The Allometric Model of Sago Palm Above Ground Drymatter Partitioning in Relation to Phenological Stages

Abstract

Sago palm is gaining more attention in the last decades, regarding to its various benefits, such as economically profitable, sustainable and environmental friendly. Many studies have been addressed to this crop, including modeling of biomass partitioning during its growing stages. In this study, biomass or carbon allocation into different growing crop organ was modeled empirically based on data collected from farmer gardens in two provinces of Indonesia. The sampled palms which were selected from different phenological stages (rosette stage until fruit ripening stage) were felled and separated into different organs. Proportion of drymatter of each organ to its total above ground drymatter (AGD) was calculated. The results showed that during rosette stage, most of AGD was allocated to leaf formation. In the next stage (trunk formation), allocation of AGD to leaf formation was decreasing, while portion to trunk formation was increasing significantly. In the flowering stage and fruit ripening stage, most of AGD was allocated to flower or fruit formation. A portion of AGD that was probably allocated to organs other than flower or fruit during these stages is assumed to be zero in the allometric model.