Sago palm (Metroxylon spp.) starch is important source
of carbohydrate for local inhabitant. Sago palm is capable of withstanding
harsh conditions in peat soils, which have chemical and physical constraints
such as extremely acid, low status of macronutrients, deficient in Fe,
Zn and Cu, and low bulk density. This palm is mainly distributed in soils
related to coastal lowland area. It was reported that distance from sea
influenced soil solution composition of peat soils and shorter distance
from sea contributed higher content of Na and Mg. These differences might
be reflected by nutrient composition in leaves of sago palm.
Objective: To clarify nutrient status of peat soils
in relation to distance from sea and its contribution to nutrient in leaves
of sago palms.
Materials and Methods:
Location: Mukah, Sarawak, Malaysia and Tebing Tinggi,
Selat Panjang, Indonesia. Sampling interval: Soils and plant leaves were
taken from different distance from sea at about 500 m interval along 3
km sampling transects in 1998 and 1999.
Analytical procedure: Total-N in soil (Kjeldahl method),
exchangeable cations (NH4OAc-extracted), available Fe, Zn and Cu in soils
(DTPA-extracted), and concentration of N, K, Ca, Mg, Na, Fe, Zn and Cu
in leaves.
Results:
(1). Relationship between total?N in soils and distance
from sea was not shown clearly. Exchangeable cations and available Fe,
Zn and Cu in soil were not affected by distance from sea, which indicated
that distance from sea was not an influential factor of nutrients in soils.
(2). Concentration of N in leaves tended to follow total-N
in soils. In contrast to N, there was no tendency that concentration of
Ca, Mg, K and Na in leaves followed exchangeable cations in soils.
(3). Available Fe, Zn and Cu in soils showed the similar
character with exchangeable cations in soils
Conclusion: Concentration of those cations and minor elements
in sago palm leaves was not as a response of exchangeable cations and available
Fe, Zn and Cu in soils. On the contrary, it was indicated that concentration
of N in leaves was as a response of total-N in soils.