Sago Palm

This open access book addresses a wide variety of events and technologies concerning the sago palm, ranging from its botanical characteristics, culture and use to social conditions in the places where it is grown, in order to provide a record of research findings and to benefit society. It discusses various subjects, including the sago palm and related species; differentiation of species of starch-producing palm; habitat, morphological, physiological and growth characteristics; culture and management; productivity of carbon dioxide; starch extraction and manufacture; characteristics and utilization of starch; and cultural anthropological and folkloristic aspects. Problems such as food shortages due to increasing populations, global warming and climate change, and decreasing reserves of oil and other underground resources, have become more pressing in recent years. In the context of these problems, the book examines the role of the sago palm in sustainable food production, in the manufacture of other foodstuffs, as a raw material for ethanol and in the manufacture of biodegradable plastics. In addition to academics, this book will be useful to researchers and government officials working for international agencies, national governments, municipalities, and other research organizations; technicians, researchers, managers, entrepreneurs, and others working in industries such as agriculture, plant production, food production, manufacturing, chemical engineering, energy production, and distribution.

In order to produce sufficient quantities of food to feed the world's growing population, we need to increase the food producing capacities of crops and to protect the environments in which they grow. Discovering untapped plant resources is an important challenge, but a haphazard increase in food production may cause environmental damage. We need foresight and must take sound appropriate actions. The sago palm is a plant that might fulfill all of these requirements. The sago palm accumulates more starch than any other plant in the world, yet, in global terms, it continues to languish in relative obscurity. The Japanese Society of Sago Palm Studies was formed in the hope of raising its profile by hosting seminars and symposiums in Japan and overseas to help it achieve the recognition it deserves. To this end, the Society's members have worked together to produce this volume, written in an easy-to-read style. [Subject: Botany, Agriculture, Conservation, Environmental Studies]

Each of the 169 specially selected plants featured in this book is showcased in glorious full color. Valuable information on planting, caring, and protection is included for each plant and a map designates each plant's preferred growing zones.

Many edible plants considered exotic in the Western world are actually quite mainstream in other cultures. While some of these plants are only encountered in ethnic food markets or during travels to foreign lands, many are now finding their way onto supermarket shelves. Top 100 Exotic Food Plants provides comprehensive coverage of tropical and semitropical food plants, reviewing scientific and technological information as well as their culinary uses. Wide-ranging in scope, this volume’s coverage includes plants that produce fruits, vegetables, spices, culinary herbs, nuts, and extracts. A user-friendly format enables readers to easily locate information on botanical and agricultural aspects, economic and social importance, food uses, storage, preparation, and potential toxicity. The book also contains an introductory chapter that reviews important historical, economic, geopolitical, health, environmental, and ethical considerations associated with exotic food plants. Thoroughly referenced with more than 2000 literature citations, this book is enhanced by more than 200 drawings, many chosen from historical art of extraordinary quality. This timely volume also highlights previously obscure edible plants that have recently become prominent as a result of sensationalistic media reports stemming from their inherently entertaining or socially controversial natures. Some of these plants include the acai berry, kava, hemp, and opium poppy. A scholarly yet accessible presentation, the book is filled with numerous memorable, fascinating, and humorous facts, making it an entertaining and stimulating read that will appeal to a broad audience.

A comprehensive resource presenting different manufacturing bioprocesses of chemical substitutes, from agricultural and industrial by-products to value-added biorefinery products Chemical Substitutes from Agricultural and Industrial By-Products: Bioconversion, Bioprocessing, and Biorefining discusses the biorefinery of chemical substitutes from agricultural and industrial by-products, covering the consolidated bioconversion, bioprocessing, and downstream process of the significant chemical substitutes produced. In each chapter, the individual aspects of bioconversion, bioprocessing, and downstream process of chemical substitutes produced from selected agricultural and industrial by-products to selected chemical substitutes are discussed. The text includes helpful case studies of specific processes to aid in reader comprehension. Edited by four highly qualified academics, Chemical Substitutes from Agricultural and Industrial By-Products includes information on: Common substitutes for chemicals obtained from biomass of agricultural wastes and industrial by-products, including antioxidants, oleoresin, nanocarbon materials, enzymes, essential oils, bio-bleaching agents, and biosugars Alternative substitutes, including biofertilizers, cocoa butter substitutes, bio-succinic acids, furfural derivatives, levulinic acids, and cellulases Economic calculations, such as cost analysis, of different bioprocesses to analyze their feasibility in business and general industry Environmental impact analysis of chemical substitutes from agricultural and industrial by-products for a sustainable agriculture system Enabling readers to create a change in the perception of the waste agricultural biomass from waste to resource, Chemical Substitutes from Agricultural and Industrial By-Products is an essential resource for biotechnologists, chemists in industry, natural products chemists, process engineers, chemical engineers, and environmental chemists.