FERRIDAY &8212; A convention and trade show for pecan lovers and farmers is set to begin today.

The Pecan Producers of Louisiana and the Mississippi Pecan Growers Association will co-host the event beginning at 10 a.m. at Bill Beasley&8217;s Pecan Orchard and Nursery in Ferriday. Establishing a Pecan Orchard, a free seminar offered by Charlie Graham and John Pyzner from the LSU Ag Center, will kick off the two-day event. Over 100 participants are registered for the convention.

Registration will be held from noon to 2 p.m. followed by the convention lasting until 6 p.m. The day&8217;s tours and exhibits will be followed by a barbecue dinner.

&8220;We will spend two days picking up a lot of knowledge from scientists and pecan growers to help improve yield and quality for nuts produced,&8221; Beasley said.

The show will offer pecan industry supplier equipment demonstrations, equipment sales and nursery and orchard tours given by scientists and growers.

Friday exhibits begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Comfort Suites in Vidalia followed by an 8 a.m. meeting including educational lectures on pecan topics. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture will be on hand to issue pesticide re-certification and the event will cost $25. The registration costs includes refreshments in the orchard, the dinner and a continental breakfast followed by a lunch buffet on Friday.

The meeting concludes after Friday&8217;s lunch with Ben Littlepage and his prediction for the 2006 crop, Beasley said.

Some of the speakers at the convention include scientists from LSU, Auburn and Mississippi State universities. For additional information contact Bill Beasley at 318-757-4307.