Improving profits for maple producers through tubing sanitation

Improving profits for maple producers through tubing sanitation

Summary

Research was conducted during the spring of 2014 at the UVM Proctor Maple Research Center (Underhill Ctr., VT) and the Arnot Research Forest (Van Etten, NY) to examine the effect of tubing and spout sanitation (replacement, cleaning, or a combination) on sap yield and to determine the net costs and profit for each method. 

In addition, a survey of maple producers was generated and disseminated through the state associations and through online forums, reaching over 11,000 maple producers in North America.  The survey gathered information from 1,510 producers (75% within the NESARE region) about their maple operation, current sanitation practices, and interest in learning more about how sanitation affects their sap yield and profit.  The majority of producers (97%) currently use some form of sanitation practice, although there are a wide variety of practices currently used.  Over 97% of producers are also interested in further research to help them determine the appropriate practice to maximize profits.

Seven presentations on the results of the first year of study have been conducted thus far, reaching over 400 producers.  Five additional presentations are planned before the 2015 maple season.

Objectives/Performance Targets

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

1. Four thousand maple producers learn about the project through an announcement distributed to members of producer organizations and forums in the project area, and receive a link to an online survey. Completed May 2014.
2. Fifteen hundred of these producers complete the online survey about their current practices and knowledge, and their intention to participate in the education program. Completed May 2014.
3. Nine hundred of these producers participate in the project’s education program by attending a local presentation, webinar, or viewing the presentation online, where they learn about the project and its performance target, the net profits gained through cleaning and replacement sanitation strategies, how to best implement these strategies in their operations, and other best practices for maximizing sap yields in their operations. Ongoing. Over 400 producers have attended presentations thus far in 2014. Anticipated completion Feb 2015.
4. Six hundred and seventy-five of these producers complete an online survey and communicate to the project team whether they intend to adopt a different sanitation practice; they also receive a data collection template, one-on-one assistance if needed, and a link to the online survey to be used after the production season for performance target verification. Ongoing. Anticipated completed Feb 2015.
5. Five hundred of these producers document their change in net profits following adoption of a more beneficial cleaning or replacement strategy by submitting completed verification information to the project team. Ongoing. Anticipated completion Sept 2016.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Results of the 2015 sugaring season research showed significant and differential effects of various cleaning, replacement, and combination strategies on sap yield and net profit.  In general, cleaning of dropline tubing and spouts produced some benefit in terms of increased sap yield, however due to the time (labor) required, and the requirement that the first sap run be discarded, net profit was lower.  Replacement strategies tended to yield the best outcomes in terms of sap produced and net profit.  A combination strategy (cleaning of droplines with replacement of spouts) generally produced a small amount of additional profit compared to replacement alone.  Across all treatments and both sites, cleaning produced an average estimated net profit of $0.89, whereas cleaning plus replacement had a estimated net profit of $1.28, while replacement ranged from a low of $2.22 for spout replacement to a high of $2.87 when using Check-valve spouts.  Replacement of droplines was intermediate with an estimated net profit of $2.61.  Results from the field studies during the 2015 season will be used to improve and confirm these estimates.

Cleaning efficacy was dependent upon both the mode of cleaning and the length of the sap flow season. Sucking in a small amount of cleaner through the dropline under vacuum had a much smaller effect on yield than did soaking the droplines and spouts in the sanitizing solution.  A longer season allowed the effects of sanitizer treatment to be more pronounced than a shorter season.

Our survey shows that maple producers currently use a wide variety of sanitization strategies, including both cleaning and replacement, and that there is considerable interest among producers to receive clear information on the most effective approaches to improving sanitation, yield, and net profits.  Our presentations are aimed at providing actionable information that maple producers can use improve yields and profitability in their operations. 

• Sap yield averaged across sanitation strategy for both research sites
• Net profit averaged by sanitation strategy across research sites

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