Chronicle Online e-News
Maple weekends could be two months earlier by 2080, say Cornell
researchers undertaking new study
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/March08/Maple.in.Jan
.kd.html
March 24, 2008
By Kara Dunn
cunews@cornell.edu
This year, Maple Weekend is March 29-30 since weather patterns are
providing good sap flow in the maple trees of northern New York. But
by 2080, sugarhouses in northern New York may be humming as early as
Jan. 29-30, according to climate change models that predict warmer
winters and more thaws.
To evaluate the effects of climate change on the industry, which adds
about $1.7 million to northern New York's economy each year, Brian F.
Chabot, director of Cornell's Maple Program, and Cornell's Uihlein
Maple Research Station Director Michael Farrell are launching a new
study with six maple producers.
"Long-term sap collection records on the trees at the Uihlein Forest
show that both the start and end of the sap season has moved about a
week earlier in the past 30 years with an overall loss of three to
four days of production," Farrell said.
Chabot, also a Cornell professor of ecology and evolutionary biology,
added, "Climate projection models suggest that the sap season with
the freeze-thaw conditions needed to make the sap run will continue
to advance. Winter as we now know it may be replaced by spring
beginning in early January."
Chabot's research indicates that the number of sap flow days in
winter/early spring could increase in some areas in northern New
York, while the sap flow days in most of the state will decrease. And
previous research in Vermont suggests that January-tapped trees will
perform as well or better than March-tapped trees.
Maple producers depend on enough freeze-thaw days in the six to 10
weeks after tapping their trees to collect sufficient sap to boil
into syrup and process into value-added products. It generally takes
40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup. Producers are
increasingly processing their syrup into value-added confections such
as maple candies, maple cream, granulated sugar, sauces and other
products.
"The decision on when to tap is critical," says Farrell. "If one
taps too early, the tapholes may dry up prematurely causing producers
to miss late season runs. However, delaying tapping until the
traditional time in late February/early March could result in
producers missing the early season runs."
The maple producers collaborating with Farrell and Chabot will help
the researchers determine the advantages and disadvantages of tapping
earlier and of staggering tapping as a risk management strategy. They
will tap 36 trees at several intervals and record sap flow, volume
and sugar concentration.
The research is funded by the Northern New York Agricultural
Development Program.
For information on Maple Weekends around New York state, see
<http://www.mapleweekend.com/locations.htm>.
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Kara Dunn is a freelance writer in Mannsville, N.Y.
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