Since being released 40 years ago, computer spreadsheets have proven to be worthwhile for use in educational contexts. There is plenty of evidence for this in practically every scientific discipline and engineering field. In view on this fact, the present work exposes a didactical resource, named the sprinkler irrigation tool, developed in Excel® spreadsheet licensed by 2018 Microsoft©. The objective of this tool is to offer an alternative to students in irrigation engineering, particularly for those training in the design of sprinkler irrigation systems so they can develop their theoretical knowledge and practical skills acquired in laboratory and field experiments. The main findings reported in this paper address well-agreed methodologies for evaluating radial patterns of precipitation rates, diameter distribution frequency, ballistic simulation of water drops’ movement through air, kinetic energy, and performance indicators as part of the core parameters of efficient irrigation system management. This computing tool provides outcomes in tabular and graphical formats that are consistent with those found in studies previously published in specialized literature on related topics. Likewise, spreadsheets have been proven to be adequate pedagogical instruments on the path to achieving meaningful learning; however, this assertion still needs to be confirmed through a rigorous study of students who have used the developed tool.

The complexity of assessing the irrigation performance of a solid-set sprinkler irrigation system implies analyzing factors of the sprinkler features, the spacing among sprinklers, the evaluation heights, the meteorological variables and the crop. In this research, a number of solid-set experiments with impact sprinklers were evaluated with different operating conditions and a number of models of irrigation uniformity (CUC) and losses due to drift and wind (WDEL) were assessed at different catch-can heights. Statistical analysis and predictive models were performed for each variable analyzed. The results showed that ND 5035 and SEN 4023 impact sprinklers that presented the lowest variability in water distributions patterns based on the standard deviations of the irrigation depth collected in the catch can (0.85 mm/h). These sprinklers had demonstrated the best CUC values (mean of 86%) with low WDEL averages (lower than 9%). Regarding the CUC analysis, there was a statistically significant difference in measuring the irrigation uniformity from 1 to 2 m catch-can height based on the analysis of 396 solid-set experiments of different research works. Future research could be focused on more experimental conditions analyzing the effects of the irrigation on the crop agronomic development and its yield.

Actualmente, el cambio climático representa uno de los problemas principales que enfrenta la agricultura. Esto repercutirá en el rendimiento y Uso Consuntivo (UC) de los cultivos. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este estudio fue estimar la demanda de agua de cultivos de interés en Zacatecas (frijol, maíz, alfalfa, chile y ajo) al considerar, escenarios climáticos 2050 y 2070, en los RPC 4.5 y 8.5, tomando como clima base del periodo 1981-2010. Para determinar el UC de los cultivos se utilizó el método de Hargreaves y se realizó un ajuste con el método de Penman-Monteith. Una vez obtenido el UC del clima base, un ensamble de 11 modelos de circulación general se utilizó para generar los escenarios climáticos. Los resultados indican que el UC del frijol, maíz, alfalfa, chile y ajo podría aumentar hasta 64.8, 78.3, 190.6, 73.2 y 50.2 mm, respectivamente, en el RCP 8.5 en 2070. Ello implica más demanda del recurso hídrico.