The 3/16 phenomenon
Using smaller-diameter tubing can create a natural vacuum which can increase sap production. This article details some research into this method of sap collection, and offers tips on some practical applications.
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The Goldilocks touch: Overdriving spouts reduces sap yield
One of the more common questions producers have when about tapping maple trees is Òhow deep should spouts be driven in to the taphole?Ó. Unfortunately, there is not a simple answer, since different spouts have different dimensions, variable degrees of taper and steps, and are made of different materials with dissimilar degrees of Òstickiness.Ó Regardless, the importance of driving spouts in to the proper depth is readily apparent: if spouts are driven too shallow there is a risk that spouts can leak vacuum or heave easily during freezes, but if driven too deeply, small cracks may form which cause liquid and vacuum leaks or alternatively, the reduced amount of exposed wood surface area inside the taphole caused by driving spouts in too deeply may reduce sap collection.
The Timing of Tapping for Maple Syrup Collection
There are a variety of reasons why sugarmakers might want to tap earlier than the traditional date: thousands of taps that take several weeks to install, lower snow cover and easier walking before mid to late winter, climate change generally moving the season forward and providing more sap flow weather in January and February. For most sugarmakers, the bottom line is simply this: what tapping time frame results in the highest sap yield? The experiments described below, which were performed between 2000 and 2007, were designed to answer this question.
Timing of Spout and Dropline Deployment Has No Effect on Sap Yield
This aim of this project was to determine whether early spout and dropline deployment before tapping could be used while maintaining good sanitation levels and high sap yields.
Total Syrup Yields from Red Maple Trees
Presentation by Dr. Abby van den Berg, UVM Proctor Maple Research Center, at the NY Mid-Winter Classic Conference.
Tree Size and Maple Production
There are several important factors that affect the yield of sap from trees during the production season. One relationship that is sometimes overlooked is the one between tree size and yield. In order to develop models of tree size and yield to answer some of these questions, we measured the sap volume and sugar content from approximately fifty individuals along a wide range of sizes during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Tree Size Matters
In order to develop models of tree size and yield we measured the sap volume and sugar content from a wide range of tree sizes during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. This article explores the findings.
Tubing Cleaning – Methods Used in the U.S.
A wide variety of cleaning techniques are currently used in the maple industry, including rinsing the system with pressurized air and water, or attempts to sanitize with chemical solutions such as peroxide, bleach, or alcohol. However, the effectiveness of these cleaning techniques in reducing microbial populations and increasing annual sap yield is often questionable.
Understanding the relationship between tree size and yield
There are several important factors that affect the yield of sap from trees during the production season. One relationship that it sometimes overlooked is the one between tree size and yield.
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.