Discover the latest updates on our research findings and news about tree syrup projects. You can browse, filter by category, or search by keywords.
Summary of what the team has been up to over the past three years. This article was first published in the TreeCropper magazine's Summer 2024 issue.
VIDEO: Research Summary - Dr Jamie Robinson summarises how the research team used different imaging techniques to examine plant anatomy and to examine if the experiment results support the hypothesised mechanisms for pressure development.
VIDEO: Landowner update - Tim Lee gives us a tour of his family’s 24-year old sugar maple trees, shows us the tree he taps for syrup, and shares the sugar maple seedlings and saplings he has grown from seed.
VIDEO: Landowner update - Anne Kane planted birch and red maple trees in 2023. In this video she explains how she became interested in maples, her journey and learnings, and plans for the future.
Maple sap was vacuum harvested from one of the coppiced trees in the test plantation near Hanmer Springs.
Find out more about this recently published journal paper: results support the hypothesis that an osmotic barrier exists between maple fibres and vessels.
Tim Lee shares an update on his 24-year-old trees and making syrup in Central Otago.
We’ve been monitoring two sugar maple test plantations in Canterbury for over two years. PhD student Matt Rennie provides an update on his observations to date.
Research updates, NZ plantation updates, and a Save-the-Date for our 2024 workshop.
Update 20th September 2024: Due to availability issues, we're changing the final workshop to pre-recorded presentations we'll put up on the website.
Progress and learnings: a 10 acre block + almost 500 maple trees.
Two papers were presented at the 2023 Sap Flow Conference.
Find out more about our recently published journal paper.
Cryo-SEM offers a useful technique for imaging the internal microstructures in saplings.
Some images collected of sugar maple physiology during a recent trip to the Australian Synchrotron.
Sharing tips and tricks from a landowners's experience recently planting 100 birch trees and 100 red maples.
In the media, a published paper, imaging live trees, and what's coming up.
Differences in sap composition makes the processing of birch sap similar, but different, to maple.
Making maple syrup requires removal of a lot of water, plus time and heating to caramelise the sugars and development both flavour and colour.
A media release from the University of Canterbury and an interview on Radio NZ
Highlights from our 2022 visit to the Australian Synchrotron, where we image the microstructure of live trees and cuttings.
A selection of the imaging techniques we are using in our research, and some examples of the images produced.
A 2D model shows how heat propagates in a sapling's stem, as measured by external sap flow sensors, after a heat pulse.
Find out more about our recently published a journal paper.
Exploring the published literature, stories and history to learn about uses for native plants.
A new plantation in Geraldine, site visits, and live telemetered weather data.
From North America - maple syrup production manuals and a useful YouTube Channel
Workshops and field trips in Rotorua in October 2023.
Invitation to the 2022 workshop, and links to our research.
Save the Date! Join us and share your ideas on how we can build a tree syrup industry in Aotearoa New Zealand.
We are investigating the potential of alternative tree species, a new horticultural approach, and novel harvesting techniques.
Where are the best locations for commercial production of maple syrup from a plantation of maple saplings?
Explaining common terms used in our research.
Read our first newsletter...
Introducing out first maple tree test plantation near Hanmer Springs.
Preliminary thinking on where the market for New Zealand-made maple syrup is, and who might benefit from this industry.
Looking for more information on our early research? Here's a list of early publications from our studies.
We will assemble an advanced observation-based sap flow model and determine the economic viability establishing a tree syrup industry in Aotearoa.
Our goal is to understand the effect of climate factors and pruning regimes on potential syrup production.
Using advanced imaging, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of sap exudation phenomena for both juvenile and mature trees.
A compilation of links to media articles and press releases related to the new research project.
