Sugar maple sap, soil, and foliar chemistry in response to non-industrial wood ash fertilizer in Muskoka, Ontario

Abstract

Non-industrial wood ash may be an effective forest soil nutrient supplement but its use in Canada is largely restricted because of unknown concentrations of trace metal contaminants. Sugar maple ( Acer saccharum Marshall) is particularly sensitive to low soil calcium (Ca) levels, and though maple syrup is of great economic importance in Canada, it is unknown how wood ash could affect sap chemistry. Non-industrial wood ash (NIWA; 6 Mg·ha−1) applied to experimental plots in Muskoka, Ontario was rich in Ca (27%), while metal concentrations were well below provincial regulatory limits. One-year post-application, significant increases were observed in the treated plots in the soil pH and base cations (Ca, K, and Mg) in the surface soil horizons, and metal concentrations in the litter. Sap yield in the control plots was significantly lower in the first-year post-application than in the second year, but no other differences were found. In both tapping years, sap sweetness remained similar and differences in nutrient and metal concentrations between treatments were generally small and inconsistent. Foliar chemistry remained largely unchanged 1 year following application, except for K that was twice as high in the treated plots. Ultimately, NIWA is unlikely to significantly alter sugar maple sap chemistry, indicating that it is a viable nutrient supplement that can enhance soil fertility in sugar bushes with no impact on sap sweetness.