest similarity coefficient value in group III, which is 70%.
Spine sago palm from Keton Village, Nerekeh Village, Pekaka
Village, and Musai Village has a fairly close genetic
resemblance compared to spine sago palm from Teluk Village
and Panggak Laut Village.
Data for groups II and III show that spine sago palm fromdifferent villages in Lingga District still has a moderately close
genetic resemblance. This is the same as spineless sago palm
from a different village in Lingga District. The type of spinelesssago palm has a similarity coefficient value of 68% with spine
sago palm at node N19. The results of the analysis of genetic
resemblance in Lingga District showed that ten samples withsimilarity coefficient values above 70% were samples ofspine sago palm, and eight samples had similarity coefficientvalues ranging from 68% - 84% of spineless sago palm. There
were two samples with a similarity coefficient value of 84%
which came from spine and spineless plants. This shows that thegenetic characteristics of sago palm can affect its morphologicalcharacteristics. Morphological characters can also be different
due to the influence of environmental factors.
The results of the RAPD analysis show that there is a genetic
resemblance between the sago palm. Based on the results of theanalysis, the similarity coefficient values can be divided into
four parts, namely 45% – 54%, 54% – 64%, 64% – 74%, and
74% – 84% (Fig. 2). The type of sago palm with similarity
coefficient values between 45% – 54% is thought to be adifferent type of sago palm, while those with similarity
coefficient values between 54% – 64% are types of sago palmd. Genetic Resemblance
RAPD analysis results on 24 samples taken from 6 villages
in Lingga District showed that there was a genetic resemblance
between individuals. This is indicated by the value of thesimilarity coefficient in the dendrogram which ranges from 45%
to 84% (Fig. 2). Based on the dendrogram results, the sago
samples can be grouped into three major groups at a similarity
coefficient value of 54%. Group I consisted of 4 samplings andtwo large groups at a similarity coefficient value of 45%.
Group II consisted of 10 samples and one large group at asimilarity coefficient value of 70%. Group III consisted of 10
samplings with similarity coefficient values above 70%.
Group I is the sample group with the largest range ofsimilarity coefficient values, which ranges from 45% - 66%,
and nodes N20 - N23. The samples in group I sampled fromseveral villages with spine and spineless sago palm, namely
Keton 1 spine, Nerekeh 3 spineless, Pangga Laut 2 spine, andTeluk 1 spineless. The Keton 1 sample in group I has arelationship with 23 other samples at a similarity coefficientvalue of 45% and node N23 which is the smallest similarity
coefficient value. Genetically, the Ketone 1 spine sample has
many differences from the other 23 samples, so the Keton 1
spine sample has the most distant genetic resemblance from theother 23 samples. The Keton 1 spine sample is the first repeat
spine sago palm sample taken from Keton Village. When
compared with the Keton 2 spine sample which is the second
repeat sample from the same village, the genetic resemblancevalues of the two are very far apart. The difference in the resultsof the amplification of the DNA fragments in each sample
underlies the differences in the genetic resemblance between
individuals. Nodes N20 – N22 have similarity coefficientvalues ranging from 58% - 66%.
Group II is found in similarity coefficient values between
68% - 84% and node N19. Eight samples in this group camefrom spineless sago palm species from different villages while
two samplings came from spine sago palm species from thesame suburb. Panggak Laut 2 spine and Musai 1 spineless57

that have been cross-pollinated. In this type of sago with asimilarity coefficient value between 64%–74%, it issuspected that there was a cross between close relatives and thegrowing environment. In the type of sago palm with asimilarity coefficient value between 74%–84%, it may only
be caused by differences in the growing environment. One
sample of sago palm has the lowest similarity coefficientvalue of 45%. The smaller the similarity coefficient value thatis formed, it indicates that the individual is more distantly related
and vice versa. The sample is thought to be an accession that isdifferent from other samples.
Based on the results of the analysis of sago palm genetic
resemblance obtained, the morphological characters of spine orspineless on sago palm cannot be used as a benchmark to
distinguish one individual from other individuals for naming
sago palm. The morphological characters in the Keton 1 and
Keton 2 samples had spines, but the genetic relationship wasvery far away. This is different from the samples Teluk 2 spineand Musai 1 spineless which have the closest genetic
relationship.

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(Metroxylon spp.) di Kecamatan Mamuju, Kabupaten
Mamuju, Provinsi Sulawesi Barat [skripsi]. Bogor (ID):Institut Pertanian Bogor.
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D. Ahyuni 2021 Ekofisiologi Sagu. Bogor (ID): IPB Press.
Bintoro, M. H., M. Y. J. Purwanto, S. Amarillis 2010 Sagu di
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Contributions to Food Security and Sustainable
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perbandingan metode isolasi DNA untuk deteksi White
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Conclusions
DNA isolation for RAPD analysis was successfully carriedout with good-quality DNA even though smears were stillpresent. Smear on the isolated DNA occurs because the DNA
that comes out due to the lysis process is cut by the endonuclease
enzyme during the extraction process in the CTAB buffer during
the DNA isolation process. The results of DNA amplification
showed that there was polymorphism in the pattern of DNA
fragments with different sizes. The difference in the size of theamplified DNA fragments (polymorphism) is caused by the
distribution of nucleotide base locations in the genome which
are the sites for primer attachment. RAPD analysis results showthat the genetic variation of sago palm in Lingga District
originates from differences in the growing environment, crosspollination, crosses between close relatives, and different typesof sago palm. The results of genetic resemblance analysis
showed that the morphological characters of spine or spinelesson sago palm could not be used as a benchmark to distinguish
one individual from others for naming sago palm. The
morphological characters in the Keton 1 and Keton 2 samples
had spines, but the genetic relationship was very far away. Thisis different from the samples Teluk 2 spine and Musai 1
spineless which have the closest genetic relationship.
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Data Harian Kabupaten Lingga 2022. Jakarta (ID): Badan
Meteorologi Klimatologi dan Geofisika.
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Statistik Kependudukan dan Ketenagakerjaan, editor.
Jakarta (ID): BPS RI.
[BPS] Badan Pusat Statistik 2021b Buletin Statistik
Perdagangan Luar Negeri Desember 2021. Jakarta (ID):BPS RI.
[BPS Kabupaten Lingga] Badan Pusat Statistik Kabupaten
Lingga 2019 Kabupaten Lingga dalam Angka 2019.
Lingga (ID): BPS Kabupaten Lingga.
[FAO] Food and Agriculture Organization 2022 Food Outlook:
Biannual Report on Global Food Markets. Roma (IT):Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
[USDA-FAS] United States Department of Agriculture Foreign
Agricultural Service 2023 Grain : World Markets andTrade. Washington (US): United States Department ofAgriculture Foreign Agricultural Service. Februari.

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Identifikasi beberapa aksesi jarak pagar (Jatropha curcas
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59

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

12ISS14

Genetic Relationship of Sago (Metroxylon spp.) in West Siberut and North
Siberut, Mentawai Islands Regency, West Sumatra
Ariel Nur Alifan Firmansyah1*, Mochamad Hasjim Bintoro1, Shandra Amarillis1,
Ervizal Amzu2 and Nadzrun Jamil3
1 Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University

2 Department of Forest Resource Conservation and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry, IPB University
3 Siberut National Park Office, Ministry of Environment and Forestry of the Republic of Indonesia

Telp: +62 877 1105 1200

Abstract Sago plants have long spread in Indonesia and are thought to originate from the Maluku and Papua regions. In several areas
in Indonesia besides Maluku, Irian Jaya, and Aceh, sago is used as a staple food for the Mentawai Islands in West Sumatra. The diversityof sago plant species in Indonesia is still largely unknown. Differences in the diversity of sago plants based on morphological andgenetic characteristics were observed directly through measurements (quantitative) and visual observations (qualitative). This study
aims to determine the genetic relationship of various sago accessions found in West Siberut and North Siberut Districts, Mentawai
Islands Regency, West Sumatra. Genetic characters were observed using the Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) method.
There were six sago accessions observed in the two sub-districts of West Siberut and North Siberut, namely the Saikoat, Limu, Betaet,Ukra, Sirilanggai, and Sibeotcun accessions, all of which included non-thorny sago species. Based on genetic character analysis(RAPD), there is a fairly close diversity of the six sago accessions, with similarity coefficient values ranging from 61% to 77%. The
Ukra accession has the most distant similarity coefficient with the other accessions, namely 61%. Based on the analysis of genetic
characters from a total of 24 samples taken from the Mentawai Islands Regency, 11 samples that had a similarity coefficient value
above 77% were samples that were still in the same area, but 13 samples had a similarity coefficient value of around 63%-77% despite
being in a different area. Differences in the similarity coefficients can occur due to different accessions or crossings or due to differencesin their living environment.
Key words: Character, Diversity, Genetics, RAPD, Sago accession
Introduction
The sago plant is native to Indonesia with the widest area
distribution in the world, which is approximately 51% of thetotal world sago area (Papilaya 2009). More than 50% ofIndonesia's sago grows in Papua. Other provinces that haverather extensive sago are Maluku, North Maluku, Aceh, Riau,
West Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, andNorth Sulawesi (Bintoro 2008). Sago plants have long spreadin Indonesia and are thought to originate from the Maluku andPapua regions. In several areas in Indonesia besides Maluku,
Irian Jaya, and Aceh, sago is used as a staple food, includingin the Mentawai Islands, and West Sumatra (Bintoro et al.
2010). Sago plants are C3 plants and can be found in the wet
tropics in Southeast Asia and Oceania and dominate
permanently or semi-permanently flooded swamplands, peatsoils, and minerals with a minimum pH of 4.5 (Okazaki et al.
2013). According to Mulyanto and Suwardi (2000), sago canbe found at an altitude of 0-700 m asl (above sea level), but
grows optimally at an altitude of 0-400 m asl withtemperatures ranging from 24-30oC, humidity 60-90% and has
a type entisols, histosols, and inseptisols.
The Mentawai Islands are an archipelago consisting of four
major islands, namely Siberut, Sipora, North Pagai, South
Pagai, and several smaller islands on the west side of Sumatra
Island. Siberut Island is the largest island in the Mentawai
Islands, which is 400,030 hectares and is divided into four
districts, namely South Siberut, Central Siberut, North Siberut,
and West Siberut (Kusbiantoro et al. 2016). Siberut National
Park is included in the province of West Sumatra, Mentawai
Islands, which is 155 km from the city of Padang. This area
has a diversity of sago plants that have not been widely
exploited. Approximately 60% of the area is covered byprimary dipterocarp forests, mixed primary forests, swamps,
coastal forests, and mangrove forests.
Analysis of the genetic diversity of sago plants is one way
to determine their characteristics of sago plants. According to

Barahima (2006), sago plants store their genetic informationin the core genome and organelles, namely chloroplasts andmitochondria. One of the molecular marker techniques thathave been used to see patterns of diversity is Random
Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD). RAPD which is used to
identify sago plant genotypes has several advantages in its
implementation and analysis (Suryanto 2003). The advantagesof RAPD include that the procedure is easier, cheaper, andfaster, requires a small amount of DNA sample (0.5-50 ng),and does not require radioisotopes (Sharma et al. 2008).
RAPD molecular markers are used for various purposes,
namely the study of genetic diversity, genetic hierarchy,
genetic differentiation, genetic kinship, and genetic structure(Sripaoraya et al. 2001).
Abbas et al. (2009) conducted research related to the genetic
relationship of sago plants using the RAPD method. Samples
were taken from several islands in Indonesia and the result isthat there is a genetic relationship between sago plant samples.
Papua is the center of origin for the development of sago plants(center of origin) which is characterized by a high level ofdiversity and wide area for sago growth. The results of theanalysis are shown in three main groups. The first group issago plants from Papua which are genetically related to sago
plants from Kalimantan and Sumatra. The second group,
namely sago plants from Ambon, are closely related to sago
plants from Sulawesi, and the third group, namely sago plantsfrom Java, is not related to the others.
The diversity of sago plant species in Indonesia is stilllargely unknown. Morphologically, sago plants are
distinguished based on the presence or absence of thorns, but
the morphological characters are not sufficient to describe thediversity because they are still influenced by internal (genetic)
and external (environmental) factors. It is important to identify
the genetic diversity of various sago accessions, especially thedevelopment of sago accessions that have high productivity
and the potential to be cultivated commercially (Nurulhaq60

2017). Determination of sago accession needs to be done byobserving the physical appearance and also genetics so that it
is more accurate. This can be expressed by a variety ofmolecular techniques. One of the simple molecular techniqueswith relatively inexpensive and easy preparation is theRandom Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) molecularmarker. This technique has several advantages in its
implementation and analysis. The results of the morphologicalobservations of sago accessions were compared with theresults of DNA analysis using the RAPD method so that thegenetic relationship of sago accessions will be known throughgenetic character analysis. This study aims to obtain
information on the genetic relationships of various sago
accessions found in West Siberut and North Siberut Districts,
Mentawai Islands Regency, West Sumatra.

14. Precipitated DNA pellets are obtained.
15. The water is removed and the DNA pellet is dried in a
vacuum desiccator.
16. The DNA pellets are stored in the freezer until readyto use.
b. PCR amplification for RAPDThe RAPD primers used in the experiment referred to 9
types of primers that had been selected by Ehara et al. (2003)
as follows:
1. P01 (5'-GCGGCTGGAG-3')
2. P04 (5'-CGTCTGCCCG-3')
3. P06 (5'-TTCCGCGGGC-3')
4. P17 (5'-ATGACGACGG-3')
5. OPG02 (5'-GGCATCGAGG-3')
6. OPA04 (5'-AATCGGGCTG-3')
7. OPAB04 (5'-GGCACGCGTT-3')
8. OPAA17 (5'-GAGCCCGACT-3')
9. OPAB18 (5'-CTGGCGTGTC-3')
Primer was dissolved in aquabidest water and prepared in aconcentration of 100 μM as a stock solution. The amount ofwater that must be added to make a stock solution is calculated
by multiplying the number of molecules indicated on the
package by 10 μL. Next, a working solution was made for eachprimer with a dilution of 5 times, to facilitate work.
Each microtube was loaded with PCR master mix, DNA
template, and primer for PCR amplification with 5 μL taq
polymerase, 2.5 μL DNA, and 2.5 μL primer respectively. The
amplified fragments were electrophoresed using agarose gel in
1 x TAE buffer, fixed on ethidium bromide, and visualizedusing a Densitograph and the ATTA bioinstrument. Agarose
gel was prepared by dissolving 0.6 g of agarose gel in 40 ml
of TAE and heating it on a hot plate until homogeneous(boiling) for about 3 minutes. Once cold, the solution is poured
into the mold and the comb is installed to make a hole (well),then wait for it to solidify. After solidification, the comb wasremoved and the TAE solution was added until it covered the
agarose gel.
The PCR result solution (DNA) was put into the well as
much as 2.5 μL. Next, 5 μL of marker (ladder) was added to
the well. The gel electrophoresis results were then stained byplacing it in ethidium bromide solution for 5 minutes and thentaking pictures. The electrophoretic PCR results were
photographed and analyzed by scoring. The DNA band profile
from the RAPD analysis was scored based on the presence orabsence of amplification results. If there is a band then the
genotype is scored 1 and if there is no band on the othergenotypes it is scored 0. Scoring is done in locus areas thathave clear bands. Observations in the genetic analysis werecarried out using RAPD markers and carried out in PCR
machines, which were then processed using the NTSYS-pc
version 2.02 program.

Materials and Methods
Field data collection activities were carried out fromJanuary to March 2022. The research locations were in West
Siberut and North Siberut Districts, Mentawai Islands Regency,
and West Sumatra. DNA analysis using the RAPD method was
conducted from April to June 2022 at the PMB (Plant
Molecular and Biotechnology) Laboratory, Department ofAgronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Bogor
Agricultural University.
The materials used are sago plants that have entered theready-to-harvest phase in six accessions located in West
Siberut District and North Siberut District, leaf samples fromeach stand, 70% alcohol, 90% alcohol, absolute alcohol,
phenol-chloroform, isoamyl alcohol, CTAB buffer, agarose
gel 10 mM dNTP mix hot start master kit and magnesium
chloride hexahydrate. The tools used are cameras, plastic
zippers, cooler boxes, blue ice, and PCR machines.
Observation of genetic characters in each accession of sago
plants was observed using the RAPD method. DNA samples
were obtained from the youngest leaf shoots in the tillering
phase, then the leaves were stored in a plastic zipper and put
in a cooler box to maintain the freshness of the leaf structurein the field. Leaf samples were taken with a size of 2 cm2 andput into a CTAB buffer solution of 700 μl. The next stage is
DNA extraction and PCR amplification as follows:a. DNA extraction
1. Buffer solution and leaf samples are removed from thetube and put into the mortar.
2. PVP (polyvinyl-pyrrolidone) is added to the mortar andground together.
3. The crushed leaf sample was transferred into a 1.5 ml
microtube.
4. Microtubes are immersed in a 65oC water bath for 30
minutes and incubated for 10 minutes at room
temperature.
5. Add 700 μL of CIA solution to each microtube.
6. Vortex the microtube to mix the solution until it ishomogeneous.
7. The sample is centrifuged at 10,000-15,000 rpm for 5
minutes.
8. The supernatant (upper phase) was taken and put into
a new 2 ml microtube.
9. CIA has added again to the supernatant, and the tube
is vortexed and centrifuged again.
10. The supernatant was taken back and transferred to a
new 2 ml microtube.
11. Absolute ethanol (100%) as much as 2 times the initial
volume is added to the supernatant (filled to 2 ml).
12. The solution is incubated at a cold temperature.
13. The microtubes were centrifuged again at 8,000 rpm
for 5 minutes.

Results and Discussion
General Circumstances
The Mentawai Islands are a series of four large islands
consisting of Siberut, Sipora, North Pagai, South Pagai, andseveral smaller islands. Siberut Island is the largest island,
which is around 3818.18 km2. Siberut Island is split into four
districts, namely South Siberut, Central Siberut, North Siberut,
and West Siberut. Field data obtained was executed in two
locations, namely West Siberut and North Siberut. This area ispart of the Area II National Park Management Section (SPTN
II). West Siberut District has an area of 1163.64 km2 or about
19.3% of the area of the Mentawai Islands Regency (6033.77
km2). West Siberut District is the largest sub-district in the
Mentawai Islands Regency which consists of three villages

61namely Simalegi Village, Simatalu Village, and Sigapokna
Village with a total of 29 sub-villages. North Siberut District
has an area of around 782.68 km2 or about 13% of the area of
Mentawai Regency (6033.77 km2). This sub-district consistsof six villages, namely Sirilogi Village, Muara Sikabaluan
Village, Mongan Poula Village, Sotboyak Village, Bojakan
Village, and Malancan Village with a total of 26 sub-village(BPS 2022).
Siberut Island with an area of 4,030 km2 has been
designated as the core zone of the National Park. The land area
occupied by Siberut National Park is 190,500 hectares. Its
designation as a national park is based on the Decree of the
MinisterofForestry
Number407/Kpts-II/1993.
Geographically, Siberut National Park is located at coordinates
01°05'-01°45' South Latitude and 98°36'-99°03' East
Longitude. Administratively, Siberut National Park isbordered by the Indian Ocean (western part), Central Siberut
District (Eastern part), North Siberut District (North part), andSouth Siberut District (Southern part). The zoning area in
Siberut National Park was established in 2015 through theDecree of the Director General of PHKA No. 32/IV-Set/2015,
which consists of a core zone of 45,620 hectares, a forest zoneof 85,580 hectares, a utilization zone of 19,920 hectares, a
traditional zone of 24,050 hectares, and a special zone of
15,330 hectares. The Siberut National Park Authority is
divided into two Conservation Area Sections, namely the
Region I Conservation Section in Muara Sikabaluan and theRegion II Conservation Section in Muara Siberut. 60% of theSiberut National Park area is covered by relatively unspoiled
forests such as Dipterocarpaceae primary forest, mixed
primary forest, swamps, coastal forest, and mangrove forest
dominated by large trees reaching 60 meters high and rich in

Sago saikoat

Sago limu

endemic rare flora and fauna, and includes representatives of
the tropical rainforest type. The topography of the Siberut
National Park area is flat to hilly with a height of less than 400m asl (above sea level) with the highest peak at 384 m asl. The
plains area has a slope of 0% to 15% with a height ranging
from 0 m to 50 m and is influenced by a tropical climate withan annual average rainfall of 3,320 mm, with temperatures
ranging from 22-31oC and average humidity ranging from 9195 % (Haryani and Putri 2021).
Sago accession
There are 6 sago accessions found in Mentawai Islands
Regency, West Sumatra. These accessions are located in West
Siberut District (saikoat, limu, and betaet accessions) andNorth Siberut District (ukra, sirilanggai, and sibeotcun
accessions). All sago accessions found were types of sago thatare not thorny and include plants that flower and bear fruit
once (hepaxanthic). The location is a mixed forest that grows
in it a variety of other vegetation. Sago in that location grows
naturally so the saplings grow irregularly due to the absenceof plant cultivation activities. Sago grows by forming clusters,in one cluster there is a mother and a sago sapling which havedifferent growth phases, starting from the seedling phase(saplings still attached to the mother), saplings (saplings are
separated from the mother but do not yet have stems), polephase (saplings have had a trunk), and the saw-timber phasethat is ripe for cutting and trees that have passed cutting
maturity. The number of seedling phases found in one cluster
is around 1-7 sago seedlings, some clusters only have one
parent and tillers that are closely packed but are still in theseedling and weaning phases.

Sago ukra

Sago betaet

Sago sirilanggai

Sago sibeotcun

Fig. 1. Variations in the shape of the crown of various sago accessions in the Mentawai Islands District
Genetic Relations
Genetic characters in the DNA of each accession were takenfrom leaf samples in each 50 m x 50 m plot with four replicatesand observed using the RAPD method using nine primers,
namely primers P01, P04, P06, P17, OPG02, OPA04, OPAB04,
OPAA17, and OPAB18. The result is a clear DNA
amplification with the marked appearance of polymorphic
bands (Figure 2). Each primer has several DNA yield

fragments ranging from 7 to 30 bands, with an average of 17
bands per primer. P01 primer has 15 bands, P04 primer has 14
bands, P06 primer has 7 bands, P17 primer has 25 bands,
OPG02 primer has 10 bands, OPA04 primer has 20 bands,
OPAB04 primer has 30 bands, primer OPAA17 has 20 bands,
and OPAB18 primer has 17 bands. The total number offragments produced from 9 primers was 158.

62

Note: Samples 1-4 = saikoat; Sample 5-8 = limu; Sample 9-12 = betaet; Sample 13-16 = ukra; Sample 17-20 = sirilanggai;
Sample 21-24 = sibeotcun
Fig. 2. Results of DNA amplification based on genetic characters (RAPD) of various sago accessions in Mentawai Islands District
The results of DNA amplification of various sago
accessions in Siberut National Park based on genetic
characters (RAPD) for six sago accessions produced
dendrograms with coefficients of similarity ranging from 61%
to 77% (Figure 3). Based on genetic characteristics, theaccession that has the closest kinship relationship, namely thelimu accession and the betaet accession with a similarity
coefficient value of 77%. The accessions in West Siberut(saikoat, limu, and betaet accessions) have a fairly close

similarity coefficient value, which is 69%, while theaccessions in north siberut (ukra, sibeotcun and sirilanggai
accessions) have a relatively close similarity coefficient value,
which is equal to 61%. the sibeotcun and sirilanggai
accessions in north siberut have a kinship relationship with theaccessions in west siberut (saikoat, limu, and betaet
accessions), namely 68%. only the ukra accession has the most
distant similarity coefficient value to the accessions in northsiberut and west siberut, namely 61%.

Coefficient of Similarity
Fig. 3. Dendogram of six sago accessions based on genetic characters in Mentawai Islands District

63

The addition of the number of samples for each accession
was carried out to find out in more detail the kinshiprelationship between sago accessions on Siberut Island. The
accessions of saikoat, limu, betaet, sibeotcun, sirirlanggai,
and ukra each have four samples. The DNA amplification
results for 24 samples produced a dendrogram with a similarity
coefficient between 63 and 81% (Figure 4). 11 samples have asimilarity coefficient value above 77% and there are four
samples that have a similarity coefficient value of less than68%.
The dendogram results form three large groups at asimilarity coefficient value of 65%. The first large group isfound with a similarity coefficient value of 69%. Samples
taken from Limu hamlet (West Siberut) have a kinshiprelationship with samples taken from Ukra and Sirilanggai
sub-village (North Siberut) with similarity coefficient values
ranging from 69% -73%.
The second large group is found in the similarity coefficientvalue of 68%. All samples taken from Betaet hamlet (WestSiberut) have a coefficient of similarity between 73% -75%.
Samples from Ukra and Sirilanggai sub-village (North
Siberut) have a similarity coefficient value of 71%. Samples
from Sirilanggai hamlet (North Siberut) have a kinshiprelationship with samples from Limu hamlet (West Siberut)with similarity coefficient values ranging from 75% -78%.
The third large group occurs in the sample with a similarity
coefficient value of 67%. All samples from Sibeotcun hamlet(North Siberut) have a similarity coefficient value of 71% 80%. All samples from Saikoat were clustered and had theclosest kinship ranging from 77% -81%, except for one sample
from the Saikoat hamlet (saikoat-4) which had the most distantkinship with the other samples, namely 63%. Samples from the
Ukra hamlet (ukra-4) have similarity coefficient values
ranging from 69% -72% with samples from Sibeotcun and
Saikoat sub-village.
Analysis of genetic kinship in Siberut National Park showedthat the 11 samples that had a similarity coefficient value
above 77% were samples from the same area, but 13 samples
had a similarity coefficient value ranging from 63% -77% eventhough they were in a different area. This shows that sago thatgrows in the same area does not always have the same type,but can be different because it is influenced by environmental
factors.
The similarity of sago accessions illustrates the kinship of
the sago. From observations in Mentawai District, particularly
in North Siberut and West Siberut, the coefficient of similarity
can be divided into a range between 63%-68%, a range
between 68%-72%, a range between 72%-77%, and a range
between 77%-81% (Figure 4). Accessions that have
similarities with a range of 63%-68% are thought to have comefrom different accessions, while those in the range of 68%72% may have come from different accessions but crosspollination has occurred among the accessions. Accessions
with a similarity range of 72%-77% likely occurred due tocrosses of close relatives of sago accessions and due todifferences in the growing environment, while in the range of
77%-81%, it is thought to have occurred due to differences in
the growing environment of the sago accessions.

Coefficient of Similarity
Fig. 4. Dendogram of 24 sago accession samples based on genetic characters in the Mentawai Islands District
Conclusions
The accession of sago found in the Mentawai Islands
Regency, West Sumatra is a type of sago that is not thorny andbelongs to the type of sago that flowers and bears very few
fruits (hepaxanthic). There are accessions in West Siberut(saikoat, limu, and betaet accessions) and North Siberut (ukra,
sirilanggai, and sibeotcun accessions). Based on the genetic
character, the ukra accession has a very distant kinshiprelationship with the other accessions, namely 61%.

Accessions with fairly close kinship are limu accession andbetaet accession which have a similarity coefficient value of
77%. The diversity of sago accessions based on genetic
characters in the two Districts of West Siberut and North
Siberut based on 24 samples taken has a fairly close similarity
coefficient, ranging from 63% to 81% even though they arefound in different areas. 11 samples have a similarity
coefficient value above 77% and there are 13 samples thathave a similarity coefficient value below 77%. The accessions64

of sago growing in West and North Siberut are very diverse.
This diversity is partly due to different accessions, crossing
over, and differences in their living environment.

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T. 2013 Does sago palm have a high δ13 value?. Sago
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Acknowledgement
The authors would like to thank the Siberut National Park
Office, especially the Management Section of Siberut National
Park Region II, which has assisted with this research,especially in terms of funding and research location permits.
References[BPS] Badan Pusat Statistik. 2022 Mentawai Islands Regency
in Figures. Sumatera Barat: BPS Kabupaten Kepulauan
Mentawai.
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Genetic relationship of sago palm (Metroxylon sagu
Rottb.) in Indonesia based on RAPD markers.
Biodiversitas J Biol Divers. 10(4):168–174.
doi:10.13057/biodiv/d100402.
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based on molecular markers of the chloroplast genome
and nuclear genome [dissertation]. Bogor(ID): Institut
Pertanian Bogor.
Bintoro H. 2008 Sago Farming. Bogor(ID): IPB Press.
Bintoro M, Purwanto M, Amarillis S. 2010. Sago in Peatland.
Bogor(ID): IPB Press.
Ehara H, Kosaka S, Shimura N, Matoyama D, Morita O, Naito
H, Mizota C, Susanto S, Bintoro M, Yamamoto Y. 2003
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Nasional Siberut.

65Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS15

Genetic Relationship of Sago (Metroxylon spp.) Based on RAPD Analysis:
A Case of Mamuju District, West Sulawesi Province, Indonesia
Naasih El Ibaad Abhal1*, Mochamad Hasjim Bintoro1, Sarip Hidayat2 and Shandra Amarillis1
1 Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Indonesia

2 National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jendral Ahmad Yani Street No. Km. 6, Parepare, 91131,

Indonesia*e-mail: naasihelibaad16@gmail.com

Abstract Sago (Metroxylon spp.) is an original plant from Indonesia, and about 85% of the world’s sago is grown in Indonesia. Sago
has a high potential, especially as a salvation plant. The research aims to identify sago accession based on genetic characteristics in
Mamuju District and the sago relationship in West Sulawesi Province using RAPD method. Three accessions of sago were observed
based on local names in Mamuju District, i.e. 2 types of non spiny, kasimpo and kapas, and 1 type spiny ruwi. The genetic
relationship of these accessions is known from the number of polymorphic bands in DNA. The bands are converted into binary databy comparing the presence or absence of bands belonging to selected samples from sago accessions. West Sulawesi Province consistsof 6 districts, and sago sampling was collected in each of these 6 districts. Specifically, we collected 10 sago samples from Mamuju
District, as well as 8 samples from Majene District and Polewali Mandar District. Moreover, 3 sago samples were taken fromDonggala District, Central Sulawesi Province. The total sago samples used were 47. The genetic distance based on RAPD analysis ofsago accessions in West Sulawesi Province was not too far, Kf value <80%. Uniqueness of gene expression was found in theseaccessions, and it is possible that there is a distant genetic relationship on spiny sago accessions, as well as non spiny sago accessions.
However, there is a close genetic relationship between spiny sago and non-spiny sago. Thus, the local accessions based onmorphological characteristics of sago should be explored further using RAPD analysis to determine genetic closeness.
Key words: Genetic closeness, RAPD method, Sago accession
Introduction
Indonesia is a country with a high diversity of vegetation,
especially carbohydrate-producing plants. However, national
food needs are still based on the commodity of rice (Oryza
sativa). BPS (2021a) notes that the results of the 2020
population census amounted to 270.20 million people,
experiencing an average increase of 1.25% per year whencompared to the 2010 population of 237.63 million people.
Population growth increases national food demand. National
food needs are also based on rice commodities, which areconcentrated from the production side on the island of Java.
Population growth on Java can directly erode agricultural land,
especially fertile paddy fields. According to Irianto (2016), theavailability of land (paddy rice) in the supply of food is an
important problem due to the population explosion and has theworst possibility of the threat of starvation. Rice production inIndonesia in 2020 is estimated at 54.65 million tons of GKG(BPS, 2021b). This production value is quite high comparedwith that of rice production in other countries. According to
Nurulhaq (2017), Indonesia ranks 3rd in the world as thehighest rice-producing country after China and India; however,national rice production is still unable to meet the needs of the
population. To address these problems, it is necessary to
diversify food. Sago is a plant with high potential, and in termsof sago productivity, it can produce 20-40 tons of dry
starch/ha/year. Other uses of sago starch include industrial raw
materials (glutamate, lactate, and fructose), as well as fuel(methanol and ethanol) (Bintoro et al., 2010).
Sago is a unique form of natural wealth owned by Indonesia.
In addition, Djoefrie et al. (2014), Indonesia has 50% morepotential for sago worldwide, with an area of 5.5 million ha.
According to Bintoro et al., (2021) the world's sago area is6,279,637 million hectares and Indonesia has 85% of theworld's sago area or around 5,337,691 million hectares. The
largest distribution of sago in Indonesia is found in theprovinces of Papua and West Papua. The spread of sago inIndonesia is quite wide, and besides Papua and West Papua
sago grow on the islands of Sulawesi, Sumatra, Kalimantan,
and Java. The people of Sulawesi have used sago as a staple

food for a long time, even though sago as a staple food has
decreased but processed sago can still be found. The people of
Sulawesi, especially West Sulawesi, usually process sago into
jepa and kapurung. According to Ernawati et al. (2018), lime isusually served almost every day and is also often served at
weddings, aqiqah, and traditional events as complementary
food during family gatherings. Letto means sago wet starch in
Mamuju local language.
Traditional societies generally divide sago into spiny andnon-spiny sago. However, there are various types of spiny andnon-spiny sago. Morphological diversity (visible through sight)
often deviates from genotypic diversity due to environmental
influences (Ahmad, 2017). Plant morphology is influenced by
two factors: internal factors (genetic) and external factors(environment). Determining the type of sago using plant
genetic material is more accurate than its morphologicalappearance. Therefore, it is necessary to determine theaccession of sago by observing the genetic relationshipbetween each type of sago. Observations were made using sago
genetic material in the form of DNA which was analyzed using
the RAPD (Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA) method.
This study aims to determine sago genetic relationship scope
mamuju and scope west Sulawesi province using RAPD
analysis.
Materials and Methods
The research areas were 6 districts in West Sulawesi
Province, consisting of Mamuju Regency, Mamasa Regency,
Majene Regency, Polewali Mandar Regency, Central Mamuju
Regency and North Mamuju Regency. This study was
conducted from January to April 2022. RAPD (Random
Amplified Polymorphic DNA) analysis at the PMB (Plant
Molecular and Biotechnology) Laboratory, Department ofAgronomy and Horticulture. Knowledge related to sago types
based on morphological characteristics was obtained throughinterviews with key informants in the Mamuju Regency, West
Sulawesi Province. Local naming was used as a marker foreach sago sample. The unknown local name of the sago ismarked with the name of the sampling district. The materials

66used were 70% alcohol, 90% alcohol, absolute alcohol, phenol
chloroform, isoamyl alcohol, CTAB buffer, 10 mM agarose gel
dNTP mix hot-start master mix kit, and magnesium chloride
hexahydrate. The tools used consisted of microtubes, cooler
boxes, scissors, labels, supporting equipment, and laboratory
equipment.
Data were collected from leaf samples during the tillering
phase. Sago DNA was isolated. The determination of genetic
characteristics in the form of similarity value includes West
Sulawesi Province. Six sago samples were taken from each
district, consisting of 3 different districts, specifically for
Mamuju Regency, and various accessions were used and eachaccession consisted of 3 samples. The selected sago leaves
were cut into 2 cm2 sizes, then put into the cooler box by firstpreserving them using CTAB buffer solution.
The genetic characteristics of sago accessions were obtained
from the results of RAPD analysis in the laboratory. The
genetic relationship between accessions is known from thenumber of polymorphic DNA bands. The bands wereconverted into binary data by comparing the presence orabsence of bands belonging to selected samples from the sago
accessions. Certain base pairs (bp) were observed in the DNA
bands. Each band was considered to be a homologous locus.
The locus was then converted into binary data by assigning avalue of one (1) for having a band and a value of zero (0) for
not having a band. The RAPD data were analyzed descriptively
and translated into a scoring table based on the presence ofpolymorphic bands. The scoring table was used in the analysis
of similarity or relationship, and clustering analysis with the
Numerical Taxonomy and Multivariate Analysis System(NTSYS-pc version 2.11). The data were processed using the
Similarity of Qualitative (Simqual) procedure to determine thecoefficient of similarity. Clustering analysis was performed
using the Unweighted Pair-Group Method Arithmetic(UPGMA) method to create a dendrogram.
PCR amplification used 9 primers, consisting of P01 (5’GCGGCTGGAG-3’), P04 (5’-CGTCTGCCCG-3’), P06(5’-TTCCGCGGGC-3’), P17 (5’-ATGACGACGG-3’),
PG2 (5’-GGCATCGAGG-3’), PA4 (5’-AATCGGGCTG-3’),PAB4(5’-GGCACGCGTT-3’),PAA17(5’GAGCCCGACT-3’) and PAB18 (5’-CTGGCGTGTC-3’).
The stages of DNA extraction as follows:
1) The buffer solution and leaf samples are removed fromthe tube and put into the mortar.
2) PVP (polyvinyl-pyrrolidone) is added to the mortar andground together.
3) Samples of crushed leaves were transferred to a 1.5 ml
micro tube.
4) The micro tube is immersed in a 65°C water bath for 30
minutes and incubated for 10 minutes at room
temperature.
5) In each micro tube, 700 pl of CIA solution is added.
6) Micro tube is vortexed to mix the solution until it ishomogeneous.
7) The sample is centrifuged at 10,000-15,000 rpm for 5
minutes.
8) The supernatant (upper phase) was taken and put into a
new 2 ml micro tube.
9) CIA is added again, into the supernatant, the tube isvortexed and centrifuged again.
10) The supernatant was taken again and transferred to a
new 2 ml micro tube.
11) Absolute ethanol (100%) as much as 2 times the initial
volume was added to the supernatant (full up to 2 ml).
12) The solution was incubated at cold temperatures.
13) The micro tube was centrifuged again at 8,000 rpm for
5 minutes.

14) The precipitate of the DNA pellet was found at thebottom of the surface of the micro tube.
15) The water was discarded and the DNA pellet was driedin a vacuum desiccator.
16) The DNA pellets were stored in the freezer until they
were ready to use.
Primer was dissolved in aquabidest water and prepared in aconcentration of 100 μM as a stock solution. The amount ofwater that must be added to prepare a stock solution was
calculated by multiplying the number of molecules indicatedon the package by 10 μL. A working solution was prepared foreach primer at a dilution of five times to facilitate the work.
PCR amplification was carried out by inserting the PCR
master mix, DNA template, and primers into each microtube.
Each 5 μL of taq polymerase, 2.5 μL of DNA and 2.5 μL ofprimer. The amplified fragments were electrophoresed on
agarose gel in 1 × TAE buffer, fixed on ethidium bromide, andvisualized using a Densitograph ATTA Bioinstrument.
Agarose gel was prepared by dissolving 0.6 g of agarose gel in
40 ml of TAE and heating it on a hot plate until homogeneous(boiling) for approximately 3 min. Once cooled, the solution
was poured into the mold, the comb was installed to make ahole (well), and it was then allowed to solidify. After
solidification, the comb was removed, and TAE solution wasadded until it covered the agarose gel.
The PCR solution (DNA) was added to the wells at a muchof 2.5 μL. At the end of the well, 5 μL of the marker (ladder)
was added. The gel electrophoresis results were then stained byplacing them in an ethidium bromide solution for 5 min andthen taking pictures. Electrophoretic PCR results were
photographed and analyzed by scoring. The DNA band profile
from RAPD analysis was scored based on the presence orabsence of amplification results. If there is a band, then the
genotype is scored 1, and if there is no band on the othergenotypes, it is scored 0. Scoring was performed in locus areas
with clear bands. Observations in genetic analysis were carriedout using the RAPD marker and carried out in a PCR machine.
Results and Discussion
The people of Mamuju Regency have known sago andconsumed it for a long time. Sago is widely used as analternative food in Mamuju Regency, such as jepa andkapurung. Sago is also often processed into snacks, such as
bagea with the basic ingredients of sago starch. Even though
the use of sago starch covers many foods, the decline in sago
production every year continues to occur. The decrease in sagoarea is caused by several factors, such as housing, land clearing
for roads and buildings, and conversion of agricultural land.
Information related to sago accession in Mamuju District isquite difficult to find out, and this is due to the loss of
information within the scope of the general public. The
community only classifies the types of sago based on thepresence or absence of thorns on the sago fronds, even somepeople who used to work by processing sago into wet starchalso do not know further information regarding the types ofsago.

Fig. 1. Sago classification from key informants

67

parts, the 4th ruwi sample has a 63% similarity with kapas andkasimpo. ruwi 1st and 2nd ruwi samples with a Kf value of
65%. The two ruwi samples are the ruwi samples that have theclosest genetic relationship. ruwi 3 is distantly related to allsago accession samples, namely Kf of 40% (Figure 3). Basedon the RAPD method, the ruwi accession has a high probabilityof splitting into 3 types oof thorny
orny sago.

Based on the results of interviews with key informants, it is
known that there are 3 local accessions of sago in Mamuju
District. These accessions are distinguished based onmorphological characteristics that can be directly observed.
The first distinguishing character is the presence of thorns(Figure 1). Furthermore, accessions that do not have thorns are
divided into 2 based on stem length. Although the character ofstem height is less accurate, there is also another distinguishing
character, namely pith color. The kasimpo accession has a
reddish-white pith color, while the kapas accession is white.
The canopy shape of the three types of sago is presented in
Figure 2.

Fig. 3. Dendrogram sago accessions in Mamuju District based
RAPD analysisabcFig. 2. Crown shape of various sago accessions in Mamuju
District (a = kasimpo, b = kapas, c = ruwi)

The RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA) method isused to quickly and efficiently identify a large number of DNApolymorphisms in the genome (Anggereini 2008). Samples
taken in every district in West Sulawesi Province must be
representative. Therefore, the samples taken came from several
districts in each district. In Figure 4, the results of DNA
amplification are presented which are then used in scoring
polymorphic bands. The naming of the sample is adjusted tothe sampling location. The sample taken in Polewali Mandar
Regency with the polman code 1.2 has a meaning, namely the
number 1 is a district and the number 2 means a family. The
polman 2.3 sample was taken in a different district and clusterfrom the polman 1.2 sample, but administratively the sample
was taken in the same district. The minimum number of subdistrict samples in a particular district is 2 samples. Apart from
that, sago samples were also taken in Donggala Regency,
Central Sulawesi Province because they accidentally met sago
processors in Donggala. The total samples used were 47 and135 bands were produced, consisting of 3 P1 primers, 9 P4
primers, 28 P6 primers, 16 P17 primers, 14 PA4 primers, 11
PAA17 primers, 24 PAB4 primers, 17 PAB18 primers and 13
PG2. The average number of bands per primer was 15.
Differences were found in various fragments, ranging from 120
bp to 3000 bp.
The dendrogram of RAPD analysis is represent in Figure 5.
Variety of sago samples spread across West Sulawesi Province,
forming 3 large groups and 2 small groups. The first large
group consisted of samples from Mamuju Regency, Donggala
Regency, and Polewali Mandar Regency. The similarity
coefficient (Kf) in the first group is 62%. The cotten accession,
which is the accession with the highest dry starch production,
has a 78% similarity value with the sample taken in Donggala
Regency (donggala 1). The 3rd donggala and polman 1.1
samples have a Kf value of 74%. The two accessions are quite
closely related to the Mamuju Regency sample, with asimilarity coefficient of 63%.

DNA amplification using the RAPD method on 3 accessions
consisting of 10 sago samples showed clear differences. The
resulting fragments from 9 primers are 130 bands. Differences
are shown through DNA bands of a certain size that are notamplified or are called polymorphic bands. The sample used todetermine the genetic closeness of various sago accessions in
Mamuju District, consists of the 1st kasimpo, 4th kasimpo, 5th
kasimpo, 2nd cotten, 3rd cotten, 4th cotten, 1st ruwi , 2nd ruwi,
3rd ruwi and 4th ruwi. There are differences in the sample indetermining the sago genetic closeness.
DNA amplification using the RAPD method on 3 accessions
consisting of 10 sago samples showed clear differences. The
resulting fragments from 9 primers are 130 bands. Differences
are shown through DNA bands of a certain size that are notamplified or are called polymorphic bands. The sample used todetermine the genetic closeness of various sago accessions in
Mamuju District, consists of the 1st kasimpo, 4th kasimpo, 5th
kasimpo, 2nd cotten, 3rd cotten, 4th cotten, 1st ruwi, 2nd ruwi,
3rd ruwi and 4th ruwi. There are differences in the sample indetermining the genetic closeness of sago. Kasimpo accessions
congregate to form groups with Kf ranging from 76% -81%
(Figure 3), and the diversity in the polymorphic band is only
5%. The 1st kasimpo and the 4th kasimpo have a very close
similarity value, which is 81%. The 5th kasimpo sample isslightly far from the other two kasimpo (77%). The similarity
value of kasimpo's accession with kapas is 69%. The accessionof kasimpo and ruwi has 3 similarity values, namely 64% (4thruwi), 60% of 1st and 2nd ruwi, and 40% of Kf with 3rd ruwi.
cotten accessions that have a Kf between 74%-81% or adiversity equivalent to 7%. The difference between the resultsof the dendrogram of genetic characters and the dendrogram ofmorphological characters is the closeness between accessions.
The morphological character dendrogram shows that thekasimpo accession is more closely related to the ruwi accession,
while the RAPD results show that the kasimpo accession iscloser to the kapas accession, with a Kf value of 79%. The 2nd
cotten has a slightly more distant genetic relationship with the
3rd cotten and 4th cotten with a Kf value of 75%. The
similarity coefficient value of the 3rd cotten and 4th cotten isvery large, namely 81%. ruwi's accession was divided into 3

68

The total sample of sago taken to represent genetic closeness inCentral Mamuju Regency is 6. The sample taken in Central
Mamuju Regency has a fairly close similarity value with thesample taken in Majene Regency, which is 68%. A total of 8sago samples were taken in Majene Regency. The Majene 2.3
and Majene 2.4 samples are the samples for Majene Regency
with the highest similarity value (87%). The two samples havea similarity value of 84%, with Majene 2.7. The Majene 1.2
sample still has a relatively high value with the three previous
samples, namely 83%. Majene 1.1 has a Kf of 78% with theaforementioned Majene sample. The Majene 1.1 sample andMajene 3.5 are still closely related, namely 75%. In addition,
there are 2 Majene samples, namely Majene 3.6 and Majene
3.8, which have a fairly close similarity value, namely 81%.
However, the Majene 3.6 and Majene 3.8 samples are closely
related to sago samples taken in other Majene districts (Kf =72%). There is one sample taken in North Mamuju Regency(matra 1.1), which has a close relationship with all of the
Majene samples with a Kf value of 70%.
Sago in Central Mamuju Regency and Majene Regency has
a 65% similarity value with sago in North Mamuju Regency.
There is one sample from North Mamuju (matra 1.1) which is
closely related to sago in Majene Regency (69%). matra 1.2
and matra 2.4 have the closest similarity value (84%) whencompared to the Majene Regency sample. The two samples
have a similarity value of 77% with Dimensions 3.5 and 3.6.
Samples of matra 3.5 and matra 3.6 have a Kf value of 78%.
matra 2.3 is 74% related to other matra samples. In general,sago in Central Mamuju Regency has a diversity of 13%.

Fig. 4. Amplification 47 samples sago DNA P01 (5’GCGGCTGGAG-3’) around West Sulawesi Province
Big Group 2 consists of Polewali Mandar Regency, Central
Mamuju Regency, Majene Regency, and North Mamuju
Regency (Kf = 63%). Each sample in large group 2 forms
small groups based on districts. Samples from Polewali
Mandar Regency have Kf values ranging from 77% to 86%. In
general, the sample of Polewali Mandar Regency is slightly
different from other regencies in Big Group 2. The sago
genetic relationship of Polewali Mandar Regency is successivefrom highest to lowest, namely polman 1.7 and polman 2.3
85%, polman 2.8 with polman 1.7 and polman 2.3 82%, then
the three samples have a similarity value of polman 1.2 of 81%,and polman 3.5 with polman 3.6 of 80%. The polman 2.3
sample has the farthest similarity coefficient value to the otherpolman Regency samples in large group 2, which is 76%.

Fig. 5. Dendrogram sago accessions around West Sulawesi Province based RAPD analysis
Generally, Central Mamuju Regency gathered to form its
own group, but there were two samples that stayed away fromthe Central Mamuju Regency (mateng) group. The Central
Mamuju 3.5 and Central Mamuju 3.6 samples had the highest
similarity value among the other Middle Mamuju samples,
which was 83%. The two samples are 74% related to Central
Mamuju 1.2 and Central Mamuju 2.3. The Middle Mamuju 1.2
and Central Mamuju 2.3 samples have 79% similarity value.

The last large group consists of samples taken in Mamasa(Kf = 60%-76%). Mamasa 1.1 and Mamasa 1.2 stay away fromother Mamasa groups with a similarity value of 66%. The
Mamasa sample has the closest relationship, namely Mamasa
2.3 and Mamasa 2.4 (76%). The two previous samples had a
73% relative with Mamasa 3.5. Mamasa 3.6 has a similarity
coefficient of 66% with Mamasa 3.5. There is a sample of sago
from Central Mamuju Regency (mateng 1.1) which is related to69

the sample in Mamasa Regency, with a Kf of 64%. There is anindependent sample of the RAPD results, also called a small
group. Small group 1 consisted of 1 sample, namely Mateng
2.4 with a Kf value of 57% with the other large groups. Smallgroup 2 consisted of 2 samples, namely the 3rd ruwi and 2nd
donggala. The small group 2 kf value was 53% whencompared to all groups (Figure 5).
There is a uniqueness in small group 2, namely a sizablesimilarity between the 2 samples (63%), while these samples
have different morphological characters. The samples inquestion are the 3rd ruwi which has thorns and the 2nd
donggala which has no thorns. There is ambiguity between the
results of similarity value analysis based on morphologicalcharacters and genetic characters. In connection with thegenetic character of thorny and thornless sago, Novero et al.,(2012) suspected that there was an activator gene that caused
the appearance of thorns in sago because the results of tracing
the sago gene found no clear differences. The appearance ofthorns in sago is also called epigenetic, namely gene expressionthat is influenced by the environment. According to Ehara(2003), the genetic distance of sago palm is not related to thepresence of thorns on petioles and rachis.

References
Ahmad, F. and M. H. Bintoro, Supijatno 2016 Morfologi dan
produksi beberapa aksesi sagu (Metroxylon spp.) di Distrik
Iwaka, Kabupaten Mimika, Papua. Bul Palma 17(2):115125.
Bintoro, M. H., H. Ehara, A. Azhar, R. K. Dewi, M. I.
Nurulhaq and D. Ahyuni 2021 Ekofisiologi Sagu. Bogor(ID): IPB Pr.
Bintoro, M. H., M. Y. J. Purwanto, S. Amarillis 2010 Sagu di
Lahan Gambut. Bogor (ID): IPB Pr.
[BPS] Badan Pusat Statistika 2021a Hasil Sensus Penduduk
2020. Jakarta (ID): Badan Pusat Statistika.
[BPS] Badan Pusat Statistika 2021b Luas Panen dan Produksi
Padi di Indonesia Tahun 2020 (Angka Tetap). Jakarta (ID):
Badan Pusat Statistik.
Djoefrie, M. H. B., S. Herodian, Ngadiono, A. Thoriq and S.
Amarillis 2014 Sagu untuk Kesejahteraan Masyarakat
Papua. Jakarta (ID): Unit Percepatan Pembangunan Papua
dan Papua Barat.
Ehara H., S. Kosaka, N. Shimura, D. Matoyama, O. Morita, H.
Naito, C. Mizota, S. Susanto, M. H. Bintoro and Y.
Yamamoto. 2003 Relationships between geographicaldistribution and genetic distance of sago palm in Malay
Archipelago. Sago Palm 11: 8-13.
Ernawati, E., L. Heliawaty and P. Diansari 2018. Peranan
makanan tradisional berbahan sagu sebagai alternatif dalampemenuhan gizi masyarakat: Kasus Desa Laba, Kecamatan
Masamba, Kabupaten Luwu Utara, Provinsi Sulawesi
Selatan. JSEP 14: 31-40.
Irianto, G 2016 Lahan dan Kedaulatan Pangan. Jakarta (ID):Gramedia Pustaka Utama.
Novero, A. U., M. B. Mabras and H. J. Esteban 2012
Epigenetic inheritance of spine formation in sago palm(Metroxylon sagu Rottb). Omics 5: 559-566.
Nurulhaq, M. I 2017 Identifikasi berbagai aksesi sagu
(Metroxylon spp) di Desa Hiripai Kecamatan Mimika
Timur Kabupaten Mimika, Papua [tesis]. Bogor (ID):
Sekolah Pascasarjana, Institut Pertanian Bogor.

Conclusions
The RAPD results presented in the form of a dendrogram
based on genetic characters show that the ruwi accession has a
Kf value ranging from 60% to 63% of the other accessions.
The kasimpo and kapas accessions are quite closely related,with a Kf value of 69%. ruwi's accession is suspected to consistof three types of sago. RAPD analysis to determine the genetic
relationship of sago in 6 districts in West Sulawesi Provinceand 1 district in Central Sulawesi formed 3 large groups and 2
small groups. The Kf value for large group 1 is 62%, consistingof Mamuju Regency, Donggala Regency, and Polewali Mandar
Regency. Big Group 2 (Kf = 63%) consists of Polewali Mandar
Regency, Central Mamuju Regency, Majene Regency, andNorth Mamuju Regency. Big Group 3 consists of samples
taken in Mamasa (Kf = 60%–76%). The sago sample taken inCentral Mamuju Regency (mateng point 1.1) is quite closely
related to the Mamasa Regency sample, with a coefficient ofsimilarity (Kf) of 64%.

ESD

70

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS16

Soil Carbon Stock Comparison of Sago Palm Plantation and Monoculture Crop
Around Converted Wetland in Southern Thailand
Malimas Jariyapong1*, Saowalak Roongtawanreongsri2, and Buncha Somboonsuke3
1Environmental Science Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Nakhon Si Thammarat Rajabhat University.
2

1 Moo 4, Tha Ngio, Mueang Nakhon Si Thammarat, Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, 80280, Thailand
Environmental Economics Research Unit, Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University.
15 Karnjanavanich Rd., Hat Yai, Songkhla, 90112, Thailand.
3Department of Agricultural Development, Faculty of Natural Resources, Prince of Songkla University,
15 Karnjanavanich Rd., Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand*e-mail: malimas_jar@nstru.ac.th

Abstract Converting wetlands to monoculture crops affects the amount of carbon sequestration in soil. This study aimed to quantify
and compare the bulk density, organic carbon (OC), soil organic carbon (SOC) stock, and carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration in soil
between sago palm and other monoculture crops, namely, rubber, rice, and oil palm, which were converted from natural wetlands
around the Khuan Khreng peat swamp. Forty-two soil samples were collected at a 30-cm layer from the agricultural areas using random
sampling, both destructive and non- destructive techniques. Bulk density was determined by the core method, and soil organic carbon
was determined by Walkley and Black. SOC stocks were calculated using measured organic carbon content and the corresponding soil
bulk densities. The results showed that the average SOC stock of sago palm, rubber, rice, and oil palm were 3.44, 0.64, 1.23, and 0.76
tons C ha-1, and the average CO2 sequestrations were 12.64, 2.35, 4.52, and 2.80 respectively. The sago palm plantation had the highest
average SOC stock and CO2 sequestration compared to the monoculture crop areas. This study provides relevant information on the
carbon storage capabilities of the four land-use types in the converted wetland. Effective planning and management of agricultural land
must take into account the carbon storage capacity in the soil to develop a sustainable solution for preserving carbon pools in wetlands
to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Keywords: Ecosystem Services, Oil Palm, Peatland, Paddy Filed, Rubber
Introduction

Moreover, most agricultural soils have low soil organic matter
due to farm management, such as fertilizer and tillage practices(Mcdonald et al., 2021). Therefore, promoting sago palm
cultivation in converted wetlands can lead to the solution of soil
carbon loss in wetlands and provide benefits for the ecosystemand environment (Jariyapong et al., 2021).

Peat swamp forests often serve as the dynamic link between
soil and water and can maintain the balance of the ecosystem,
the cycling of nutrients, control fire, and produce uniquebiodiversity (Anamulai et al., 2019). On a global scale, the peatswamp can be a sink and source of CO2 from the atmosphere,
helping to slow down the process. Currently, there is a
widespread peat conversion to monoculture crops, causing
deforestation and land cover change, particularly in Southeast
Asian peatlands. Drainage associated with practically all
peatland development led to lowered water tables and a more
rapid release of CO2 into the atmosphere (FAO, 2014).

However, promoting sago palm cultivation as an alternative
to solve land-use change problems in wetlands needs to consider
ecological benefits, particularly the carbon storage capability inthe cultivation area. Additionally, only the two previous studies
of Pannual et al. (2015) and Kiriratnikom et al. (2014) focus on
the aboveground carbon storage in the natural peat area at TN
non-hunting area and KK swamp forest, but no study on SOC
stock in the cultivation area. The lack of SOC stock inagricultural land around the peat swamp forest is still the gap
that needs to be studied.

Changes in peat swamp forest areas to monoculture crops
areas occur in the Thale Noi (TN) non-hunting area and Khuan
Kreng (KK) swamp forest in southern Thailand. Currently, 65
percent of the total wetland area is converted to monoculture
crops area, and the top three commercial plants are oil palm,
rubber, and rice plantations (Office of Natural Resources andEnvironmental Policy and Planning: ONEP, 2015). This land usechange plays a crucial role in the fight against climate change bycontrolling the carbon storage in wetlands which act as a sink
and a source of atmospheric CO2 in the long-term organic carbon
pattern in soil.

Therefore, this study aims to estimate the SOC stock and CO2
in the soil of sago palm, rubber, rice, and oil palm plantations
and later compare their qualifications. The result will provide a
better understanding of the change in carbon stock and lead to asustainable solution for preserving carbon pools in agriculturalareas around wetlands.

One of the potential solutions to the abovementioned problem
is promoting sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) cultivation as
an alternative to monoculture crops. Sago palm has several
benefits, such as raw material for industry, food, andpharmaceuticals (Naim et al., 2016), its ability to grow on
tropical peat soil without drainage of groundwater, and requires
no chemicals to eliminate weeds and pests (Jong, 1995), and asource of carbon dioxide emissions reduction, which appears to
be lower than other commercial crops (Hergoualc’h & Verchot,2014).

Materials and Methods
Study area
The study sites were conducted on sago palm, rubber, rice,and oil palm plantations at the TN non-hunting area and KK
swamp forest within the 2-kilometer boundary covering 19
subdistricts of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, andSongkhla provinces (Figure 1). The study areas were undersimilar rainfall influences, with an annual average rainfall of
1,500-2,700 mm (Climate Center, 2023). All these plantations

71

0.01

are converted from natural wetlands. At first, farmers converted
the natural wetland to rice and sago palm cultivations over the
past 60 years (there is no clear information on the year of
conversion from natural wetlands to monoculture crops). Later,
they changed the land use from rice and sago palms to rubbers
and oil palms and have remained so for the past two decades.

= a factor for converting kg C/ha to ton C/haCalculation of CO2 sequestration
To convert SOC stock to CO2 sequestration, a conversion
factor of 3.67 was used to multiply the estimated amount ofcarbon (IPCC, 2003), following Eq. (2).
CO2 sequestration = SOC stock x 3.67

(2)

Results
The bulk density, organic carbon, SOC stock, and CO2
sequestration under difference cropping are shown in Table 1.
The SOC stock and CO2 sequestration amount varied from 0.14
to 11.35 tons C ha-1. The highest values of SOC stock wereobserved in the sago palm plantation from 0.81 to 11.35 tons C
ha-1 with an average of 3.44 ton C ha-1 and CO2 sequestrationfrom 2.97 to 41.67 tons CO2 eq/ha-1 with an average 12.64 tons
CO2 eq/ha-1. The lowest value of SOC stock was observed in theoil palm plantation from 0.14 to 1.46 tons C ha-1 with an averageof 0.76 ton C ha-1 and CO2 sequestration from 0.52 to 5.36 t CO2
eq/ha-1 with an average of 2.80 t CO2 eq/ha-1. SOC stock andCO2 sequestration values in rubber plantations are higher than inoil palm plantations, but a comparison of the average value
shows that rubber plantations have the lowest value: both SOC
stock and CO2 sequestration was 0.64 tons C ha-1 and 2.35 tons
CO2 eq/ha-1.

Fig 1 Study area of sago palm, rubber, rice, and oil palm
plantations
Soil organic carbon stock sampling
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the limitation of budget,
rainy season, and instruments, we specified sample site selection
with the three criteria. The oil palm and rubber sample sites werecollected from the farm which has the age of highest
productivity: eight years and over for oil palm plantations( Pruekampai, 2005) and ten to 12 years for rubber plantations( Ongwang, 2010) , while the sago palm and rice were collectedfrom the farms that were flood-free and all sample sites were lessthan 1.6 hectares.

Discussion
This study compares the SOC stock and CO2 sequestration
under different land uses, particularly the sago palm andmonoculture crops, such as oil palm, rubber, and rice, around theconverted wetland. The results showed that sago palm
plantations could store SOC stock more than other monoculture
crop plantations. Therefore, the cultivation of sago palms inwetlands could absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and transform
it into dead organic matter with the decomposition process better
than other commercial crops.

Soil samples were collected randomly from three random
sampling plots at 0-30 cm soil depth with disturbed and nondisturbed techniques. Three random sampling points indicate
three subsamples per point, resulting in a total of nine samples
for each plot routine analysis. Ten soil samples for a sago palm
and rubber plantation and eleven soil samples for a paddy field
and oil palm plantation, a total of forty-two soil samples werecollected at the same depths with soil core for bulk density
analysis and bulked as composite samples, representative ofeach plot. Labeling was performed with a detailed description of
the study site on both soil-plastic bags and soil core before being
sent to the laboratory for analysis at the Central Analysis Centerof the Faculty of Natural Resource, Prince of Songkla
University. The bulk density of soil and soil organic carbon wasdetermined by the core method (Blake & Hartge, 1986) and theWalkley and Black method, respectively (1934).

These highest values can be explained by farm management
factors. Currently, land uses around the TN non-hunting and KK
swamp forest areas were dominantly converted to monoculture
crops. The largest areas are oil palms, rubbers, and rice. These
three monoculture crops are the major stable crops with highly
intensive management, such as tillage, fertilizer, and weed
management. On the contrary, sago palm has not been promoted
as a commercial crop. Sago palms do not require fertilizer andtillage, only cutting off the leaf crown, sucker pruning, and weed
management. These practices commonly affect the organiccarbon content in the soil (Amin et al., 2020) since considerable
tillage disturbs the decomposition of native soil organic matter(Martinsen, 2017). Notice that the land use change for rice andsago palm occurred during the same period, but the amount ofdead organic material that returned to the soils in the rice area islower than for sago palm plantation because the rice needs to betill before planting every year. This practice also occurs with oilpalm and rubber plantations, which need to be tilled in thesecond conversion, including weed management by tractors twotimes a year in oil palm plantations. Therefore, intensive farmingof commercial crops is affecting the SOC stock.

Calculation of soil organic carbon stock
The SOC stock was calculated using the FAO (2018)
Following Eq. (1):
SOC stock = OC x BD x D x 0.001

(1)

Where
SOC = the soil organic carbon stock (ton C/ha),OC= organic carbon (%)

BD= bulk density (g cm -3)

D= soil depth (cm)Additionally, chemicals for weed management and fertilizer
application are widely used in most oil palm and rice areas andmay be related to emission factors of CO2 and N2O in soil.
Therefore, future research should focus on the greenhouse gas
emission in soil, which can compare the indirect benefit of thefour monoculture crops.

72Conclusion

carbon storage relates to farm management which can be
developed as a solution for a low-carbon agricultural ecosystem.

Sago palm plantation can be a carbon pool capability that
stores soil organic carbon greater than rubber, rice, and oil palm.
This information will be crucial for making decisions on land
use planning, particularly in wetland management, where
wetlands have been converted into monoculture crops.
However, this result focuses only on SOC stock; therefore,
future research needs to focus on the carbon emissions from thesoil and calculate the net of carbon storage because this net ofReferences

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73

Table 1. Bulk density, Organic carbon, SOC stock, and CO2 sequestration of sago palm, rubber, rice, and oil palm plantation around the Thale Noi non-hunting and Khuan Kreng swamp
Forest area, Southern Thailand.
Sample site

Panang Tung 1
Panang Tung 2
Panang Tung 3
Laem Tanote 1
Laem Tanote 2
Khon Hat 1
Khon Hat 2
Kreng 1Kreng 2
Cha-Uat 1
Cha-Uat 2
Ban Tuon 1
Ban Tuon 2
Mae Chao Yu Hua
Karakate
Khao Pra Bat 1
Khao Pra Bat 2
Laem 1
Laem 2
Laem 3
Ban Khao 1
Ban Khao 2
Ban Khao 3
Thang Poon 1
Thang Poon 2

Bulkdensity

OC1

1.76
1.96
1.94
1.96
2.16
1.55
2.0
1.40
1.58
1.98

2.82
2.03
1.30
1.09
1.04
1.91
1.37
7.86
10.53
1.31

(g cm -3)(%)

Sago palm
SOC
Stock1

CO2
sequestration1

Bulk
density

OC

3.14
2.88
1.73
1.49
1.53
2.07
1.56
7.88
11.35
0.81

11.53
10.58
6.35
5.46
5.62
7.60
5.71
28.93
41.67
2.97

1.85
1.88
2.01
1.97
2.08
-

1.03
0.65
1.07
0.48
2.24
-

2.26
2.27
-

1.14
0.45
-

2.00
1.99
1.98
-

1.45
0.78
1.31
-

(t C/ha)(t CO2 eq/ha)(g cm -3)(%)

Plantation site

Rubber

SOC
stock

CO2
sequestration

Bulk
density

OC

0.56
0.36
0.64
0.29
1.38
0.77
0.31
0.86
0.47
0.78
-

2.04
1.33
2.37
1.05
5.08
2.84
1.12
3.17
1.72
2.86
-

1.86
1.67
1.77
1.74
1.76
2.05
1.82
1.78
2.14
1.98
2.05
-

2.74
2.98
2.76
3.18
3.71
1.17
2.92
2.1
0.93
1.36
1.04
-

(t C/ha)(t CO2 eq/ha)

Note. 1 The data was calculated by the researchers in a previous study: Jariyapong et al. (2023).

74(g cm -3)(%)

Paddy field
SOC
stock

CO2
sequestration

Bulk
density

OC

1.53
1.50
1.49
1.64
1.96
0.72
1.59
1.10
0.59
0.79
0.64
-

5.60
5.51
5.49
6.03
7.19
2.65
5.85
4.04
2.15
2.91
2.37
-

1.91
1.84
1.78
1.75
1.97
1.85
1.91
1.99
2.05
1.83
1.88
-

2.08
1.63
2.03
2.78
0.67
0.93
0.74
0.24
1.13
1.18
1.80
-

(t C/ha)(t CO2 eq/ha)(g cm -3)(%)

Oil palm
SOC
stock

CO2
sequestration

1.18
0.89
1.08
1.46
0.37
0.51
0.42
0.14
0.70
0.64
1.01
-

4.32
3.27
3.97
5.36
1.36
1.89
1.54
0.52
2.56
2.34
3.69
-

(t C/ha)(t CO2 eq/ha)

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS17Ethnobotany of Sago in the Malay Community in Lingga Regency, Riau
Islands-Indonesia
Primadhika Al Manar1*, Ervizal A.M. Zuhud2, Nuri Andarwulan3
and Mochamad Hasjim Bintoro4
1 Graduate Program of Tropical Biodiversity Conservation, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB

University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia

2 Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB

University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia

3 Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, IPB University, Bogor,

16680, Indonesia

4 Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Bogor, 16680, Indonesia*e-mail: primadhikamanar@apps.ipb.ac.id
Abstract Sago (Metroxylon spp.) is a palm species found in Southeast Asia, particularly in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia,
and the Philippines. Sago can grow in natural conditions or can be cultivated in underutilized wetlands and peat swamps. Lingga
Regency, with a sago plantation area of 3,449 ha, is one of the areas with sago potential. The purpose of this research is to determine
how the Malay community in Lingga Regency, Riau Islands, uses sago. The study was carried out in six sago-producing villages inthe Lingga Regency: Panggak Laut, Nerekeh, Musai, Pekaka, Keton, and Teluk. Data was gathered through interviews with sago
farmers and field observations. According to the study's findings, the Lingga Malay community has been using sago for a variety of
purposes since the time of the Linga Sultanate. The main sago product used by the Lingga Malay community is pith, which is used tomake starch. The Lingga Malay community produces three types of sago starch: dirty sago (quality II), clean sago (quality I), and drysago. The Lingga Malay community's sago products are typically marketed in Lingga as well as other areas such as Cirebon, Jambi,
Tanjungpinang, and Malaysia. Aside from the pith, the community also uses the leaves as roofing, the bark (guyung) as garden fences
and firewood, sago fronds as the wall of the cage, the sago shoots (umbut) as vegetables, the sago pulp (serampin) as animal feed andorganic fertilizer, and the sago waste (bidat) as animal feed. Currently, the community depends on sago that grows naturally on sago
forest lands planted during Sultan Lingga's reign. As a result, efforts must be made to rejuvenate natural sago forests and convert
them into sago plantation forests.
Key words: Local knowledge, Malay community, Sago palm, Traditionality
Introduction
Sago (Metroxylon sp.) is a type of palm that grows
throughout Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Papua New
Guinea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Several species of sago
palm are known, including M. sagu, M. amicarum, M. vitiense,
M. solomonense, M. warburgii, and M. paulcoxii. Sago can begrown in the wild or in underutilized wetlands and peatswamps (Ruddle, 1977; Syauki et al., 2022). Sago palms cangenerate 180-200 kg of dry sago starch per year (Yamamoto,2011).
Indonesia is the world's largest sago starch-producing
country, producing 585,093 tons per year (Ahmad, 2014). Sagopith can be used to make sago starch. The chemicalcomposition of sago starch consists mainly of carbohydrates.
This allows sago starch to be used to make biscuits, noodles,
and other food products widely accepted and known by the
public, such as brownies or cakes (Putri et al., 2019). Apartfrom starch, other parts of the sago tree can be used to makeroofs, house floors, animal feed, production of sago caterpillars,
and matting (Ditjenbun, 2019).
Sago contains carbohydrates that can be processed intosugar and bioethanol, so it can create food and energy security
for the nation's future (Hayati et al., 2014). Sago has thepotential for significant and inexpensive starch supplies (Karimet al. 2008; Singhal et al., 2008). Sago can produce up to 25
tonnes ha-1 of starch produced at the end of an 8-year growth
cycle (Zhu, 2019).
Sago was particularly significant to the early Southeast
Asian population and was one of the first crops to be used aspart of a subsistence strategy (Ave, 1977; Rhoads, 1982; Flach,1983). The Malay community in Lingga Regency, Riau Islands,

is one of those that still use sago in their daily lives. The Malay
people of Daik Lingga began to use sago after Sultan Mahmud
Riayat Syah (1761-1812) transferred the center of his empire
from Riau to Daik Lingga on July 24, 1787. As a result, sago
has become a community staple (Minah and Izati, 2021).
Lingga Regency currently has 3,449 ha of sago plantation land
(BPS Lingga, 2022). This research aims to determine how the
Malay community in Lingga Regency, Riau Islands Province,
uses sago.
Research Methods
Time and Location
The research was conducted from June to August 2022 in six
sago-producing villages in Lingga Regency: Panggak Laut,
Nerekeh, Musai, Pekaka, Keton, and Teluk. Astronomically,
Lingga Regency is located between N0°20' and S0°40', andbetween E104°–105°. In terms of geographic position, Lingga
Regency has boundaries as follows: North - Batam City andNorth Natuna Sea; South - Bangka Sea and Berhala Sea; West
– Indragiri Hilir Sea; East - North Natuna Sea. Lingga Regency
has tropical and wet seasons with a variation of rainfall averageof 261.7 mm for the year 2022. It means that Lingga Regency
has a high rate of rainfall. While May, June, and December
have the highest rank in the number of rainy days. The averagetemperature of Lingga Regency in 2022 was 24.1 °C, whereas
the average of its relative humidity was 86% (BPS Lingga,2022).
Research Methods
Data collection on the sago ethnobotany was carried out
using participatory interviews and observation methods.

75Interviews were conducted with selected respondents in depth(in-depth interviews). Respondents were determined using thesimple random sampling method, with the respondent criteria
being sago farming communities and sago entrepreneurs.
Determination of the number of respondents is calculated using
the Slovin formula as follows:(1)
Information:n: sample size
N: total population
α: percentage error (error)

Fig. 1. Gender characteristics of respondents.
Level of Education
Education is a process that cannot be separated fromhumans, the subjects and objects of these educational efforts(Rahmat 2010). Based on the results of the interviews, most of
the respondents had an elementary school education level(79.17%), and the education level of the least respondents was
S1 (1.67%). Characteristics of respondents based on educationlevel are presented in Fig. 2.

In the Slovin formula, there are the following conditions:
The value of α = 0.1 (10%) for a large population
The value of α = 0.2 (20%) for a small population
Interviews were conducted using an interview guide that
had been prepared previously. The participatory observation
followed the respondents' activities to verify data frominterviews and findings at the research location.
Results
Characteristics of the Sago People
Age
Respondents' age groups were distinguished based on the
category of the Republic of Indonesia Ministry of Health(2010), namely the age group 17-25 years (adolescents), 26-35
years (early adults), 36-45 years (late adults), 46-55 years(early elderly), 55-65 years (late elderly), and > 65 years(elderly). The characteristics of respondents by age group arepresented in full in Table 1.
Table 1. Characteristics of respondents by age class.
Age group (years)
17-25
26-35
36-45
46-55
56-65
>65
Total

Total (people)
2
23
33
37
19
6
120

Fig. 2. Education characteristics of respondents.

Percentage (%)
1.67
19.17
27.50
30.83
15.83
5.00
100.00

The Primary Job
Most respondents have their primary job as sago farmers(47 respondents). Aside from being sago farmers, most
respondents also have their primary job as sago processors (33respondents). The following presents the characteristics of
respondents based on the primary type of work (Table 2).
Table 2. Characteristics of respondents based on the primaryjob.

Based on the results of the interviews, the most dominant
age group of respondents was the early elderly (30.83%) andthe least age group was teenagers (1.67%). One of the
problems faced by sago farmers in Lingga Regency is theabsence of regeneration of sago farmers. People in the
productive age group mostly migrate to cities to seek a more
decent livelihood, such as migrating to Dabo, Tanjungpinang,and Batam. This is in accordance with research conducted by
Jamaludin (2015) that many young people prefer to go abroad
looking for jobs and lack skills in utilizing forest products.
GenderBased on data from the PPSI Lingga (2019), the number ofsago farmers in the Lingga Regency is 397 people.
Respondents interviewed in this study were 120 respondents
from six sago-producing villages. Most of the sago farmers andprocessors in Lingga Regency are male, namely 110
respondents (Fig. 1).

76

No
1

Type of Work
Gardeners

Total (people)
1

2

Laborer1

3

Woodcutter

1

4

Trader1

5

Village apparatus

2

6Housewife

9

7

Fisherman

25

8

Sago processor

33

9

Sago farmers

47

Total

120

Side Job
The Lingga community is a Malay community with work
based on the season. During the northern monsoon, most of the
Lingga people will work as fishermen, while during thesouthern monsoon, the people will become sago farmers. Basedon the results of the interviews, most of the respondents had
side jobs as fishermen (79 people) and the minor part job wastraders (one person). Characteristics of respondents based onside jobs are presented in Fig. 3.

5
6
7
8

Sago pulp(serampin)
Sago waste (bidat)
Umbut
Sago worm

Livestock feed and fertilizer
Livestock feed
Vegetable
Fishing bait

Discussion
History of the Utilization of Sago
The use of sago in Indonesia has been carried out since theera of the Sriwijaya kingdom (7th century AD), this isevidenced by the contents of the Talang Tuo inscription, whichcontains the soul of the leadership of a sage, just, firm, andreligiously devout Srivijaya king, namely King Dapunta
Hiyang Sri Jayanasa who ordered to make of the Sriksetra
garden. The garden contains plants beneficial to all creatures,such as coconut, sago, aren, areca nut, bamboo, and otherplants, with the aim of welfare for all of its people (Sholeh,2017).
The use of sago by the Malay people of Daik Lingga began
to develop when Sultan Mahmud Riayat Syah (1761-1812)
moved the kingdom's center on July 24, 1787, from Hulu Riau
to Daik Lingga. This makes sago a staple food needed by thecommunity. Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Syah II (1857-1883)
continued sago development to advance the community's
economy (Minah and Izzati, 2021). This is in accordance withthe research by Gemilang et al., (2019), which states that the
popularity of sago on Lingga Island increased in the period
1857-1883 under the leadership of Sultan Sulaiman Badrul
Alam Syah. During this period, the processing and planting ofsago were intensified. Sago plants spread to various areas on
Lingga Island after focusing only on the palace environment.
Based on the official Dutch East Indies government
document on Afdeeling Handel (1919), ten factories were
established in the Riau region: five in Lingga, three in Karimun,and two in Indragiri. When the Dutch entered the Lingga
region, the sago trade from Lingga experienced a setback, andseveral sago processing factories in the Lingga area, including
those built during Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alamsyah II, werealso neglected and abandoned. The sago factory built during
the Lingga Sultanate era only has a few buildings left, such as
chimneys and ponds. The following is the remains of a sago
factory building in Kerandin Village, East Lingga District (Fig.
4). The Lingga community currently uses two types of sago,
namely thorny sago (sagu) and non-thorny sago (bemban) (AlManar et al., 2023).

Fig. 3. Characteristics of respondents based on side jobs.
The Lingga community has local wisdom regarding thedivision of seasons. The Lingga people divide the seasons into
the west, south, north, and east winds or seasons. The divisionof the seasons is based on the direction the wind blows. The
west wind is a wind that blows from the west, lasting from
September to November. The west wind blows very fast(strong) therefore, fishermen usually stay out to sea. The northwind is a wind that blows from the north and lasts from
December to February. When the north wind blows, it isusually accompanied by rain and has cool air. The fishermen
stay out to sea during the north monsoon because the wind is
not too strong. During north winds, most people use their time
to look for squid (cuttlefish) in locations close to islands orbays (Evawarni, 2011).
The east wind is a wind that blows from the east and has
hot weather. The east wind blows during the dry season, fromMarch to May, and blows slowly and only occasionally a bit
fast. During the east wind, the sea conditions are calm, and fish
are abundant, so the fishermen go down to the sea both during
the day and at night. South winds blow from the south, lastingfrom June to August. The south wind usually blows strongly, so
people do not look for fish in the open sea but only look forfish in locations on small islands (Evawarni. 2011).
Utilization of Sago
Currently, the Lingga community uses sago for various
needs. Sago is not only used for its pith as a starch producer but
its biomass and sago waste have also been utilized by thecommunity. The form of sago utilization by the community in
Lingga Regency is presented in Table 3.
Table 3. Utilization of sago by the Lingga Malay community.
No
1
2

Bagian yang
Dimanfaatkan
Sago pith3

Sago bark(guyung)
Leaves4

Sago frond

Bentuk Pemanfaatan

Fig. 4. Remains of the chimneys of the sago factory during thesultan's era.

Production of wet sago and dry
sago
Material for roads, firewood,house and garden fences
The roof of the house, roof andkelong walls
Wall of cage and roof rope

Utilization of Sago Pith
Sago pith is used by the Lingga Malay community to beprocessed into sago starch. The Linga Malay community
processes sago pith into wet sago products (dirty and clean)and dry sago. The sago pith used comes from tual sago,

77

harvested by farmers, and is usually stored in the river toprevent damage caused by wildlife and livestock (Fig. 5).

holocellulose, 24.56% α-cellulose and 22.51% hemicellulose(Lestari et al., 2022).

Fig. 5. Tual sago stored in the river.

Fig. 8. Utilization of sago bark as a road.

Utilization of Leaves and Midrib
The leaves are another part of the sago tree utilized by the
Lingga community (Fig. 6). The Lingga people use sago leaves
to make roofs and kelong walls (Fig. 7). Some Lingga people
sell roofing sago leaves for IDR 100,000.00-130,000.00 per
100 pieces. The sago leaf roof produced by the community is100-130 cm in size. Making a sago leaf roof is done bycombining sago leaves and fronds. Sago fronds are used as arope to tie the roof of sago leaves.

Fig. 9. Utilization of bark as a fence.
The Lingga community also uses sago waste (serampin) as
animal feed and plant fertilizer. The utilization of sago bark
and waste in Lingga Regency is still not optimal. Research
conducted by Rasyid et al., (2020) in Riau also shows that theuse of sago in the region is still focused on sago starch as its
main product. The development of downstream products is still
relatively limited, so the by-products in sago bark (uyung) andsago pulp waste (repu) have yet to be utilized optimally.
McClatchey et al., (2006) stated that in a sago processing
process, around 17 to 25% of waste in the form of bark is
produced (Fig. 10). Around 75 to 83% of sago waste (Fig. 11).
Sago pulp consists of 58% starch, making it relatively moreaccessible and cheaper to process compared to otherlignocellulosic biomass (Vincent et al., 2015). Syamsiro et al.,(2020) research shows that the potential for sago pulp as anenergy source in Papua is very promising. The potential forsago waste in Papua is 9,323 tons year-1 or around 25.54 tons
day-1.

Fig. 6. Sago leaves as roofing material.

Fig. 7. The use of leaves as the roof of kelong.
Utilization of Sago Biomass
The Lingga Malay community also uses sago biomass intheir daily lives, such as bark (guyung), dregs (serampin), andsago waste (bidat). As waste from pith processing activities,
Sago bark is used by the Lingga community as a material formaking roads (Fig. 8), firewood, and fences for houses andgardens (Fig. 9). The chemical content contained in sago barkconsists of 8.26% extractive, 42.02% lignin, 47.07%

Fig. 10. Waste bark (guyung).

78

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2008 Starch from the sago (Metroxylon sagu) palm
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Fatiasari and R. S. Ningrum 2022 Analisis kandungan
kimia kulit batang sagu (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) sebagai
bahan baku pulp dan kertas. Jurnal Sylva Scienteae 5(2):187-193. (in Indonesian)
McClatchey, W., H. I. Manner and C. R. Elevitch 2006
Metroxylon amicarum, M. paulcaxii, M. sagu, M.
salomonense, M. vitiense, and M. warburgii (sago palm)
Arecaceae (palm family). Species Profiles for PacificIsland Agroforestry. www.traditionaltree.org.
Minah, M. S. A. M. and N. Izzati 2021 Etnomatematika padamakanan tradisional melayu Daik Lingga sebagai sumber
belajar. JEP 5(1): 1-7. (in Indonesia)
Perhimpunan Pendayaguna Sagu Indonesia Kabupaten Lingga
2019 Dokumen Deskripsi Indikasi Geografis Sagu Lingga.
PPSI Kabupaten Lingga (Daik Lingga). (in Indonesian)Putri, A. A. K., Fatriani and T. Satriadi 2019 Pemanfaatan
pohon sagu (Metroxylon sp) dan kualitas pati sagu dariDesa Salimuran Kecamatan Kusan Hilir Kabupaten Tanah
Bumbu Kalimantan Selatan. Jurnal Sylva Scienteae 2(6):1082-1093. (in Indonesian)Rahmat, A. 2010 Pengantar Pendidikan: Teori, Konsep, dan
Aplikasi. MQS Publishing (Bandung). (in Indonesian)Rasyid, T. H., Y. Kusumawaty and S Hadi 2020 The utilizationof sago waste: prospect and challenges. IOP Conf Series:
Earth and Environmental Science 415: 012023.
Rhoads, J. W. 1982 Sago palm management in Melanesia: An
alternative perspective. Archaeology in Oceania 17: 20–27.
Ruddle, K. 1977 Sago in the new world. In: Proceeding of the
1st International Sago Symposium. (Tan, K. ed.) Kuching,
53-64.
Sholeh, K. 2017 Prasasti Talang Tuo peninggalan Kerajaan
Sriwijaya sebagai materi ajar sejarah Indonesia di sekolah
menengah atas. Jurnal Historia 5(2): 173-192. (inIndonesian)Singhal, R. S., J. F. Kennedy, S. M. Gopalakrishnan, A.
Kaczmarek, C. J. Knill and P. F. Akmar 2008 Industrial
production, processing, and utilization of sago
palm-derived products. Carbohydrate Polymers 72: 1-20.
Syamsiro, M., M. N. Aridito and S. Ma’arif 2020 Potential
application of sago pulp briquette for electricity generation
using gasification technology in Papua Province, Indonesia.
Key Engineering Materials 849: 20-26.
Syauki, A. Y., A. Ogawa, U. R. P. Simanjuntak, I. G. Mangiwa,
M. Doi, S. Kageyama, R. Inoue, N. A. Taslim and Y. Irie
2022 Protein-energy nutritional status of moderately low
protein intake-sago diets compared to sufficiently protein
intake-rice diets in well-nourished lowlanders in Papua,Indonesia. F1000 Research. 11: 1-18.
Vincent, M., E. Jabang, N. M. Nur, E. Esut, L. B. Unting and D.
S. A. Adeni 2015 Simultaneous co-saccharification andfermentation of sago hampas for bioethanol production.
AgricEngInt: CIGR Journal 17(2): 160-167.
Yamamoto, Y 2011 Starch productivity of sago palm and therelated factors. In: Proceedings of the 10th International
Sago Symposium (Siregar, I. Z., Sudaryanto, T., Ehara, H.,
Suwardi, Lubis, I. and Ardie, S. W. ed.) Bogor, 9-15.
Zhu, F. 2019 Recent advances in modifications andapplications of sago starch. Food Hydrocolloids 96:
412-423.

Fig. 11. Sago waste (serampin).
Conclusions
The sago community in Lingga Regency is dominated bymen in the early elderly age group and low education. The sago
community has a primary job as a sago farmer and a side job as
a fisherman. The Lingga community has utilized all parts ofsago for various needs, including food, crafts, and building
materials. The main part of the sago tree used by the Lingga
people is the pith which produces starch as a raw material formaking various kinds of traditional and processed foodproducts.
References
Afdeeling Handel 1919 Publicates Van De Afdeeling Handel
No.2: Sago en Sago Producten. Papyrus (Weltevreden) pp.
23.
Ahmad, M. 2014 Farmer empowerment to increase
productivity of sago (Metroxylon sago spp) farming.
International Journal on Advanced Science Engineering
Information Technology 4(3): 5-9.
Al Manar, P., E. A. M. Zuhud, N. Andarwulan and M. H.
Bintoro 2023 Morphological characteristics and potentialof sago (Metroxylon spp.) in Lingga Regency, Riau Islands,
Indonesia. Jurnal Manajemen Hutan Tropika 29: 11-21.
Avé, J. B. 1977 Sago in Insular South-East Asia: historicalaspects and contemporary use. In: Proceeding of the 1st
International Sago Symposium. (Tan, K. ed.) Kuching,21-30.
Badan Pusat Statistik Kabupaten Lingga 2022 Kabupaten
Lingga dalam Angka 2022. BPS Kabupaten Lingga (Daik
Lingga). (in Indonesian)Direktorat Jenderal Perkebunan 2019 Statistik Perkebunan
Indonesia 2018-2020. Sekretariat Direktorat Jenderal
Perkebunan (Jakarta). (in Indonesian)
Evawarni 2011 Teknologi Tradisional yang Berhubungan
dengan Mata Pencaharian di Daik Lingga. Balai Pelestarian
Sejarah dan Nilai Tradisional (Tanjungpinang). (inIndonesian)Flach, M. 1983 The Sago Palm: Domestication Exploitation
and Products. Food and Agriculture Organization (Roma).
Gemilang, R., R. R. Irwanto and A. Dwiartama 2019 Studi
etnobotani pemanfaatan sagu (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) di
Pulau Lingga, Kepulauan Riau. In: Proceeding of the
Seminar Nasional Biologi. (Hasby, R. M., Fadillah, A. andKulsum, Y. ed.) Bandung, 36-43. (in Indonesian)Hayati, N., R. Purwani and A. Kadir 2014 Preferensi
masyarakat terhadap makanan berbahan baku sagu
(Metroxylon sagu Rootb) sebagai alternatif sumber
karbohidrat di Kabupaten Luwu dan Luwu Utara Sulawesi
Selatan. Jurnal Penelitian Sosial dan Ekonomi Kehutanan
11(1): 82-90. (in Indonesian)
Jamaludin. A. N. 2015 Sosiologi Perkotaan: Memahami

79

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS18

Sago Ethnobotany (Metroxylon Sagu Rottb.) in Mentawai Community, Siberut
National Park, Mentawai Islands District, Indonesia
Ridho Afriansyah1 , Ervizal A.M. Zuhud1 and H.M.H Bintoro2
1

Department of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecotourism, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, IPB University,
Bogor, West Java, Indonesia 16680
2
Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, IPB University, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
16680*e-mail: ridhoafriansyah20@gmail.com

Abstract
The study of ethnobotany is a science that studies traditional community knowledge of the diversity of plants around it
and the utilization of these plants. The Mentawai community have used sago plants as a staple food since their ancestors, both forstaple food, roofing, and traditional marriages. This study aimed to describe the ethnobotany of sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) and tocompare the use of several other communities in Indonesia. When the data was collected, the method of snowball sampling technique
was adopted. The people in Mentawai community utilize some parts of sago, and they use 4 out of 9 parts, which are leaves, bark,stem(pith) and roots. These communities have not utilized sago optimally, compared to other Indonesian communities.
Key words: Ethnobotany, Mentawai, Metroxylon sagu, Snowball samplingPreface
Sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) is a non-timber forest
product that grows in swamp habitats, tidal areas, along riverbanks, pond edges, or near water sources (Gusmailina 1992).
Sago contains carbohydrates that can be processed into
bioethanol and has the potential as a substitute for food in thefood industry, thereby creating food and energy security for thenation's future (Hayati et al. 2014). The nutritional value ofsago is not inferior to other food sources such as rice, corn,cassava, and potatoes. Sago is a source of carbohydrates insupporting food security.
The Mentawai community have used the sago plant for along time for staple food, roofing, and traditional marriages.
Processing of sago in the Mentawai is carried out traditionally,
starting by opening the skin of the sago, grinding it bychopping it, and processing it into starch. This activity is calledmenyagu (Febrianto and Fitriani 2012). Other parts such assago leaves are used as roofs and sago bark as walls and floors.
As for another use, sago is used as fuel, which makes sago avaluable multi-purpose plant for the Mentawai community(Pradipta 2019). The activities carried out by the Mentawai
community are called ethnobotany, namely the study ofinteractions between humans and plants in their use in aparticular culture (Pratiwi and Sutara 2013).
Community's views on sago are currently experiencing ashift due to the entry of rice brought and introduced by thegovernment and community outside the Mentawai. The
Mentawai community have the perception that consuming riceis an honor in the form of a better social status from an
economic point of view and is equal to community outside theMentawai Society. The availability of rice causes the identityof sago food to be increasingly threatened due to thesubstitution of local food for rice.
The study of ethnobotany is a science that studies
traditional community knowledge of the diversity of plants
around it and the use of these plants. The results of sago
ethnobotanical research on the Anak Rawa Community in
Penyengat Village, Siak Regency, Riau, namely the part ofsago that is used consists of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, andfruit. These parts are used as food ingredients, buildings,
traditional rituals, and medicines (Sariasih 2019). The activityof using sago plants in the life of the Mentawai community is
only a fulfillment of daily needs and is starting to be abandoned.
This is due to a shift in culture which has consumed sago foodevery day for a long time, but now community are starting toconsume food from rice imported from outside the island. It isfeared that the sustainability of sago ethnobotany isincreasingly threatened (Zamzami 2013).
Based on this, it is necessary to research "Ethnobotany of
Sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) in Mentawai community in
Siberut National Park, Mentawai Islands Regency". The
existence of sago used by the Mentawai community has neverbeen documented and a survey of sago utilization has neverbeen conducted.

Research methods
The research was conducted in Siberut National Park,
Mentawai Islands Regency, West Sumatra. The time ofresearch was from January 15 to March 5, 2022. The tools usedin this study were writing instruments, laptops, interview
guides, road boards, cameras, voice recorders, and Microsoft
Excel software. Materials used include documents or research
reports on ethnobotany, guidebooks for sago plant species, andtally sheets. The data collection method was carried out by

conducting in-depth interviews with a snowball selection of
informants, namely interviews with key respondents.
The selection of respondents was carried out by
considering the knowledge possessed regarding the utilizationof sago plants, such as sago farmers and sikerei (medicine
healers).
The interview started with one key respondent and thenrolled from one respondent to another until the information
obtained was saturated (the same information was found inother respondents). Field observation is carried out through80direct observation by looking at the activities in detail in thefield situation. Field observation activities consist of recording
and taking documentation of behavior, events, and thenecessary data.
The number of respondents obtained was 47 community
with criteria based on gender, age structure, livelihood, andlevel of education.

The formula used to calculate the percentage of sago
utilization for aspects of community's lives and the part of thesago plant utilized refers to Syahdima et al. (2013) as follows:a) Percentage of utilization of sago plants from the aspect oflife
Aspect of life = ∑ Utilization of Sago plants
Total benefits of Sago plants

1. Data Analysis Procedures
Data obtained from field observations and interview results
as well as other supporting data are processed using theformula and analyzed by descriptive qualitative.

x 100%b) Percentage of utilization of sago plant parts
Part of the Sago Plant =∑ The part of the sago plant is used x
100%
Total part of sago plant

2. Percentage of Utilization and Part of Sago Plants that are
utilized
Results
Utilization of Sago Based on Part Used
The use of parts of the sago plant by the Mentawai
community consists of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit.
Respondents who used sago stems, leaves, midribs, and bark
were 47 community (100% of respondents). Only 20
respondents (43% of respondents) used sago root and only 1
person used sago fruit (2% of respondents). Respondents knew
less about the use of roots because only Sikerei (shaman) knew
the uses of roots. Sago root is used as a toothache remedy(Figure 1).

Figure 2(a) Sago roots in sago plants(b) Sago root as a toothache medicine
2. Stem
The Mentawai community use sago stems to extract theirsago starch. Sago starch is the staple food of the Mentawai
community. Processed from sago starch is called kapurut tagu.
Before being processed into lime tagu, there are several
processes to obtain sago starch which is used as a raw material.
Processing of sago into starch is carried out in a traditional way
called maigorot tagu (shredding sago) (Figure 3a). The gratingprocess is carried out after the process of harvesting andtransporting the sago stems. The grating is done at night and in
the morning. This time is taken so that the next day the processof filtering or squeezing the sago can be carried out. The
process of squeezing sago is carried out in a place that has
sufficient water sources so that the process of squeezing sago
can be carried out.
Usually, the community establishes a sago milking place inswamp water or flowing water sources, such as in river areas(3b). The steps for squeezing sago are;1) Sago is placed in the top tub (karuk);2) Water is taken using dedeybu (water bucket) and sago iswatered evenly;
3) Sago is trampled so that the starch is separated from the sago
dregs (ponyit tagu);
4) Sago is squeezed continuously until the filtered water looks
clear;
5) Sago is left to settle for about 30 minutes;6) After the sago starch settles, the water is drained;
7) Sago starch is taken and put into sacks (Figure 3c);8) Sago is placed in a place that allows sunlight;
9) Sago is dried for 2-3 days;
10) Sago is ready to take home.

Figure 1 Utilization of sago plant parts by Mentawai
community
Discussion
1. Roots
The Mentawai community know using sago root to relieve
and cure toothache. The sago root used is a young root withreddish-white characteristics. How to process sago root as atoothache medicine is as follows:
1) Young sago root with reddish-white color is prepared;
2) Sago roots are cleaned of dirt with water;3) Bamboo is prepared as a cooking medium;4) The sago roots are crushed and then put into the bamboo;
5) After that, the bamboo is given water and placed on the fire;6) Sago roots are cooked until boiling, then removed;7) Cool down until it's not too hot;8) Sago root water is drunk and gargled on the aching tooth.
This knowledge is still used today, but only sikerei(Shaman) and some community know the function of the sagoroot (Figure 2).

Processed sago starch will be used as kapurut tagu.

81

Mentawai community are used to support daily living activities.
The craft is a bag made of sago bark. These bags are known asbolobok bags. The use of bags can be used to transport sago,transport agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables(Figure 4).

Figure 3(a) Grated sago(b) Sago extortion(c) Packaging of sago(d) Kapurut tagu
Figure 4(a) The bark is the base for the road(b) Firewood(c) The walls of the house(d) Crafts in the form of bolobok bags

The process of making kapurut tagu is carried out through 9stages, namely:
1) Tools and materials are prepared;
2) Sago starch mixed with grated coconut evenly;
3) Some sago leaves are separated from the veins, so the leaves
can be used as a binder for sago leaf wrap;
4) Sago dough is put into boned leaves;5) Kapurut tagu is ready to be cooked;
6) Prepared cooking utensils for sago, namely firewood,matches, and a mat for burning papurut tagu
7) Kapurut tagu is grilled over a fire for 15 minutes;
8) Kaput tagu is turned over so that it cooks evenly;
9) When it is ripe and the leaves look black, Papurut Tagu isremoved;10) Kapurut Tagu is ready to eat (Picture 3d).

4. Leaf
Sago leaves are used by the Mentawai community as roofs
for houses. The leaves used have characteristics that are not too
old and not too young. According to the community, the roof ofa house made of sago leaves is more comfortable because it
makes the room feel cooler compared to a house that uses aroof made of tin. The roof of sago leaves is usually made2.0-2.5 meters long and requires 250 leaves. Dalimunthe (2019)states that sago plants produce 24 leaves which are the growthand starch production phases. Leaves can be harvested andused as the roofing material. A house usually requires 300-500
sago roofs. This is equivalent to 75,000-125,000 leaves or
44-74 sago plants. The community can make roofs from sago
independently because they have expertise. A house roof madeof sago that is ordered from a craftsman will be charged a priceranging from IDR 3,000 to IDR 5,000/roof (Figure 5). If eachhouse requires 300-500 roofs, the craftsmen can earn IDR
900,000.00-IDR 2,500,000.00. The use of sago leaves as roofs
for houses by the Mentawai community began to decline withthe development of corrugated iron roofs. This is because roofs
made of sago leaves can only last 5 years, while roofs made ofzinc can last more than 20 years.

Communities can consume 10 kapurut tagu in one meal sothat in a day each person can consume up to 20 kaput tagu.
Apart from self-consumption, community can sell sago tofulfill their family's economic needs. Sago is sold in sacks of 10
kg at Rp. 50,000.00 or sacks of 20 kg at Rp. 100,000.00.
Typical Mentawai food apart from kramut tagu is nyobbug tagu,
tagu ginailug, tagu kinarak, and bothag. Nyobbug has the same
method of making as lime tagu, except that it is cooked inbamboo. Tagu ginailug is cooked in a cauldron by stirring until
dry, then mixed with grated coconut and coconut water until
the sago dough becomes round, while tagu kinarak is the sameprocess as tagu ginailug, but cooked using a medium pot.
Bothag is cooked on bamboo media, and sago is cooked using
coconut water and added sugar, and grated coconut. The
community also uses sago beetle eggs to become sago
caterpillars which can be consumed as side dishes. How to
consume sago caterpillars the community is directly or raw andcooked first.
3. Bark and midrib
The Mentawai community use sago bark as a path in thesago growing area. The community usually uses sago bark as
the walls of their houses, bathrooms, chicken coops, huts insago fields, and firewood. Crafts from sago plants by the82Mentawai community use only 5 of the 9 parts of the sago plant,
consisting of leaves as roofs for houses and containers for sago
starch; midrib skin as a material for making bolobok bags
(multipurpose bags); bark used as road mats, firewood, andhouse walls; stems (pith) as a staple food (kaputut tagu) androots as toothache medicine. The sago plant is used by thecommunity of Luwu only 6 out of 9 parts of the morphology ofsago which consists of leaves as roofs for houses and menstrual
medicine; midrib as a medicine for eye disease and house walls;
frond skin as material for sewing roofs and ceilings; stems as
staple food ingredients, house floor materials, and house fences;roots as a medicine for impotence and uric acid and sap as a
medicine for bleeding wounds (Syahdima et al. 2013).
The Tolaki community use 7 of the 9 morphological partsof sago which consist of leaves as roofs for houses; midrib as
the wall of the house; frond skin as artistic wall woven; thebase of the frond as a material for making sago baskets andbaskets and bark as floors, walls of houses, firewood, andgarden fences (Suharno and Rusdin 2010).
The Anak Swamp community utilizes 6 of the 9morphological parts of sago which consist of roots as
facilitating breast milk (breast milk); stems as a producer ofsago starch, shoots, and special food; bark as the base for theyard, firewood, and the fence for the yard; leaves as the roof ofthe house; Sago fronds are used as material for making ships(traditional events), clothesline poles, yard fences, flower pots,
firewood, and bird cages as well as flowers and fruit as fuel(Sariasih 2019).
The Mentawai community have not optimally utilized thesago part compared to other communities, especially comparedto the Anak Swamp Community. The use of sago parts startingfrom the leaves and midrib shows that the utilization of sago
parts by the Mentawai community is not optimal and there is aneed for government intervention in the form of education toincrease public knowledge in utilizing sago as a whole.

Figure 5(a) Sago leaves as a container for sago (tatap)(b) sago leaves as the roof of the house(c) Sago leaves as a sago roofing craft
5. Flowers and Fruit
Sago flowers are not used, while some community use sago
fruit to spread it on sago fields so that new sago grows. Basedon the results of observations, sago flowers, and fruits were notfound, because the community harvested sago before it
flowered and bore fruit.
6. Utilization of all parts of the plant
In marriages with Mentawai custom, the provisions for
proposing with the condition of owning sago land are now
starting to disappear. According to the Mentawai community,
this was done at the time of their ancestors, but now thedecision to propose to a woman is done by giving a set of five
types of objects that must be given to the woman, namely
machetes, cauldrons, mosquito nets, axes, and cooking pots.

Conclusion
Ethnobotany of sago by the Mentawai people in Siberut
National Park occurs in the process of harvesting, grating,squeezing, and division of labor in processing one sago stalk.
This is part of local wisdom. Utilization of sago for thenecessities of life of the Mentawai people based on the part ofthe sago plant used is the leaves as roofs and sago foodwrappers, sago stems from which starch is taken as food andanimal feed, leaf midribs as material for making multipurpose
bags (bolobok), sago bark as lining roads and walls of houses,
and roots as a remedy for toothache. The Mentawai people
have not optimally utilized the sago part compared to othercommunities. Only 5 out of 9 parts of sago are used, namely
leaves, midrib bark, bark, stems, and roots.
References
Dalimunthe, L.H., Rana, G.K., Ekasari, N., Iskak, P.I.,
Andriani, J. 2019 Sagu (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.). Setyorini
E, Sutriswanto S. Bogor: Pusat Perpustakaan
dan Penyebaran Teknologi Pertanian.
Febrianto, A., Fitriani, E. 2012 Orang Mentawai: peladang
tradisional dan ekonomi pasar. Humanus. 11(2):119- 133.
Gusmailina. (1992). Prospek Agroindustri di Sumatera Baratkhususnya di Kepulauan Mentawai. Jurnal Penelitian Hasil
Hutan. 10(6): 222- 226.
Hayati, N., Purwani, R., Kadir, A. 2014 Preferensi masyarakatterhadap makanan berbahan baku sagu (Metroxylon sagu
Rottb.) sebagai alternatif sumber karbohidrat di Kabupaten
Luwu dan Luwu Utara Sulawesi Selatan. Jurnal Penelitian
Sosial dan Ekonomi Kehutanan. 11(1):82-90.
Pradipta, L. 2019 Peralihan pangan pokok dari sagu ke beras:
sebuah kajian ketahanan pangan dan masyarakat adat.
Society. 7(1):39-51.

Figure 5 Comparison of the use of sago parts by several
communities in Indonesia
Sago Ethnobotany in Other Communities in Indonesia
Comparison of several communities in Indonesia with the
Mentawai community in terms of sago ethnobotany aims to
obtain basic knowledge possessed by each region that is not
owned by the Mentawai community. It becomes a reference in
optimizing the sago resources owned by the Mentawai
community in Siberut National Park (Figure 5).
The Radda community, Anak Rawa community, Tolaki
community, and Mentawai community have differences interms of utilizing sago optimally. In each region, community
have different levels of knowledge in utilizing sago. The

83

Pratiwi, F.M., Sutara, P.K. 2013 Etnobotani kelapa (Cocos
nucifera L.) di Wilayah Denpasar. Jurnal Simbiosis.
1(2):102-111.
Sariasih, P. 2019 Etnobotani dan potensi bioprospeksi sagu
(Metroxylon rumphii) pada Masyarakat Suku Anak Rawa
Kampung Penyengat Kabupaten Siak, Riau [skripsi]. Bogor(ID):Institut Pertanian Bogor.

Syahdima, Yuniati E, Pitopang R. 2013 Kajian etnobotani
tumbuhan sagu Metroxylon spp. Arecaceae) padamasyarakat Desa Radda Kecamatan Baebunta Kabupaten
Luwu Utara Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan. Biocelebes. 7(1):17-26.
Zamzami, L. 2013 Sekerei Mentawai: keseharian dan tradisi
pengetahuan lokal yang digerus oleh zaman. Anthropology
Indonesia. 34(1):29-40.

84

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS19

Agronomic Prospects for New Sago Palm Cultivation by farmers: Time toHarvest and Associated Cultivation Management
Dwi Ratna Sari1*, Sudirman Mangngile2 Dorothea Agnes Rampisela3 and Katsuya Osozawa4
1 Sulawesi Barat University, Jl. Prof. Dr. Baharuddin Lopa, S.H, Talumung, Majene Regency, 91412,

Indonesia

2 Sago Farmer, Pengkajoang Village, Masamba, 92957, Indonesia

3 Hasanuddin University, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan KM 10, Makassar, 90245, Indonesia
4 Ehime University, 3-5-7 Tarumi, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8566, Japan*e-mail: dwi.ratnasari@unsulbar.ac.id

Abstract In supporting long-term research on the cultivation of sago palm, a 1.2 ha sago planting experimental plot was establishedin Pengkajoang Village, one of the traditional sago-producing community in South Sulawesi. In the plot, total of 157 selected sago
suckers were transplanted from September 2012 with an interval of 10 m x 8 m. After that, data of the number of leaves, the numberof leaflets on the lowest leaf, length of leaf, length of rachis, length of longest leaflets, the width of widest leaflets, and the number ofleaf scars on the trunk was counted. After about 10 years and 9 months from transplanting, individual sago palms began to show thecharacteristics of being ready to harvest. At that plot, 149 clumps are growing, and 73 individuals are ready for harvest. The growthof the sago palm in this experimental plot was faster and the yield also much more than farmer’s expectation. Sago palms planted in
the experimental plots are capable of producing 13 tons ha-1 of dry sago flour at present time and will continue to increase. The
expert farmer estimates that the property value of this plot will be higher in the future. It is suggested that cultivation management
can shorten the time to harvest and increase the yield.
Key words: Cultivation management, Growth characteristics, Prediction of yield, Trunk formation
Introduction
Sago palm is an underutilized and neglegted crop that has
the potential to contribute to global food security, especiallyIndonesia. It is a promising crop with high starch yieldpotential that grows in marginal land where other food crops
can't grow (Konuma, 2018). Sago flour production currently
uses more natural stands of sago palms. A major problem withthe discussions on the feasibility of developing sago palms so
far is that there have been very few discussions based on
empirical research results, and many have been based on desk
calculations. As a result of investigating the factors influencing
the motivation for farmers to plant sago palm in the selectionof crops, the largest factor was the lack of agricultural
information on sago palm cultivation, such as selection of
excellent seedlings, leaf speed, planting density, time to trunk
formation stage, time to harvest to compare with another crop
(Trisia, 2017).
Sago farmers in the east part of Indonesia, such as Southeast
Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua, differently fromfarmers in the west part of Indonesia, such as Riau. Farmers in
the east part of Indonesia consider sago palm to be a forest
plant that is grown naturally, resulting in limited agronomical
knowledge which negatively affects the sustainability of sago
production. A study in South Sulawesi showed that knowledge
and information positively correlates with the participation of a
farmer to cultivate sago (Trisia, 2021).
In order to obtain empirical information contributing to thedomestication of sago palm, an experimental plot wasestablished in Penkajoang Village, South Sulawesi Province, toconduct a sago palm growth survey on a scale of 1.2ha in
September 2012. Providing such empirical data is important forvillagers to select sago palms. We studied the growth of sago
palms which had been regulated by plant density, pruning dry
leaves, arranging suckers that grew densely in thisexperimental plot.
The main production area of sago palm in South Sulawesi
provice is Luwu region (Tana Luwu). The Villagers are veryskilled at classifying the growth stages of sago palms based on
their botanical sense. The sago farmers in this area have a
wealth of empirical knowledge about sago palms, and it wasthought that cooperation with them would be necessary for thecultivation of sago palms in the future.
The experimental plot is located along the road from
Penkajoang village to Pembunian village, width of the plot is
80 m from east to west, and the depth to the south is 150m. 157
sago sucker seedlings were transplanted to this plot as part offield training in collaboration with Ehime University andHasanuddin University with the support of a local NGO(Lembaga Pelangi and Kampong Sagu) and local farmers in
September 2012.
We collaborated with local farmers to cultivate sago bysimple techniques without using fertilizers and pesticides in theexperimental plots, lead by local sago farmer as research
assistant. Providing such empirical data is important forvillagers to select sago palms. It is hoped that cultivation ofsago palm will be able to shorten the harvest time and increase
the potential for production.
Research Methods
The growth survey was conducted in June 2023 bycollaboration with sago farmers. Among them, Mr. Sumardin (avillage elder who is familiar with the growth of sago palms)
taught us how to identify the growth stages of sago palms. In
addition, other farmers removed dead leaf sheaths and leaves
that had accumulated in the clumps to make it easier tomeasure the stem length. About 100 leaves died andaccumulated around the sago palm clump in the research plotover the last 3 years and 10 months, which was a hard work.
The main objective of this survey is to identify individual
sago palms that are suitable for harvesting, and to measure thestem lengths of all individuals whose trunks appear. These data
were predictive of continued yields for this plot.
From 1986 to 1988, Osozawa conducted a correlation
analysis between the production volume of 31 cases from 131
sago palms and the external characteristics of the sago palm
used (stem length, number of leaf scars, number of fresh leaves,average diameter of the trunk). The regression equation is
Y = - 41.396 + 28.633X where Y: yield(kg/stand), X: trunk
length（m）

85

This yield prediction model was used to predict the future yieldof the plot.
A Laser Rangefinder (Bosch professional GLM 500) wasused to measure stem length. The sago stem is measured fromthe bottom where the farmer will place the sago harvesting tool
until the top of the stem is about 30 cm upper above the lowest
fresh leaves. The length of the sago stem is an important factor
for the growth of sago plants in estimating the potential yieldof production in land units (Sari et al. 2020).

The growth stage classification is divided in detail after thesuitable harvesting period, and it can be seen that they areinterested in selecting the harvest time. The actual harvest isconcentrated after stage Ⅲ (pettu sese). Importantly, villagers
skilled in sago palm should not harvest before stage III.
Although sago palms can be harvested at stage V and beyond,this is very rare. Osozawa's research (1990) studied 157 times
when farmers harvested sago trees, as many as 90% of farmers
harvested sago trees at stages III and IV during their growthstage were observed in this long-term cultivation plot.
There are 68 individuals that can be harvested until June
2023, namely 16 trees in pettu sese (growth stage III), 26
ma'baru trees (IV), 23 bulu bongko trees (V), and 3 ma'tanru
jonga trees (VI). In addition, based on information from thefarmers guarding the plots, there have been 5 trees that havebeen cut down in the last 1-2 years, so a total of 73 sago trees
can be harvested at that experimental plot (Table 1).
Based on the length of the sago stem, we tried to calculate
the yield potential of dry sago starch using Osozawa's
empirical formula from previous research.

ResultThere were 149 clumps, 355 trunks and more than 90 sucker
still at the rosette in the experimental plot. Fig 1 shows thefrequency distribution of the all stem length in experimental
plot of 1.2 ha.

Table 1. Yield Prediction using empirical formula(Y = ―41.396+28.633X)
Fig. 1. Histogram of sago stem lengths in June 2023
observations

Growth Stage

The stem length varied greatly from 1 m to 11 m (Fig 1).
Although the frequency distribution for each stem length isslightly biased at 5 m or more, there is no large gap overall, andthe range varies from 22 to 37 for each trunk length. This value
is slightly higher than the frequency distribution of the trunk
length of the existing sago palm forest under unmanage
condition, and the gap is small, but there is not muchdifference.
Local farmers are experts in determining which trees areready for harvest based on their own growth stage
classification of sago palm (Fig 2). The following is the
distribution of Growth stage classification by local farmers(Osozawa, 1990).
I. ana：Stages from germination to trunk formation
II. ma‘babakung：Stem emerges and grows stage
III. pettu sese：The stage where the black streak (sese) at thebase of the petiole begins to cut and looks blurry
IV. ma‘baru：The stage where white powder (baru) appears
near the base of the petiole
V. bulu bongko：Stage at which small leaves resembling shrimp(bongko) appear
VI. ma‘tanduk jonga：Inflorescence emergence stageVII. ma‘bua belu ：Stage at which the 2nd and 3rd lateralbranches of the inflorescence develop
VIII. ma‘bua：Fruiting

No. oftree
observed

Stem Length
(m)
min

max

Yield Prediction(kg/palm)

ma'babakung

16

1.5

7.6

-

pettu sese

16

6.9

10.2

156 – 251 (203.5)

ma'baru

26

7.3

10.6

167 – 262 (214)bulu bongko
ma'tanru
jonga

23

8.9

10.7

213 – 265 (239)

3

8.5

9.8

201 – 239 (220)Harvested

5

(220)

Every harvest stage has a different average production
potential. At pettu sese stage, average production potential is203.5 kg/palm so that 16 palms can produce 3256 kg of dry
sago flour. The 26 sago palms during ma'baru stage were able
to produce 5564 kg, bulu bongko 5497 kg, ma'tanru jonga 660
kg, and it is estimated that the harvested sago palms were able
to produce 1000 kg. At present (after 10 years and 9 months ofplanting) an experimental plot of 1.2 ha is capable of producing
around 16 ton (13.3 ton/ha) and will continue to increase.
There are 3 sago trees that have entered ma’tanru jonga,
where inflorescence emergence indicating that their growth isfaster than the other 70 individuals.
Discussion
The frequency of each stem length became almost uniform
was that most of the plants. On the other hand, the fact that 157
seedlings were planted and a total of 355 trunks grew wasconsidered significant. The number of sago palms grows anddevelops twice as much as the number of seeds planted so thatthe sago trees grow at tighter intervals. As we observed, there
is no problem even if multiple individual grow as long as there
is no big difference in tree height. Each leaf crosses
appropriately and can receive light together with the difference
in stem height is not too much (Fig 3).

Fig.1. Growing stage of sago palms by villagers (Osozawa,1990).

86

to produce dry flour of 203 - 239 kg per stem. By finding sago
individuals that had entered the flowering period (ma’tanru
jonga) at the age of 10 after transplanting, it was concluded
that cultivation techniques were able to shorten harvest time.
References
Flach, M. 1980 Comparative ecology of the main moisture-richstarchy staples. In; Sago: The equatorial swamp as a natural
resource (Proceedings of the 2nd International Sago
Symposium) (Stanton, W. and M. Flach eds.) Martiu
Nijhoff (London) 110-127.
Jong, F.S. 1995 Research for the development of sago palm(Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) cultivation in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Ph.D. thesis of Agricultural University, Wageningen, The
Netherlands. In The Society of Sago palm studies (2015).
The Sago Palm. Kyoto University Press
Konuma, H. 2018 Status and Outlook of Global Food Security
and the Role of Underutilized Food Resources: Sago Palm.
In: Ehara, H., Toyoda, Y., Johnson, D. (eds) Sago Palm.
Springer,
Singapore.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5269-9_
Manar P A, Zuhud E A M, Andarwulan N, M H Bintoro. 2023
Morphological Characteristics and Potential of Sago
(Metroxylon spp.) in Lingga Regency, Riau Islands,
Indonesia. Jurnal Manajemen Hutan Tropika, 29(1), 11-21.
Osozawa, Katsuya. 1990 Sago palm and sago production inSouth Sulawesi-Essay on Tropical Low land Development.
Ph.D. thesis, Fac of Agriculture, Kyoto Univ, pp,275. (inJapanese)
Sari D R, Asrul L, Sjahril R, Osozawa K. 2020 Path cofficient
analysis for growth characters of sago palm related to trunk
formation in three years after transplanting. IOP Conf. Ser.:
Earth Environ. Sci. 486 012010
Trisia M A, Tachikawa M, Ehara H. 2021 The Role of the Sago
Supply Chain for Rural Development in Indonesia: A
Review and Perspective. Reviews in Agricultural Science,
9: 143–156, 2021 https://dx.doi.org/10.7831/ras.9.0_143
Trisia M A, Metaragakusuma A P, Osozawa K, Bai H. 2017 Do
Small-Scale Farmers Want to Plant Sago Palm? An
Empirical Analysis of the Factors Influencing Farmer
Participation in Luwu Utara Regency, Indonesia. Journal of
Agriculture and Crops, 2017, 3(12): 97-109
Yamamoto, Y., K. Omori, T. Yoshida, Y. Nitta, Y. B. Pasolonand A. Miyazaki. 2000 Growth characteristics and starch
productivity of three varieties of sago palms in Southeast
Sulawesi, Indonesia. Abstract of the 15th Conference of theSociety of Sago Palm Studies. 15-22. (in Japanese)
Yanagidate I, Rembon F S, Yoshida T, Yamamoto Y, Pasolon Y
B, Jong F S, Irawan A F, Miyazaki A. 2009 Studies on
Trunk Density and Prediction of Starch Productivity of
Sago Palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.): A Case Study of a
Cultivated Sago Palm Garden near Kendari, Southeast
Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. SAGO PALM 17: 1－8(2009)

Fig. 3. Sago palm individuals growing close together
Based on that, It is very important to consider how to growmultiple individuals dividing at the same time as in Figure 3.
Sago palms planted with interval 10m x 8m in theexperimental plot are expected to produce an average of203-239 kg of dry sago flour per hectare. This estimate iscertainly higher than the average yield per palm by Flach(1980), which is 185 kg with a planting density of 6 m x 6 m.
Differently, the dry starch yield of each trunk estimated by
Yanagidate et al (2009) is 329kg ~ 495kg per palm andYamamoto et al (2000) reported the yield potential for themolat variety in Kendari to be 425 kg, it may indicate an
overestimation.
The production potential in experimental plots ranges from
more than 200 kg per stem, in line with the results of researchby Manar (2023) reporting that sago superior accession in
Linggau regency, Riau island has a production potential ofmore than 200 kg per stem with a potential yield range of 3.37
to 14.55 tons per ha. This indicates that the sago palms thatwere tried to be cultivated have a yield potential that is notmuch different from the yield potential of superior sago in the
Riau Islands.
It is different from the estimation of starch yield during the
growth period of matanru jonga (Inflorescence emerging stage).
Jong's research (1995) showed that the flowering stage reachedthe maximum yield (203.4-219.4 kg) at around 12.5 years ofage, while in the experimental plots sago palms enteredflowering at around 10 years of age. Ma'tanru jonga stage isestimated to occur from two to three years after pettu sese(growth stage III) which is the first suitable harvest period.
This fact indicates that it is estimated that there are individuals
that can be harvested 8 to 9 years after transplanting.
However, further research is needed on the causes of sago
palms entering the ma'tanru jonga stage earlier, whether
caused by environmental influences, plant arrangements (suchas sucker control), or the influence of genetic heredity.
In order to verify all, future researchers collaborated with
farmers in Penkajoang village to make a plan to conduct anempirical yield survey of mature trees in this experimental plot.
Conclusions
A simple sago cultivation technique carried out together with
farmers is able to produce sago trees which have the potential

ESD

87

Proceedings of the 14th International Sago Symposium
July 7, 2023

14ISS20

Utilization of Palm Oil By-products for Sustainable Crop Production in
Marginal Land
Yulius Barra’ Pasolon1*, Puput Imaniar Sholeha1, La Ode Rustam1, Namriah1, Arsy Aysia
Anas1, Resman1, La Ode Alwi1, Nini Mila Rahni1, La Ode Afa1, Lukas Kano Mangalla’2 andHiroshi Ehara3
1Faculty of Agriculture, Halu Oleo University, Jl. HAE.Mokodompit, Kampus Hijau Bumi

Tridharma, Anduonohu, Kendari 93232, Indonesia.

2Faculty of Engineering, Halu Oleo University, Jl. HAE.Mokodompit, Kampus Hijau Bumi

Tridharma, Anduonohu, Kendari 93232, Indonesia.

3International Center for Research and Education Agriculture, Nagoya University, Japan*e-mail: yuliusbpasolon@gmail.com
Abstract This experiment purpose was to evaluate the chemical properties and the potential uses of palm oil by-product as organic
fertilizer for sustainability of crop production in marginal land of South-east Sulawesi. We collected two types of organic by-productfrom two industrial of CPO: dust of empty bunch fruit (AT) and sludges (S), mixed with ratio of AT/S (w/w): 22/78 for ormula-22 (F22). Mixed of AT and S then fermented for 10 days, enriched by bio-activator and analysis for pH, C-organic, N-total, P2O5-availabel,
K2O-total and C/N ratio. F-22 were enriched by urea then used as organic fertilizer for rice cultivation in rainfed soil. The result
indicated that the increase of AT concentration was more prominent in induce rice growth and production.
Key words: Marginal land, Organic fertilizer, Palm oil by-products

Introduction
Both sago palm (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) and palm oil(Elaeis guineensis) are important crops for Indonesia. Sago
palm mainly produce “sago starch” and palm oil for industrial
crude palm oil (CPO). The rest of sago palm area in Indonesia
was predicted less than 2.0 million ha, and palm oil plantation
was around 15,077,022 ha distributed at Sumatera,
Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Java and Papua islands (Direktorat
Statistik Tanaman Pangan, Hortikulturan dan Perkebaunan,
2022). It was reported that Indonesian CPO production wasaround 46.50 million ton per year, which resulted an organic
by-product around 51.67 million ton per year. This by-productcontaining higher content of K2O, C-organic, N, P2O5, Ca, Mg
and some micro nutrients. (Pasolon and Ariffin, 2021, Pasolon2022).
This paper purpose was to discuss an innovation formulaof organic fertilizer recycled from palm oil by-product and its
application on rice farming.
Materials and Methods
1. Material Preparation
Materials for this experiment collected from two palm oil
industries: PT. Merbaujaya Indahraya located in South
Konawe Prefecture and PT. Utama Agrindo Mas located in
Konawe Prefecture South-east Sulawesi Province. Eachfactory has capacity to extract 60 t fresh fruit bunch per hour.
From this extracting was resulted 26.5 % CPO and kernels and73.5%. From this waste there are 33 % as organic material
consist of empty fruit bunch (EFB): 23.0 %), sludge (S): 7.0 %and fiber (F): 3.0 %, respectively. EFB recycled by open
burning or furnace in incinerator which resulted EFB dust withlocal term abu tandan kosong (AT), S where stocking insettling ponds and F mixed with palm oil shell for furnace
steam water and electric power plant.
2. Chemical Analysis
AT and S were collected and mixed with ratio (w/w): 22/78
to formulated organic fertilizer namely formula 22 (F-22).
This formula then mixed with bio-activator produced by KSU
Karya Bangsa with ratio (w/w): 90/10, fermented for 10 days,
homogenized, keeping for 7 days until it reaches normal

temperatures (30 ℃) and moisture 21 to 24 %, and then took
500 g for chemical analysis in PT. Sucofindo Laboratory(Pasolon and Ariffin, 2021).
Field Application
Soil sampling was conducted before land preparation. Soil
was taken by core sampler at 0-30 and 30-60 cm, air dried,sieved, oven dried at 100 ℃ for 24 hours and analyzed for pH,
CEC, C-organic, N, P, and K contents according to Sulaeman,
et al. (2005).
Land preparation by plowing one times, keeping 10 days,
puddling by rotary two times and constructed plots (2.5 m ×
2.5 m). Nutrient level in this experiment was standardized andequivalent to KCL (50 % K2O5) at the rate: 0.0, 50.0, 75.0,
100.0 and 125.0 kg/ha. These levels then converted to F-22
organic fertilizer which equivalent to 0.0, 132.0, 198.0, 265.0
and 331.0 kg/ha and NPK-15-15-15 which equivalent to 0.0,
167.0, 250.0, 333.0 and 417.0 kg/ha. Each level of F-22 wasenriched by mixed with Urea (46 % N): 150.0, 141.0, 138.0,
133.0 and 130.0 kg/ha and for NPK-15-15-15 by 150.0 kg/ha.
Fertilizer application by broadcasted and mixed with soil
prior transplanting. Three plants per hill of middle seedlingof Mutiara rice cultivar was hand transplanted after 25 days
seeding. Plant distance was 20 cm x 20 cm, respectively.
Chlorophyll content measured by SPAD meter (Minolta
SPAD-502), number of tiller and panicle, harvested dry grain
and percentage of full grain production were measured fromthree replications plots size 1.0 m2 at ripened stage. Percentage
of full grains was measured use salt solution water 1.06 gravity
as explained by Hoshikawa (1989).
Results
1. Soil and Organic Fertilizer Characteristic
Table 1 shown that soil pH was acidity, N-total was low, Pavailable was medium, K was higher, C-organic was low and
CEC was higher based on Sulaeman, et al. (2005). Table 2
showed that total elements content in F-22 organic fertilizer
was higher, however, availability depending on mineralization
process, therefore, in application should be enriched bychemical fertilizers which containing N and P elements

88Elements
pH-H2O
C-organic
N-totalP2O5-available
K2O-available
CEC

Unit
–
%
%
ppm

Values
4.90
1.40
0.10
5.50

me/100 g

0.27

me/100 g(Source: Syah, 2022).

25.84

Analysis method
pH-meter
Walkley-Black
Kjeldahl
Bray-2
NH4-OAc, 1 M,
pH-7
NH4-OAc, 1 M,
pH-7

increased of F-22 rate was increase capacity to release
adsorbed nutrients.
F-22

Table 2. Characteristic of F-22 organic fertilizer.
Elements
pH
C-organic

Unit
–
%

N-total%P2O5-total%

K2O-total

%

Ca

ppm

Mg

ppm

ValuesAnalysis method

9.43
21.55

Potentiometry
Gravimetry
ACOAC (2016)
ed.20
ACOAC (2016)
ed.20
ACOAC (2016)
ed.20
ACOAC (2016)
ed.20
ACOAC (2016)
ed.20

2.94
0.72
18.94
271.20370.80(Source: Pasolon and Ariffin, 2021).

to meet plant’s requirement at early stage. This organic F-22
also containing higher amount of micronutrients e.g. Fe-total,
Zn, Cu and Mn: 4210.5, 182.60, and 389.75 ppm.

50 75 100 125
KCl, kg/ha

There are several variables of rice growing was observed inthis experiment: Tiller number, SPAD values, grain production
and percentage of full grain as shown in Fig.1., Fig.2., Fig.3
and Fig.4.
Organic fertilizer F-22 application tend to show the increaseof tiller number with the increase of organic fertilizer level,
however, in the low level there was no different effect of F-22
and NPK fertilizer as shown in Fig.1. Such possibility thatmixing of F-22 fertilizer with urea was adsorbed by F-22 andrelease slowly in early stage of rice growing stage, however,

22.0

0

50
75 100KCl, kg/ha

125

Fig.2 shown that SPAD values in early stage was higher in
NPK application than F-22. The higher of SPAD values in
NPK treatments indicated that N release from NPK-15-15-15
sources was faster than from F-22 organic fertilizer. Thisphenomenon may relate to the increase of chlorophyll content
in NPK treatment as one indicator that N content was higher
in plant as explained by Tisdale et al. (1993). They also
expected that, N mineralization from organic material need for
2 to 3 months from application. This process accelerated bywarm and humid conditions as in rainfed soil.

Harvested Dry Grain, t/ha

No. tiller, plant/hill

Fig.1. Effect of F-22 organic and NPK-15-15-15 application
on tiller number at 22 DAT.

27.0

Fig.2. Effect of F-22 organic and NPK-15-15-15 on SPAD
values at 22 days after transplanting.

F-22
NPK

0

32.0

17.0

2. The Effect Organic F-22 on Growing of Rice

20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

NPK

37.0

SPAD Values

Table 1. Soil characteristics before treatment.

7.0

F-22
NPK

6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
-

0

50 75 100 125
KCl, kg/ha

Fig.3. Effect of F-22 organic and NPK-15-15-15 on harvested
dry grain.
The data showed that the increase of organic application
tend to induce tiller number at 22 DAT (Fig.1) and chlorophyll
content at 22 and 64 DAT (Fig.2). Higher of harvested dry
grain was produced at 331 kg/ha of F-22 as shown in Fig. 3.
How ever, grain quality as indicated by percentage of full grain
was increased by NPK application as shown in Fig. 4. Thisphenomenon shown that F-22 and NPK applications wasproduced positive effect on rice grain quality.
The residue of P and K at harvest stage increased as theincrease of F-22 application. However, C-organic and Ntotal was lower as shown in Table 3. This data showed that F22 application was remarkably improved P and K content insoil medium, N was reduced to very low and lower level.

89

F-22
NPK

100.0
Full grain, %

90.0
80.0
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0

0

50 75 100 125
KCl, kg/ha

Fig. 4. Effect of F-22 organic and NPK-15-15-5 application on
percentage of full ripened grain.
Tabel 3. Soil chemical properties after harvest.
F-22, pH- C-org.
kg/ha H2O(%)
132
5.46 0.16
265
5.58 0.48
331
5.73 0.58(Source: Sholeha, 2023).

N-tot.
(%)
0.12
0.14
0.15

P2O5
(ppm)
24.34
26.75
31.42

Exch.K2O(me/100 g)
0.68
0.78
0.82

C-organic content was very low level in soil medium after
harvest season, however, F-22 application at 265.0 and 331
kg/ha was increased C-organic three times than 132 kg/ha.
Discussion
Generally, that rice growing in this soil was shown nutrient
deficient as indicated by reddish at leaf tip, lower tiller andpanicle numbers which implicated to lower grain production.
These phenomena indicate that this soil categorized as
marginal rainfed land. The lower of N and C-organic may be
due to N volatilization and C mineralization during the dry
season. From this data (Table 3) indicate that N level during
plantation should be taking care by N top-dressing at tillering,
panicle initiation, and heading stage.
Soil texture in this experimental was silty loam (Syah, 2022).
This texture was dominated by silt fraction which has low
capacity for nutrient adsorbing at complex adsorption,
therefore, organic treatment is one strategy in improved
nutrient level at silty loam texture.
P2O5 available prior to treatment was low as shown in Table
1, however, after harvest season P2O5 residue in rice field wasincreased 4 to 6 times as shown in Table 3. The same tendency
was shown by exchangeable K2O after season as shown in
Table 3. In case of K, this parallel with higher K content in F22 as shown in Table 2.
Based on the above results, we can explain that organic
treatment in this experiment, where nutrient level wasstandardized on K2O-total content in organic fertilizer (F-22)
may not accurate. Therefore, in another experiment we change
nutrient standardization based on P2O5 level (data not shown).
Nutrients application level should be calculate based on thelower content as explained by concept of Liebig’s “Low of the
Minimum” (Morris et al., 2007) especially in long termorganic management in marginal land.
Use of organic fertilizer from Palm Oil by-product, may
economic profitable and environmentally friendly. Potential of

ESD organic by-product from CPO extraction in Indonesianpalm oil plantation was predicted around 52 million t per year,
which equivalent to 55.30 million t of F-22 per year. Based on
N, P and K content in F-22 (Table 2), this potential may
equivalent to Urea, SP-36 and KCl: 3.533, 1.105 and 20.094
million t/year, respectively. This potential was much higher
than Indonesian total fertilizers import 6.249 million t per year
in 2020 (BPS, 2022).
Conclusions
Based the above results we concluded that formula F-22
fermented from palm oil by-product have shown nosignificantly different with NPK-15-15-15 on rice grown,which indicated that F-22 formula may suitable for long-term
nutrient management in marginal land.
Acknowledgement.
This experiment was funded by KSU Karya Bangsa andMatching Fund 2021-2022.
References
BPS-Statistics Indonesia 2022 Statistical yearbook ofIndonesia. Direktorat Diseminasi Statistik (Ed.) Badan
Pusat Statistik ISSN: 0126-2912. (Jakarta) pp. 779. (inIndonesia).
Direktorat Statistik Tanaman Pangan, Hortikulturan dan
Perkebaunan 2022 Direktori perusahaan perkebunan
kelapa sawit Indonesia 2021. Badan Pusat Statistik. ISSN;
2301-6817. (Jakarta) pp. 434. (in Indonesia).
Hoshikawa, K. 1989 The Growing Rice Plant. In: An
Anatomical Monograph. Nosan Gyosan Bunka Kyokai(Tokyo) pp. 305.
Morris, S.J. and C.B. Blackwood 2007 The Ecology of Soil.
In: Soil Micro Biology, Ecology and Biochemistry (Third
Edition). www. sciencedirect.com. Online Cit. 5 July 2023.
Pasolon, Y.B. and B. Ariffin 2021 Optimalization productionof rice in rainfed with organic basis in South-East Sulawesi
Province. Matching Fund Report, Halu Oleo University(Kendari) pp.170. (in Indonesia)
Pasolon, Y.B. 2022 Production and use of organic potassium
recycling from palm oil waste in South Konawe PrefectureSoutheast Sulawesi Province. Matching Fund Report. Halu
Oleo University (Kendari) pp. 170. (in Indonesia)
Puput, S.I. 2023 The Effect of palm oil organic waste
application on soil chemical properties and growth of rice
in rainfed. Graduation Thesis, Soil Science Department,
Faculty of Agriculture, Halu Oleo University (Kendari).
pp.54. (in Indonesia)
Sulaeman, Suparto and Eviati 2005 Petunjuk teknis, analisis
kimia tanah, tanaman, air dan pupuk. Balai Penelitian
Tanah. e-mail: soil-RI@indo.net.id, Bogor pp. 136. (inIndonesia).
Syah, A. M. 2022 Soil fertility evaluation in rainfed ofPombulaa Jaya Villages. Graduation Thesis, Soil Science
Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Halu Oleo University(Kendari) pp. 45. (in Indonesia)
Tisdale, S.L, W.L. Nelson, J.D. Beaton and J.L. Havlin 1993
Soil fertility and fertilizers. 5th Edition. Maxwell
Macmillan Canada (Ontario) pp. 613.

90