In the summer of 2018, a large Canadian forestry company and a national research group used the DeLeaves tool to collect samples from five mature sugar maple plantations. This study took place in various location across the Quebec province. The objective of this research project was to demonstrate the impact of fertilization on the nutrient composition of collected samples.
The DeLeaves tool allowed our partners to collect samples among the treetops quickly while limiting costs. Those samples would have been inaccessible without our tool. With an average sampling time of 5 minutes, our tool has demonstrated its effectiveness!
The profitability of forest companies depends on the productivity of their land. Multiple research projects focus on accelerating tree growth using techniques such as fertilization and genetic selection. In both cases, treetop samples are essential. When trees reach 5 years of age, sampling with a pole pruner becomes more complex because of tree height. Our partners will write an article with this research project that allowed them to measure the impact of fertilization on mature maple plantations.