Thurston Manufacturing Co., producer of Blu-Jet fertilizer application and tillage equipment, announced that it's been working with American Farmer television series and will be featured in an upcoming episode.

The program is slated for fall 2011 and will be broadcast on the Discovery Channel. Specific dates and times are not yet scheduled.

The episode will concentrate on the role of precision agriculture within modern farming practices. Today's implements can inject nutrients near the root zone, cover wider swath widths, perform multiple operations in the same pass and leave residue on the surface nearly undisturbed.

These are all keys to maximizing yield while lowering costs associated with overapplication, runoff and unnecessary field passes.

Today's strip-till implements, for example, accomplish root-zone nutrient injection while preparing a narrow seedbed in an otherwise undisturbed field; this cuts both field passes and fertilizer rates versus traditional crop production practices.

Other implements, such as Blu-Jet's SubTiller 4, can be operated with almost no surface disturbance while alleviating compaction problems within the soil profile.

"As agriculture looks for better solutions to feed a growing population, advanced tillage and nutrient placement practices must be developed and perfected,” said Nick Jensen, chief marketing officer at Thurston Manufacturing. "Blu-Jet is on the front line, developing equipment that helps farmers raise yields, lower inputs and be better stewards of their land."

Blu-Jet offers other products that help farmers to reduce waste as well. It’s line of sidedress applicators allow farmers to split-apply nitrogen, which can reduce losses in the time between application and absorption.

"Precision agriculture is the future of farming. It is important for farmers to understand what options are available to them to help increase productivity and sustainability in their individual operations," said Adrien Aniceto, senior producer for the American Farmer series. "We are pleased to be partnering with Thurston Manufacturing Co. to share some of the innovative technologies offered by Blu-Jet."

About American Farmer: American Farmer's mission is to showcase the latest advancements in agriculture and farming. From seed to harvest to food production, their producers have traveled the country covering the people, places and issues impacting all areas of farm country. American Farmer is produced and distributed by DMG Productions. For more information visit: www.dmgproductions.org or call (866) 496-4065.