Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) starch yield, influencing factors and estimation from morphological traits

Abstract

ABSTRACT Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) has been a promising crop with its exceptionally high starch content compared to other starch-producing crops. Sago starch has diverse applications in both food and non-food industries. Though many have come to understand sago’s potential, sago palm is still under-cultivated whereby majority of sago palm is planted in small-scale sago farms in a semi-wild state. The long harvesting time of sago palm demotivates the farmer from actively participating in sago cultivation. Therefore, it is vital to study the underlying factors that could maximise sago starch production in the pith and shorten the growing period of the plant for harvesting. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review on the influencing factors of sago starch yield. Estimation of sago starch yield from morphological traits is also discussed. In conclusion, sago starch yield is closely related with biomass (dry matter) production. It is significantly influenced by harvesting stage, folk varieties, surrounding environment and cultivation methods. It is important to monitor sago palm’s production and estimate the starch yield from the morphological traits like leaf area, sum of leaf scars and functional leaves, and trunk height for determining an ideal harvesting time.