Dicamba training will once again be required for anyone applying the product in 2020. (FarmWeekNow)

Too much salt isn’t only bad for our bodies, it’s bad for our crops, which don’t grow well in highly saline soil. But MIT engineers may have found a way to do so. They’ve developed a protective coating made of silk, sugar, and bacteria that could help seeds grow in soil that is currently unsuitable for agriculture. (Fast Company)  

Go ahead and rinse your cranberries, potatoes and green beans. But food experts say don’t – repeat don’t – wash the turkey before popping it in the oven on Thanksgiving Day. (Associated Press)

With $767 million in payments, Iowa farmers are the biggest beneficiaries so far of President Donald Trump’s second aid package for U.S. farmers, meant to offset damage from ongoing trade disputes with China and other countries. (Des Moines Register)  

House democrats and the trump administration have worked out their issues on USMCA — they’re just waiting to see the final deal on paper, says speaker Nancy Pelosi. But even with an agreement, there’s still little time left for congress to ratify the trade pact this year. (Politico)

An ambitious “phase two” trade deal between the United States and China is looking less likely as the two countries struggle to strike a preliminary “phase one” agreement, according to U.S. and Beijing officials, lawmakers and trade experts. (Reuters)