Survival and Growth Rates of Rafted Sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottboell) Suckers as Influenced by Size and Trimming under Nursery Conditions

Abstract

In Mindanao, the sago palms (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) grow in the marsh as semi-wild stands. Attempts to grow suckers in garden soils have shown low survival. This study aimed to determine the survival and growth rates of suckers based on stem base diameter (small, 4–9 cm, and large, 10–15 cm), either trimmed or untrimmed, rafted for 0, 1, 2, and 3 months in the wild (Agusan del Sur) prior to polybagging in the nursery (Davao City). Holding suckers in bamboo rafts by floating in waterways for up to three months and trimmed of their leaves were shown to improve survival in the nursery. During rafting, a mean survival rate of 81% for trimmed suckers (both large and small) was observed when rafted for a month, but survival dropped to 40% when extended to three months. Untrimmed large and small suckers exhibited 60% mortality after a month of rafting. When extended to three months, large suckers were considerably affected with a low 6% survival. In the nursery, rafted suckers (one or two months) did not vary with control (no rafting) in terms of survival of trimmed suckers. However, rafting for three months significantly improved survival rates to 62% for large and 74% for small samples. For untrimmed suckers, large and small suckers in rafts for three months obtained 100% and 67% survival, respectively; while 88% for small suckers in raft for two months. Trimmed suckers rafted longest produced significantly higher leaf count than non-rafted suckers regardless of base size.