EPA to review M-44 predator poison (EPA): Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the agency will take a closer look at the use of sodium cyanide in spring-loaded M-44 devices, which are used to poison livestock predators, because of the risk it poses to birds and mammals attracted to the bait.
Nunes rebuttal: I am a farmer (Sacramento Bee): California Rep. Devin Nunes, accused of being a “fake farmer” during the 2018 election, reported for the first time in a decade that he owns a stake in a Tulare County farm, though it generates no income for him.
Cotton growers feel impact of trade war (KOLD-TV): Although growers in southern Arizona’s Pima County say they are cutting back on cotton plantings and looking for alternative crops because of the trade war, they also say the United States was right to challenge China’s trade practices.
Making fertilizer cheaper (SciDev.Net): Since affordability is the greatest barrier to the use of yield-enhancing fertilizers in developing nations, a team of researchers is suggesting offering subsidies to companies for developing lower-cost fertilizers, which would then be coupled with training on their efficient use.
Building the best butter cow (Washington Post): Butter sculpting may reflect “the impermanence of life,” says Sarah Pratt, sculptor of the “butter cow” at the Iowa State Fair, but years-old butter is the best for her work because it “is a lot more like clay.”