抄録
We investigated differences in the growth characteristics and starch productivity of tall sugar palms with high sap productivity according to plant age (estimated: 3–25 years) and growth stage (early trunk elongation to dying stage) in Sandabilik (SB) Village, Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi, and in Taratara (Ta) Village, Tomohon, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. The number of years until the emergence of the first female inflorescence after the seedling stage was approximately 10–12 years in SB Village and 8–10 years in Ta Village, and that until the end of sap collection was approximately 20 and 15 years, respectively. In both villages, trunk elongation and leafing occurred until the emergence stage of the first female inflorescence, and the highest trunk weight was estimated to be 1500–2000 kg during the period from the emergence stage of female inflorescences to the early emergence stage of male inflorescences; the pith starch percentage also reached the highest values, 30–40%, and the starch content was estimated to be 100–250 kg during this period. After that, the pith starch percentage and content tended to decrease in the dying stage. However, it was suggested that the starch content might increase with the passage of time after the end of sap collection in plants that have maintained large leaf areas and high leaf chlorophyll content even in the dying stage.