Characterizing maple sap flows
Individual sap flow events are highly variable and dynamic, ranging from slow, weeping flows that last for days to short bursts of high flow that last for only a few hours.
Tag: Sap Yield
Showing 1 – 10 of 28 resources
Bark removal and taphole closure with arc-barb spouts
The Arc-Barb Spout (UVM Patent Pending) is designed with a shortened barrel to allow improved sap flow from the shallower, more productive sapwood zones in maple stems.
Drop and spout sanitation review
Considerable research has been conducted by the Cornell Maple Program and University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center on the effects of spout and tubing sanitation on improvements in sap yield and economics.
Spout colors can affect sap temp at the taphole
We reported in a previous article (Does Color Matter?, The Maple News June/July 2018) that color influences the degree of solar warming of spouts during sunny, windless days and can impact sap yields.
Cost of hitting stained wood when tapping
Avoiding tapping near previous tapholes is a common practice in maple production. This is because previous wounds create a zone of stained wood that extends slightly wider and deeper than the taphole, but extends upwards and downwards, often reaching 6-12 inches in length in each direction, affecting a volume of wood approximately 50 times (range of 15-150X) larger than the volume of the taphole (vanden Berg et al. 2023).
Update on Plantation Maple Research by UVM
For several years researchers at the UVM Proctor Maple Research Center studied the feasibility of collecting sap from saplings as an alternative production method for maple syrup.
2023 season barb spout results
The outermost rings of wood in maple trees have the highest sap flow rates and have sweeter sap than the wood found deeper in the tree. We designed a spout that incorporates both a shortened barrel and a series of barbs along the shaft to anchor the spout tightly within the wood and bark tissues.
Tapping guidelines for maple syrup production
Guidelines for tapping maple trees have existed for well over 100 years. Early tapping guidelines came about when buckets (gravity collection) were the only technology available for harvesting sap. New tapping guidelines are based on years of research into maple tree growth, sap harvesting practices/technology and a recognition that tree diameter alone does not fully explain all the factors that determine if tapping intensity in a given sugarbush is sustainable. This fact sheet presents sustainable tapping guidelines.
Innovations in Maple Sap Collection Systems: Increasing Yield in 5/16” Lateral Line Tubing
Ongoing research at the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center over the past thirteen years has examined a variety of approaches to increases yield from 5/16” maple tubing systems on vacuum.
Ask Proctor: Why Isn’t Sap Yield from a Tree the Same Every Year?
We occasionally hear the question: “Even if the season is late or short, shouldn’t there be the same amount of sap produced during the time that does run than there
would have been if it were longer season or happened at ‘the usual’ time?”