Clogging is a major constraint to the agricultural reuse of produced water; however, ultra-low-frequency dynamic electronic pulses (EPs) can help control biofouling in drip emitters. This study aimed to evaluate the reduction in clogging in non-self-compensating emitters applying onshore oil-and-gas-produced water treated with EP. Three experimental benches were assembled using drip irrigation units supplied with different water sources: water supply (WS), produced water with EP (OPW + EP), and produced water without treatment (OPW). Hydraulic performance was monitored every 40 h for 400 h using average flow rate variation (AFVR), flow variation coefficient (FVC), and distribution uniformity (UD) indices. Data were analyzed using RT-1 analysis with Bonferroni post hoc tests. Results showed that the interaction between water sources and evaluation times significantly (p ≤ 0.01) affected the hydraulic indices. After 400 h, the indices ranked as UD and FVC: WS > OPW + EP > OPW, and AFVR: OPW + EP = WS > OPW. Although OPW presented a low risk of clogging, the application of EP mitigated the obstruction and maintained higher uniformity by reducing clogging. These findings demonstrate that ultra-low-frequency electronic pulses are an innovative anti-clogging technology and provide insights for the sustainable application of produced water.

Estimating evapotranspiration is an excellent tool for developing studies and activities aimed at water use and water resource management projects, especially in regions of water scarcity. This work aimed to evaluate the performance of more simplified and practical methods for estimating evapotranspiration in different regions of the state of Rio Grande do Norte under different climatic conditions, using the Penman-Monteith-FAO56 method as a standard model. The methods tested were: Linacre (1993), Priestley-Taylor (1972), Souza-Silva (2022) and Solar Radiation. Climatological data from the microregions of Macau, Mossoró and Western Seridó were used from 2007 to 2019. The Linacre model (1993) presented the best performance in the regions evaluated and can be recommended in different climatic conditions of the year.

Diluted solar saltworks effluent, applied via fertigation, can contribute to circular economy strategies by recycling nutrients and reducing the environmental impact associated with the disposal of hypersaline effluents. However, its adoption in drip irrigation systems is still limited, as are its effects on emitter performance. This study investigated whether electronic pulses could mitigate emitter clogging by applying dilution of saltworks bittern. Three systems (freshwater + saltworks bittern + electronic pulses; freshwater without electronic pulses; and freshwater + saltworks bittern without electronic pulses) were evaluated in Mossoró, Brazil, using three emitter designs over 0–320 h. Water physicochemical properties and hydraulic performance were monitored, and deposits were characterized by SEM—EDS and FTIR. Electronic pulses did not change bulk water chemistry but were associated with lower total suspended solids. Clogging risk was mainly related to alkaline pH, high electrical conductivity, and elevated Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ concentrations, which kept effluent dilutions within a high-risk range. Untreated effluent reduced irrigation uniformity, whereas treated effluent performed similarly to supply water. Electronic pulses reduced deposit complexity and the severity of critical events but did not eliminate clogging, and responses dependent on the emitter labyrinth’s geometry.