Showing 171 – 180 of all 725 resources in the database
Regardless of the availability and guidance provided, maple producers should clearly understand that the use of isopropyl alcohol in maple tubing systems anywhere in the United States is a violation of federal law.
In general, it is presumed that any effect of Òspout colorÓ on sap yield arises due to thermal warming of darker-colored spouts during sunny periods. Darker-colored spouts warm faster and the spout temperature can rise considerably above air temperature when hit by the sun compared to lighter-colored spouts. To assess the effect of Òspout colorÓ on sap yield, we conducted a multi-year study at the University of Vermont Proctor Maple Research Center in Underhill, Vermont. Twelve treatment plots were randomly assigned a different spout type, with one mainline and releaser for each plot.
Some maple operations will have compliance requirements under the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act or FSMA. Determining where or if your operation falls under this rule is complicated, so our UNH Extension FSMA team has created an online tool that asks you a series of questions and based on your answers tells you where you most likely fall under the rule.
Two main issues relate to the sustainability of maple sugaring; tree wounding and sugar removal. In other words, does a tapped maple tree grow more wood than is compartmentalized (functionally “removed by the tree’s normal wound response process) each year and/or does sap collection take more sugar from the tree than can be readily replaced through photosynthesis? These two issues, although separate in some respects, are inextricably intertwined.
Sap now in maple trees has been described many times. Milburn and O’Malley (1984) provided the first well-accepted modern description,which was later modified and improved by Tyree (1984), then further by Cirelliet al. (2008). Stem pressure and now in maple were then mathematically modelled in detail by Graf et al. (2015) with additional refinements and comparison with field-derived measurements by Zarrinderakhta et al. (2024). While these articles provide extensive detail into the anatomy and physiology of the science of the sap now mechanism, they are somewhat unavailable to most people. A good general description of the sap now mechanism is described in more modest detail in the Third Edition of North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual (Perkins et al. 2022), so won’t be discussed at length here. Rather, this article is aimed at describing pressure gradients and the sources and magnitude of those pressures as they related to sap exudation from maple tapholes.
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.
Sap flow and stem pressure in sugar maples during winter dormancy depend on the expansion and contraction of gas bubbles. These gas bubbles are primarily located in the libriform fibers of wood tissues, not in the xylem vessels. Though there are gas bubbles (embolisms) in the xylem vessels, these bubbles are not the dominant drivers of stem pressurization.
A presentation on the effects of vacuum on sap yield and ways to optimize tubing systems.
Dr. Abby van den Berg presenting on research on early tapping and taphole longevity strategies on sap yield and non-conductive wood (NCW) formation in maple trees at the Dec 2020 Vermont Maple Conference.
The Internet has made it possible for maple farms to sell direct to customers everywhere. However, the online market is crowded and itÕs not enough just to put up an e-commerce website. Peter Cooper-Ellis of Hidden Springs Maple covers strategies and pitfalls for using the Internet to market maple products. This presentation also discusses the impact that Amazon is having on the on-line market and strategies for selling on Amazon.