Improving profits for maple producers through tubing sanitation

Improving profits for maple producers through tubing sanitation

Summary

The goal of this project is to investigate a variety of spout and tubing sanitation strategies, accomplished through either system component replacement, cleaning, or a combination of cleaning and replacement, that will produce higher sap yields and increase net profits for maple producers using tubing systems under vacuum.

Objectives/Performance Targets

The initial objective is to make maple producers aware of this research and to engage them in cooperating by completing surveys, sharing ideas for treatments and perceived effectiveness in their operations, and keeping adequate records to allow assessments of various strategies employed to be made.

Performance target: On a total of 850,000 tapped trees, 450 maple producers adopt a more beneficial practice to combat sap yield losses from microbial contamination, resulting in an increase in annual net profits of $1 to $3 per tap.

Accomplishments/Milestones

Project investigators have determined the treatments to be employed for the 2014 sap flow season and have begun to set up the primary two experimental sites and equipment necessary to monitor sap yields. Announcement of this study and solicitation of maple producer input will be forthcoming over the next several months.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Collaborators: