Thesis (BS Biology) -- University of the Philippines Mindanao, 2006

Acclimatization of sago palm suckers was done to reduce their mortality when removed from their marsh habitat. Suckers were first either not acclimatized or acclimatized in the wild for two months then transplanted and grown in the screenhouse for another two months. The highest percent survival (35%) was obtained with suckers planted first in marsh soil prior to growing in the screenhouse. Suckers planted first in marsh soil and rafted in river had highest health rating (2.53 and 2.22, respectively) and rate of leaf emergence (0.2 and 0.12 leaf per month. On the other hand, sucker without acclimatization in the wild (immediately transplanted in garden soil) showed the worst response with 100% mortality after one month in the screenhouse. The number of emerging roots was most pronounced in suckers acclimatized first in the wild in marsh soil. Also, SEM micrographs revealed that the cortex in roots to acclimatized suckers had more extensive air space formation than in roots directly obtained from the wild. Our data tend to support the following: (1) there is less than 50% survivability in transplanted sago palm suckers, even with acclimatization while neither decline nor improvement from the second to third month in the screenhouse; (3) there is a necessity of acclimatizing suckers first in the wild, either by rafting or the planting in marsh soil, (4) the leaf color chart designed for rice may not be a useful tool in assessing the growth of suckers in a short period of observation and; (5) death and poor response of suckers primarily is due to stress (6) there may be other factors alongside oxygen stress that contribute to the aerechyma formation in roots of acclimatized suckers