Designing multi-crop systems for sweet success in maple sugarbushes

Researchers at Cornell in New York are creating diversified agroforestry systems that can take advantage of the understory in maple stands or sugarbushes. While maple sugaring is a popular and growing sector, adding crops that can thrive under the trees can create more diversified lines of value-added maple products.  

Over several years, multiple cultivars of 18 species of fruit- and nut-bearing perennial plants were tested. The best-performing plants under low intervention maintenance included pawpaw, hazelnut, Cornelian cherry, aronia berry and some serviceberry cultivars. Researchers also created and tested potential maple-related products. The most successful of these were a shelf-stable maple hazelnut spread and a maple elderberry wine. 

This project focused on building financially resilient food systems which bring economic opportunity to farmers and rural communities. 

Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station (Ithaca) | Project supported by McIntire-Stennis capacity funds.