ASHS 2025 Conference

Consumers increasingly demand locally sourced agricultural products and are willing to pay premium prices for novel and unique offerings. Maple syrup is a significant agricultural commodity in the United States, with a total market value of $158.67 million in 2023 and 5.86 million gallons produced in 2024 (USDA NASS, 2024). However, annual maple syrup production timing and yields vary widely by year and region, largely depending on climatic conditions. Expanding maple syrup production to western states could help meet the growing demand while providing additional income for landowners in areas where maple resources have not traditionally been utilized. Boxelder (Acer negundo) is native to the Intermountain West, while Norway maple (Acer platanoides) and other non-native maple species are common in urban and suburban areas of the region. Despite this, limited research has assessed the potential of these species for syrup production, highlighting the need for further study to support this emerging industry. On 10 Feb 2022, 11 Mar 2023, 4 Feb 2024, sap collection bags (18.93 L) were installed for tapping 20 boxelder (diameter at breast height (DBH) = 26.2 ± 3.7 cm) and 20 Norway maple (DBH = 29.5 ± 5.8 cm) trees in Missoula, MT. Sap was collected regularly to determine the yield for each tree from 11 Feb to 24 Mar 2022; 12 Mar to 9 Apr 2023; 5 Feb to 17 Mar 2024. Linear regressions were used to analyze cumulative sap yield over time, comparing data from the two maple species across three years. Maple trees exhibited varying sap yields across different years. In Missoula, MT, boxelder trees had seasonal sap yields of 9.21, 18.86, and 16.81 L during the 42-, 29-, and 42-day tapping periods, respectively. Norway maple trees produced seasonal sap yields of 28.38, 15.45, and 30.15 L during the 42-, 29-, and 42-day tapping periods, respectively. Boxelder trees yielded significantly more sap per day in 2023 compared with 2022, whereas Norway maple trees maintained relatively consistent daily sap yields across three years. Montana Mapleworks, the only commercially licensed maple syrup producer in the Intermountain West, produced 30, 20, 55, and 55 gallons of maple syrup in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, respectively.