This site contains information pertaining to the demonstration network established with the financial assistance of the Testing, Experimenting and Technological Transfer in Forestry program (TETTF) sponsored by the Canadian Forest Service, Laurentian Forestry Centre. The object of this federal program, funded under the Canada-Quebec Subsidiary Agreement on the Economic Development of the Regions of Quebec, was to support the sustainable development of the forest sector in Quebec's resource regions of Eastern Quebec, North central Quebec, Western Quebec, as well as the North Shore.

CERFO (Centre d'enseignement et de recherche en foresterie de Ste-Foy inc.), a forestry teaching and research organization, acted as project promotor under the direction of Serge Leblanc, F. Eng. assisted by Donald Blouin, F.Eng., M.Sc. The TETTF program officer was Claude Aerni, B.Sc.F.

Jean Beaulieu,F. Eng., Ph.D. and Gaétan Daoust, F. Eng., of the Tree Biotechnology and Advanced Genetics Network of Natural Resources Canada, were serving as scientific advisers, with the collaboration of the Tree Breeding Service researchers of the Ministère des Ressources Naturelles du Québec (Quebec Department of Natural Resources).

In Quebec, since the late 1960s, the Natural Resources departments of both Canada and Quebec have devoted much energy to the genetic improvement of trees. The network was set up to demonstrate the growth and quality gains of genetically improved seed sources recommended for reforestation in comparison with local or poor quality seed sources.

To this end, a series of demonstration plantations each covering from 1 to 3 ha and containing seedlings of various origins has been established across the province.

The diagram below illustrates the expected gains according to the different stages of the genetic improvement projects.