Need a quick catch up on the news? Here are seven agricultural stories you might have missed this week.

1. The Obama Administration on Thursday launched a trade enforcement challenge against the Chinese government regarding the country's administration of tariff-rate quotas for rice, wheat and corn. – Farm Futures

2. A three-year Robot-Assisted Precision Irrigation and Diagnostics project at the University of California Merced is taking precision agriculture to a whole new level. – University of California

3. Updates to the Farmer Fair Practices Rules were announced Dec. 14. The American Farm Bureau Federation praised the rules, saying they were a positive step. The National Cattlemen's Beef Association, however, blasted the rules. – Farm Futures

4. The United Nations is encouraging investment in agricultural science and technology research to defeat hunger and poverty. A UN report this week said that if investment is not increased in agricultural research in Asia, it's unlikely efforts to achieve zero hunger will succeed. – United Nations News Centre

5. Archer Daniels Midland was fined $25,000 by the CME for improperly executing transactions in December 2014. – KTICRadio

6. An EPA report found scientific evidence that hydraulic fracturing activities can impact drinking water resources in some circumstances. – Farm Futures

7. Delaware's Ed Kee is retiring after eight years as Maryland's secretary of agriculture. Kee's agriculture career began on a Lewes, Delaware, farm. – American Agriculturist

And your bonus:

The speculation over the next secretary of agriculture continues with sources saying Idaho Gov. Butch Otter is being considered for the job. – Politico

Meanwhile, other sources are saying that North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat, is Trump's top choice to be the next agriculture secretary. – Yahoo Finance

Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is reflecting on his eight years at the helm of the agency. – Wallaces Farmer