Mainstreaming Kaong Towards Environmental Protection and Poverty Alleviation in the Philippines Lorenzo C. Lapitan, Jr. Presented during the IFEX 2017 Asia’s Food and Ingredients Show, Philippine Trade Training Center, 20 May 2017 Outline of Presentation A. The Kaong Plant B. Situationer C. Gaps, Bottleneck, and Constraints to be Addressed D. R&D Agenda Nomenclatu reScientific: Arenga pinnata English: Sugar palm Filipino: Kaong Family: Arecaceae/ Palmae NomenclatuLOCAL re• Bagatbat Negros Oriental • Cabo negro Spanish-Filipino • Hebiok Capiz • Onau-onau Misamis, Surigao • Hidiok Camarines, Albay, Capiz, Antique • Ibiok Capiz,Negros Occ., Bohol • Igok Antique • Irok Zambales, Cavite, Tayabas, Mindoro • Kaong Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna • Kauing Bataan • Rapitan Ilocos province NomenclatuINTERNATIONAL re• Taung-ong Burmese • Arenga palm, sugar palm, sagwine English • Palmier areng, Palmier à sucre French • Zuckerpalme German • Ejow, gomuti, aren, kaong Indonesian • Palma dello zucchero, palma arenga Italian • Taw tad Lao • Palma azucarera Spanish • Tao, chok Thai • Doasc, busng basng Vietnamese DistributioDISTRIBUTION Native range nBangladesh Brunei Cambodia India Indonesia Laos Malaysia Myanmar Papua New Guinea Philippines Singapore Sri Lanka Thailand Vietnam Source: World Agroforestry Center Agroforestry Database 4.0 (Orwa et al.2009) DistributioDISTRIBUTION n LOCAL • An exotic species that has become naturalized • Grows in natural stands in most islands and provinces • Found across the country but most abundantly growing in Indang, Cavite Habitat • Under natural condition, it thrives in ravines along rivers and streams, and in areas under semi- cultivation. • In Cavite, it is found thriving alongside agricultural crops in managed farms • Altitude of 100 to 1,000m asl • Also found in some forests near inhabited areas and occasionally in virgin forests since its fruits are scattered by wild animals including cloud rat and civet cat. Associated Animals Alamid Cloud rat Musang (Paradoxorus philippensis) (Phloeomys cumingi) (Vivera tangalunga) Phenolog • Begins to flower after 8 years in areas wherein there is abundant ysupply of water throughout the year. In other areas, flowering can be as late as after 16 years particularly in areas at higher elevation. • Female flowers are produced in the top leaf axils while male inflorescences emerge in the lower axils. Succession is from top to bottom. • Flowering is throughout the year. After the last and lowest flowering, the tree dies at about 15 to 22 years old. Reasons for Kaong Population Decline 1. Extractive agricultural activities 2. Natural death of the plants Buhay ay paunlarin. Kalikasa’y lingapin. Kaong, ating itanim. Reasons for Kaong Population Decline 3. Plant destruction Buhay ay paunlarin. Kalikasa’y lingapin. Kaong, ating itanim. Reasons for Kaong Population Decline 4. Hunting and poaching of seed dispersers Buhay ay paunlarin. Kalikasa’y lingapin. Kaong, ating itanim. Uses 1. Leaves • Used for rough brooms and woven into coarse baskets • Splints prepared from the petioles are used in making baskets, marquetry work on tables, screen, boxes and other pieces for furniture • Make a good roofing material Uses • Made into furniture Uses 2. Fiber • Locally known as yumot or cabonegro (commercially known as gomuti fibers). • Found at the base of the petioles • Known for its durability and can stand long exposure to either fresh or salt water • Fire resistant • Manufactured into ropes, cleaning brushes, filters and thatching materials. Uses 2. Fiber Uses 3. Bark • Very hard and used for barriers, flooring, furniture and tool handles Uses 4. Sap • Used as favorite drink called tuba, is produced in the male inflorescence. It has a sweet taste specially when freshly tapped. • When boiled, it is also used as feeds for hogs. When distilled, alcohol is produced. • Each tree can produce as much as 2,500 liters of sap during its maturity stage. Per liter costs about P10-30. Uses Vinegar Production • Vinegar is produced through natural fermentation of the sap placed in earthen jars locally known as tapayan or banga. Fermentation usually takes place under the sun. • The process would take 2 to 4 weeks to complete • Pasteurization may be done to preserve the taste and aroma of the vinegar. • Per liter of vinegar at the site costs P25. Uses Sugar production • Sugar is made by boiling its sweet unfermented sap. • Produce can be in granulated or syrup form. • 1.10 grams of granulated brown sugar can be produced per liter of sap • Sugar from kaong was found to have low glycemic index making it good even for diabetics. Uses Bio-ethanol production • By 2030, we could replace all of the world’s oil with ethanol from sugar palm - Dr. Willie Smits Uses Uses 5. Pith • Pith yields starch, which can be used as staple food in place of rice. It is also used as an ingredient in the preparation of cakes, noodles and other dishes. Boiled starch can also be used to feed hogs. • Estimated yield per tree is about 50 to 75 kg of starch Uses 6. Fruits • Seeds of immature fruit when extracted and boiled with sugar is used as an ingredient for salad and dessert. • A plant produces as much as 25,000 Uses • Kaong fruits are eaten by cloud rat, bats and palm civet, Viverra tangalunga (Musang) and Paradoxorus philippinensis (Alamid). These mammals naturally aid in the propagation of Arenga pinnata by eating the fruits and excreting the seeds. • Reports show that seeds excreted by animals are still capable of germinating. Uses 7. Indoor Plant Kaong and Its Uses Buhay ay paunlarin. Kalikasa’y lingapin. Kaong, ating itanim. B. Situationer Kaong large solitary palm of tremendous ecological and economic importance found in many parts of the country but most abundantly growing in Indang considered as a neglected and underutilized crop has high domestication potential interest of many companies, local and foreign CvSU-SPRINT stands for Sugar Palm Research, Information and Trade Center established in 2011 to advance Kaong RD&E the only Center in the country devoted to Kaong has many local and foreign partners guided by a roadmap Completed RD&E Activities Kaong Nursery and Palm Grove Conservation Project Assessment of Biodiversity and Natural Regeneration Pattern of Kaong (Arenga pinnata (Wurmb) Merr.) in the Riparian Ecosystem of Upland Cavite Asukal Mula sa Kaong Project: Community- Based Low Glycemic Sugar Production from Kaong in Indang, Cavite Ongoing RD&E Activities 1 Ongoing RD&E Activities Project 1. Propagation and Planting Studies on Kaong Study 1CvSUSeed KaongMorphology Nursery,and Germination Palm Behavior ofGrove Kaong Study 2ConservationKaong Seed Germination and as AffectedProduct by Level Development of Fruit Maturity and Bunch Position Study 3ProgramLongevity of – KaongPhaseSeeds in II Storage Study 4 Kaong Seed Germination as Affected by Mechanical Scarification and Watering Frequency Study 5 Growth and Survival of Germinated Kaong Seeds as Affected by Growing Media and Fertilizer Study 6 Growth and Survival of Various Ages of Kaong Wildlings Grown Under Different Shading Conditions and Watering Frequencies Study 7 Growth and Reproductive Performance of Field-Planted Kaong as Affected by Shading and Mycorrhizal Application Study 8 Growth and Reproductive Performance of Field-Planted Kaong as Affected by Slope Exposure and Soil Management Ongoing RD&E Activities Project 2. Low Glycemic Sugar Production from Kaong Sap Study 1 Assessment of Kaong Sap Production in Different Municipalities of Upland Cavite Study 2 Development and Testing of Automated Kaong Sap Harvesting and Sugar Processing Machines for Micro- Scale Operation Study 3 Process Standardization, Micro-Scale Production, Product Evaluation and Marketability of Sugar Palm Syrup Study 4 Process Standardization, Micro-Scale Production, Product Evaluation and Marketability of Brown Sugar from Sugar Palm Ongoing RD&E Activities Project 3. Isolation, Structure Elucidation and Pharmacological Activities of Secondary Metabolites from the Bark and Sap of Kaong Study 1 Isolation and Elucidation of Secondary Metabolites from the Bark and Sap of Kaong Study 2 Hypoglycemic, Hypolipidemic and Antimicrobial Effects of Secondary Metabolites from the Bark and Sap of Kaong Study 3 Cytotoxicity and Anti-inflammatory Effects of the of Secondary Metabolites from the Bark and Sap of Kaong Ongoing RD&E Activities 2 Bringing Kaong Back : Isang Sama- samang Pagtatanim Ongoing RD&E Activities 3 A Community-Based Kaong Nursery at Indang Habitat Village (IHV) in Support of the Bringing Kaong Back: Isang Sama- samang Pagtatanim Project Ongoing RD&E Activities 4 C. Gaps, Bottleneck and Constraints to be addressed Availability of resources o Lack of data and information on kaong concerning the ff: - Population in different provinces of the Philippines - Productivity in different areas - Propagation and nursery practices - Genetic and population diversity - Management practices adopted by farmers - Pests and diseases o Seeming decline in kaong population due to various factors o Long gestation period of kaong o Lack of seedlings o Lack of sustained effort to increase kaong population Utilization o Lack of data and information on the following: - Economic utilization practices of kaong across the country - Utilized vs. unutilized plants - Volume of extracted products/ plant parts including sap o Level of utilization of kaong for various products is seemingly low Processing & Value Adding Current Processing Technologies o Lack of data and information on the primary