Approximately two percent of starch used as a fermentation aid for steamed soybeans has been used for tempeh production. Three sago starches, extracted using different methods, were sourced from Jayapura, Indonesia (Sample A, wet-extraction), Kuching, Malaysia (Sample B, wet-extraction), and Cebu, Philippines (Sample C, dry-extraction). Sample C demonstrated substantially higher nitrogen, phosphate, potassium, and polyphenol content than Samples A and B. This difference may be attributed to the extraction methods used: wet versus dry-extraction. Inoculating tempeh fungus onto a starch agar medium（SA medium）containing two percent of three sago starches, extracted using different methods, led to the formation of large, rapidly developing colonies, with the largest size observed in Sample C. The dry-extraction method of sago starch, when used as a fermentation aid, was the most important factor for tempeh fungus growth in tempeh production.

The Arecaceae family of plants accumulates a substantial amount of silicon, which helps to mitigate the harmful effects of stress caused by heavy metals, salts, and drought. This also leads to the formation of phytoliths in all parts of the palm. In this study, phytoliths from several palm leaflets were compared. In order to determine the relative abundance of phytoliths, slides containing 250 phytoliths each were observed by microscope. The samples were subjected to incineration at 550°C, ultrasonic treatment, 0.1 mol/L HCl treatment, and distilled water washing. Sago palm (Metroxylon sagu) phytoliths were identified as spheroid echinate symmetric morphotypes with diameters of <5 μm (1.2%), 5–10 μm (27.8%), 10–15 μm (48.8%), 15–20 μm (20.4%), and >20 μm (1.9%). These spheroid phytoliths were relatively larger than those of other palm species such as Phoenix roebelenii, Phoenix canariensis, and Pritchardia pacifica. The phytolith assemblages of sago palms were also distinguished by their symmetrical spheroidal shape and sharp spines. Meanwhile, Corypha umbraculifera and Washingtonia robusta produced both spheroid and ellipsoid phytoliths. Caryota maxima, Butia yatay, Dypsis lutescens, and Dypsis decaryi formed three types of phytoliths: spheroid, ellipsoid, and conical. Areca catechu, Cocos nucifera, Chamaedorea elegans, and Chamaedorea cataractarum produced both ellipsoid and conical phytoliths. Phytoliths of Hyophorbe verschaffeltii were identified as conical morphotypes only. We have proposed a schematic genealogical tree for Arecaceae based on the description (morphotypes and size distribution) of their phytoliths, using the results of this study.

The diversity and taxonomic composition of endophytic bacteria and nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB) in sago palm roots were examined from two sites in East Malaysia (clay loam of mineral soil, and shallow peat soil) and five sites in South Thailand (clay loam, sandy clay loam, sandy clay, and clay soils) by the amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA and nifH gene. As a result, Shannon diversity and Simpson’s evenness of bacteria and NFB were not different among sampling sites (although the root sample in shallow peat soil had a low value). The soil bulk density, clay content, volumetric water content, pH, EC, exchangeable cation contents, and total N affected both communities of endophytic bacteria and NFB. As a result of phylogenetic analysis of NifH (translated from nifH gene amplicon), NifH adjacent to Bradyrhizobium, Burkholderia, Cupriavidus, Frankia, Geobacter, Anaeromyxobacter, Desulfovibrio, Clostridium, and Spirochaeta 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, and Cupriavidus genera) was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of anaerobic NFB (Clostridium, Geobacter, Anaeromyxobacter, Desulfovibrio, and Spirochaeta). It is suggested 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.

Small scale processing of sago both mechanically and semi-mechanically are now common practicing by sago farmer in West Papua and Papua Province. The objective of this research was to apply small scale mechanical sago processing equipment in order to transform the traditional processing method to mechanical one. In this research the sago processing machinery have been employed were cylinder type sago rasping machine and sago starch extraction machine, both were made in workshop of Agricultural Technology Faculty, University of Papua Manokwari. The performance of employed processing machinery in District Momi Waren were evaluated in terms of rasping capacity, extraction capacity, starch yield, fuel consumption and starch left in sago pith waste. Results showed that sago farmer in District of Momi Waran can operate the sago processing machineries easily without any difficulties. The performance of the machines were (a) rasping capacity 650 kg/hour, (b) extraction capacity 315 kg/hour, (c) starch yield 33.75 %, (d) starch losses in sago pith waste 2.5 % and (e) fuel consumption for rasping and extraction machine were 1.4 litre/hour and 1.23 litre/hour respectively.