Abstract
Tropical peat soils in South East Asia are mostly oligotrophic, and some are mesotrophic according to the classification by Coulter (1957). The sago palm is exploited as a staple and cash crop in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is a perennial starch crop of some economic importance in Sarawak, and has adapted well to peat swamp areas. However, it is said that sago palms growing in deep peat soils take a longer time to reach maturity than those in shallow and alluvial soils. The differnces in growth rates of sago palms related to the types of soils are discussed.
The comparison of growth rates of the sago palm grown in deep and shallow peat soils was studied in Sungai Talau Peat Research Station, Dalat, Sarawak, Malaysia. Growth of sago palms in deep peat soils and shallow peat soils was measured in terms of several growth parameters, and growth rate data obtained in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 were compared.
There were considerable variations among sago palms in deep peat soil when the trunks emerged from the ground. It took 5-6 years after planting of suckers for the trunk to form. The frond emergence rate differed year by year, ranging from 17 in the initial 3 to 4 years to 19.2 after trunk formation to 12 in the following years. Based on the total number of fronds, the trunk formation periods to be 7-9 years, based on the total number of fronds, the entire maturation period of the sago palm in deep peat soil amounted to 12 to 15 years after planting, revealing that sago palms in deep peat soil have significantly shoter and fewer fronds than those in shallow peat soil. The canopy of sago palms in deep peat soil was not well developed. Therefore, growth of the sago palm in deep peat soil is slower than in shallow peat soil. To compensate for the inferiority of the sago palm in deep peat soil, further investigations are required such as finding new species which reach maturity more rapidly and have higher starch content.
https://ror.org/00qg0kr10 
