A plow assembly for forming a trench within soil of a selected land area. The plow assembly has a blade element, a displacement element, and an attachment element that permits attachment of the plow assembly to a vehicle, such as a tractor. A first end of the displacement element is secured to a distal end of the blade element, and a second end of the displacement element is spaced from a rear edge of the blade element and connected to a pipe. The displacement element has a variable diameter that increases moving from the first end of the displacement element to the second end of the displacement element. As the plow assembly is advanced within soil, the cutting edge of the blade element cuts through the soil and the displacement element displaces the soil to form the trench and pulls the pipe into the trench as the trench is formed.

An in-ground wire installation tool including a body having a concave-shaped side with a pointed edge; an opposing side including a channel configured to dispense a wire, the concave-shaped side and the opposing side being connected via a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion including an attachment portion configured to house a shaft; and the bottom portion connecting the concave-shaped side and the channel, the bottom portion including a blade.

Methods, apparatus, and systems providing enhanced feed rate control of tubing and conduit feeds by a powered feeder to an in-ground placement device moved across the ground by a steerable vehicle. In one aspect, ground speed of the vehicle is sensed. Feed motor speed is correlated to length of tubing or conduit estimated to be fed per feed wheel revolution by the feed motor. A controller adjusts feed motor speed to match ground speed to feed rate. In another aspect, instead of estimating feed rate by feed wheel rotation, actual speed of movement of the tubing or conduit is sensed. Feed motor speed is automatically and dynamically adjusted to match ground speed to tubing or conduit speed. In either embodiment, sensing of ground speed can be used to sense starting and stopping of the vehicle. This can be used to turn the feed motor on or off. In either embodiment, integration with a precision agriculture intelligent controller can allow operator control right from the precision ag display.

A poly pipe installation device constructed from a frame supporting a trenching tool for making a trench with side berms, a pipe roll supporting axles for a poly pipe roll so that the roll can be unwound to place the poly pipe into the trench. The poly pipe roll unrolls the pipe past a guide and under a wheel to position the pipe in the trench where it then partially buried with dirt drug off of the berms with angled drag chains. The poly pipe roll being unrolled is one of up to four rolls that are supported off of a horizontal turntable rotates each roll into the unrolling position and that also supports and stores multiple pipe rolls so that long runs of pipe can be laid quickly.

A method and apparatus for installing a monitoring cable or other utility near an existing pipeline. An electromagnetic signal may be induced on the pipeline, either directly, or by transmitting a signal from a vehicle carrying a sensor array. The sensors disposed on the vehicle communicate with a processor to determine a distance and orientation of the vehicle relative to the pipeline. The signal may be electromagnetic, acoustic, capacitive, or the like. A plow or other digging tool may be on the vehicle or a secondary vehicle. Such a digging tool opens a trench and installs the cable along a path disposed next to the pipeline within an acceptable distance range from the pipeline. The vehicle may be remotely or automatically operated.

A sub-surface membrane deposition device including a movable frame, at least one chisel attached to the frame, hydraulics to raise and lower the at least one chisel from the frame, and a membrane deployable to a sub-surface level by the at least one chisel as the movable frame is moved. Also provided is a method of deposing a membrane to a sub-surface level that includes providing a movable frame, at least one chisel attached to the frame, hydraulics to raise and lower the at least one chisel from the frame, and a membrane. The method including lowering the at least one chisel with the hydraulics to the sub-surface level, moving the frame and at least one chisel forward, and deploying the membrane to the sub-surface level with the at least one chisel.

A sub-surface membrane deposition device including a movable frame, at least one chisel attached to the frame, hydraulics to raise and lower the at least one chisel from the frame, and a membrane deployable to a sub-surface level by the at least one chisel as the movable frame is moved. Also provided is a method of deposing a membrane to a sub-surface level that includes providing a movable frame, at least one chisel attached to the frame, hydraulics to raise and lower the at least one chisel from the frame, and a membrane. The method including lowering the at least one chisel with the hydraulics to the sub-surface level, moving the frame and at least one chisel forward, and deploying the membrane to the sub-surface level with the at least one chisel.

An in-ground wire installation tool including a body having a concave-shaped side with a pointed edge; an opposing side including a channel configured to dispense a wire, the concave-shaped side and the opposing side being connected via a top portion and a bottom portion, the top portion including an attachment portion configured to house a shaft; and the bottom portion connecting the concave-shaped side and the channel, the bottom portion including a blade.

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.