Source: UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT submitted to NRP
ACHIEVING HIGH MAPLE SAP YIELDS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
SPECIAL GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0218492
Grant No.
2009-34157-19762
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
2009-03374
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2009
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2010
Grant Year
2009
Program Code
[BA]- Maple Research, VT
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
(N/A)
BURLINGTON,VT 05405
Performing Department
Plant Biology
Non Technical Summary
A sizeable proportion of maple producers achieve low yields under current sap collection methologies. We aim to increase the effective yield per maple tap by exploring several alternatives to current sap collection systems, and determining the attributes of systems that are most cost effective per unit of sap collected.
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
80%
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1250620102020%
1250620107020%
1252099102030%
1252099107030%
Knowledge Area
125 - Agroforestry;

Subject Of Investigation
2099 - Sugar crops, general/other; 0620 - Broadleaf forests of the North;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology; 1020 - Physiology;
Goals / Objectives
This project seeks to evaluate alternative methods to conventional maple sap collection methodologies in order to achieve higher sap yields from maple stands.
Project Methods
We will examine different approaches aimed at reducing restrictions in sap and vacuum movement in maple sap collection systems by comparing yields from replicated field plots by comparing yields under current collection systems with experimental treatments consisting of upsized lateral lines, standard lateral lines with one tap per lateral line, and with mainline to each tree. The time to install and cost of each system will be compared along with any changes in sap yield to determine the most cost effective approach towards high yield production.

Progress 09/01/09 to 08/31/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: A full-scale field experiment comparing several treatments designed to increase vacuum transfer to the taphole in maple tubing operations was conducted. Results of this work was presented to maple producers at three workshops. PARTICIPANTS: T.D. Perkins provided overall project direction, design, and supervision. A. van den Berg was involved in design and implementation of the project, as well as day-to-day supervision of technicians, and data analysis. M. Isselhard and B. Stowe provided technical assistance in the initial field design, installation and layout, and operation of the experiment. TARGET AUDIENCES: Maple producers are the target audience of the presentations generated by this work. Recommendations on changes in tubing system design, installation, and operation are made to increase yields of sap. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
None of the tested treatments resulted in significant increases in maple sap yield (gallons of sap per tap). These results may have been observed due to the lack of high volume sap flows during the 2010 maple sap flow season, or due to their being no true differences in vacuum transfer to the taphole.

Publications

  • No publications reported this period