Maple Syrup tapping saplings

[erslar00]

Very Interesting... I have easily 5 or 10 times the number of young to medium size saplings on my property than mature maples. I've only ever tapped the large buggers and not the same ones every year... anyone tried to tap a sapling? They do mention under a vacuum, I'm wondering if a small pump with pvc vinyl tubing running to a group of saplings in a or grove would produce a large amount of sap, will try and rig something up. full article clink on link... below. This very well could change the traditional maple syrup "sugar shack" type of operaton.

http://modernfarmer.com/2014/01/maple-syrup-revolution/

In October 2013, Drs. Tim Perkins and Abby van Den Berg of the University of Vermont’s Proctor Maple Research Center, revealed the findings of a study at a maple syrup conference in New Brunswick, Canada that sent waves through the industry. In 2010, they were studying vacuum systems in sap collection operations. Based on the observation that one of the mature trees in the study that was missing most of its top was still yielding high volumes of sap, they hypothesized that the maples were possibly drawing moisture from the soil and not the crown. Previously, they had presumed that the sap dripping from tap holes was coming from the upper portion of the tree. But, if the tree was missing most of its crown then, they surmised, it must be drawing moisture from the roots.

In order not to destroy the mature maples in the research forest to test their theory, they went to the maple saplings planted near the lab which are often used to gather data. They lopped off the top of the small trees, put caps on them with a tube inserted, sealed the cap and put them under vacuum. The young trees produced impressive quantities of sap, even without the benefit of a crown.

“Initially with the mature tree we didn’t think much of it other than this is a really interesting observation of the importance of vacuum in pulling sap out of the trees,” says Perkins. “But after we cut the top off the sapling we thought ‘This is unusual enough that we should look at it some more.’”

The pair thought that they may have hit on something big.

“We were looking to see, do we really need the top of the tree to function? Can we still get sap and more importantly sugar from a tree without its top and we did,” says van den Berg.

They realized that their discovery meant sugarmakers could use saplings, densely planted in open fields, to harvest sap. In other words, it is possible that maple syrup could now be produced as a row crop like every other commercial crop in North America.

In a natural forest, which varies in maple density, an average 60 to 100 taps per acre will yield 40 to 50 gallons of syrup. According to the researchers’ calculations, an acre of what is now called “the plantation method” could sustain 5,800 saplings with taps yielding 400 gallons of syrup per acre. If the method is realized, producing maple syrup on a commercial scale may no longer be restricted to those with forest land; it could require just 50 acres of arable land instead of 500 acres of forest. Furthermore, any region with the right climate for growing maples would be able to start up maple “farms”. The natural forest would become redundant.

[akr71]

The natural forest would become redundant.

^ That is an incredibly scary phrase to end an article. I know I'm taking it out of context, but it still worries me how others may perceive it.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

saw that a few weeks ago elsewhere - the issue i see is that they cut the tops off the trees, then do a direct comparison in terms of volume/land area needed - discounting the fact that a tree without its top can't be used for a few years (if it somehow recovers), or they have to plant a new tree.

Even if they use only 5 year old trees, suddenly getting 10x the volume but only once every 5 years doesn't seem so great a comparison...

also they don't seem to do any comparisons of flavour? maple syrup is flavourful in large part because of how it is produced (boiled for long periods) - i saw one thing where they tried to remove the water by heating under a vacuum to save energy (lower boiling point) and it didnt have any of the maple flavour when they had it reduced down to the right volume.

[jason.loxton]

I think you misunderstood the point on the top cutting off. They did that just to test whether or not it would be *possible* for the tree to provide sap without a top. The answer was 'yes' (because the sap was coming out of the root system). They didn't have to cut the tops off to get the sap, and wouldn't in production. It was just to test a hypothesis about the canopy.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

perhaps so - but even on reskimming the article, it doesn't mention anything about how it could be used in production, just focuses on what they get when they lop the top off and put it under vacuum. what if tapping the younger tree and putting it under vacuum doesn't create such impressive yields?

havent read the actual study still...

[jason.loxton]

Actually, I think *I* was wrong.

[jason.loxton]

Yup. I was wrong: http://alloveralbany.com/archive/2014/0 ... a-sugar-fi" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[akr71]

What I find odd is that I'm sure I learned a couple decades ago that sap flows from the roots to the leafs in the spring to bring food to where new leaves need to form. Once the leaves are out flow is in the opposite direction.

Why is the university of Vermont just finding this out now?