A system for installing continuous elongated tubular material (e.g. fiber optic cable) in the ground is provided. The system utilizes an agricultural tractor, preferably having rubber tires or tracks, to draw a plow for creating a trench in the ground in which to install the tubular material. The system is equipped with one or more of a specialized plow mount, an infinitely variable speed transmission on the tractor, a “power beyond” valve on the tractor and global positioning systems on the tractor and plow to more effectively install the tubular material in the ground.

A system for installation of continuous elongated tubular material in the ground involves: an agricultural tractor having a rear three-point tractor hitch, a rear drawbar and rotatable elastomeric ground-engaging interfaces; a plow mount comprising a front three-point mount hitch for connection to the rear three-point tractor hitch and a clamping connector for connection to the drawbar; and, a plow comprising a depth-adjustable blade, the plow mountable on the plow mount.

Land cultivating systems and methods utilizing high-pressure fluid jet cutting techniques are disclosed. An example system includes a mobile unit, a traveler arrangement operably coupled to the mobile unit to ride on the surface of stubble residues as the mobile unit moves across land to be cultivated, and a fluid jet cutting head supported by the traveler arrangement. The cutting head is configured to selectively discharge a high-pressure fluid jet to make a cut through the stubble residues and underlying soil as the mobile unit moves across the land. A soil opening device is provided to form a furrow in the ground in line with the cut made by the high-pressure fluid jet, and a liquid injector nozzle is provided to discharge fertilizer or other chemical(s) into the soil.

A method for ploughing a ground (120) using a plough device (100). A rotatable first plate-like cutting element (102) having a circumferential first cutting edge (103) is arranged on a support structure (101) and is designed such that when the support structure (101) is moved on the ground (120) along a ploughing direction (110), a side region (202) of a soil ridge (201) of the ground (120) is being cut by means of a first cutting region (104) of the first cutting edge (103). A second preferably disc-shaped cutting element (105) having a second cutting edge (106) is arranged on the support structure (101) and is designed such that when the support structure (101) is moved on the ground (120) along a ploughing direction (110), a base region (203) of a soil ridge (201) of the ground (120) is being cut by means of a second cutting region (118) of the second cutting edge (106), wherein the second cutting element (105) is arranged relative to the first cutting element (102) in the ploughing direction (110) such that the second cutting region (118) is arranged before the first cutting region (104) in the ploughing direction (110).

A method for ploughing a ground (120) using a plough device (100). A rotatable first plate-like cutting element (102) having a circumferential first cutting edge (103) is arranged on a support structure (101) and is designed such that when the support structure (101) is moved on the ground (120) along a ploughing direction (110), a side region (202) of a soil ridge (201) of the ground (120) is being cut by means of a first cutting region (104) of the first cutting edge (103). A second preferably disc-shaped cutting element (105) having a second cutting edge (106) is arranged on the support structure (101) and is designed such that when the support structure (101) is moved on the ground (120) along a ploughing direction (110), a base region (203) of a soil ridge (201) of the ground (120) is being cut by means of a second cutting region (118) of the second cutting edge (106), wherein the second cutting element (105) is arranged relative to the first cutting element (102) in the ploughing direction (110) such that the second cutting region (118) is arranged before the first cutting region (104) in the ploughing direction (110).

A residue detection and implement control system and method are disclosed for an agricultural implement. The system includes a source of environment data and image data of an imaged area of a crop field containing residue. The system includes a data store containing a plurality of image processing methods and at least one controller that processes the image data according to one or more image processing instruction sets. The controller selects one or more of the image processing methods based on the environment data, and processes the image data using the selected image processing instruction(s) to determine a value corresponding to residue coverage in the imaged area of the field. The controller adjusts the configuration of the agricultural implement to respond to the amount and type of residue detected.

Systems and methods for tracking missed tassels left by a detasseling machine. Rear-facing image data is captured by a camera positioned with a field of view behind the detasseling machine and image processing is applied to the rear-facing image data to quantity a missed tassel metric for a geospatial area. An indication of the missed tassel metric is displayed to an operator of the detasseling machine. In some implementations, the displayed indication of the missed tassel metric is updated in near real-time as the detasseling machine continue to operate in the crop field as an accumulated total missed tassel percentage for the entire crop field and/or as a missed tassel map indicating a percentage of missed tassels for each of a plurality of different geospatial sub-areas in the crop field.

In some implementations, an agricultural row unit assembly can include a pair of tine assemblies each having at least one tine mounted to a hub, said hub adapted to rotate about a first axis, where rotation of said pair of tine assemblies fractures soil and forms a pair of outer edges of a tilled row with a row width. In some embodiments, the device can include a rolling cultivator adapted to form a generally flat profile to said tilled row. In some embodiments, the device can include a seedbed cultivator adapted to work through said soil in the area defined by the row width. In some embodiments, the device can include a pair of gauge wheels fastened to each end of the shaft such that said gauge wheels are located outside said pair of outer edges of a tilled row.

In some implementations, an agricultural row unit assembly can include a pair of tine assemblies each having at least one tine mounted to a hub, said hub adapted to rotate about a first axis, where rotation of said pair of tine assemblies fractures soil and forms a pair of outer edges of a tilled row with a row width. In some embodiments, the device can include a rolling cultivator adapted to form a generally flat profile to said tilled row. In some embodiments, the device can include a seedbed cultivator adapted to work through said soil in the area defined by the row width. In some embodiments, the device can include a pair of gauge wheels fastened to each end of the shaft such that said gauge wheels are located outside said pair of outer edges of a tilled row.

An agricultural row unit assembly employs a pair of tine assemblies and a seedbed cultivator for soil preparation to enhance opportune planting.