Banga, Aklan, The Philippines
January 12, 2009
by Melpha M. Abello,
Manila Bulletin via
SEAMEO SEARCA
A researcher from Aklan State
University (ASU) in Banga, Aklan, has found an easy way to
germinate sago palm seeds for planting. Previously people found
it hard to germinate seeds of this palm species which yields
valuable flour as well as leaves for roofing.
He is Michael Ibisate, research coordinator of the ASU's College
of Agriculture, Forestry and Environmental Science, who said
that he discovered the technique by accident. He said that the
strong winds and rain brought by Typhoon Frank in June 2008 had
caused the mature sago fruits from the germplasm of the
university to fall to the muddy ground where these were soaked
for almost a month.
The condition, Ibisate said, might have favored the germination
of the sago seeds as the shoots emerged from the soaked seeds
after one month.
To verify his observation, Ibisate collected mature sago fruits
from the germplasm and brought these to the Regional Seed
Production Center within the campus. He then subjected the seeds
under the same environment obtaining in the muddy field and
obtained the same results.
Ibisate, known for his work on conservation of sago palm using
tissue culture technique, said in their previous study that the
sago seed was believed to have poor germination due to the
presence of pericarp and sarcotesta. Thus, his research team
used embryo rescue technique which enabled the successful
development of an immature or weak embryo into a viable plant in
vitro.
Aside from tissue culture, sucker is the widely used planting
material for mass propagation of sago palm.
Sago, locally known as Ambolong in Aklan, has enormous starch
deposit in its trunk. The starch has a high food value and has a
big potential for industrial use. A mature sago palm could yield
50 to 70 kilos of starch. The pith, bud and shoot can also be
eaten; the sap can be processed into sugar, vinegar and wine.
Apart from its use as food, Aklanons find sago as the best
source of material for making shingles used as roofing material
for light houses or huts. Ibisate said that many shingle makers
in the province prefer using sago leaves over nipa leaves
because sago leaves are more durable, especially when used in
coastal areas. Sago shingles fetch a higher price than nipa
shingles. The biggest market for sago shingles is Boracay Island
in Malay, Aklan.
Ibisate revealed that there is now a growing demand for sago
palm as ornamental plant, both for use indoor and outdoor. Sago,
he said, can be grown in an ordinary garden soil and does not
require much attention.
Ibisate's ongoing study on the conservation of sago palm is one
of the projects being supported by ASU. At present, he is
studying various parameters to further enhance the development
of sago by using seeds as planting material.
Meanwhile, Ibisate continues to mass propagate sago palm from
seeds. And the good news is that several hundreds of seedlings
are now available to interested growers at P50 each. |
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