This work focuses on the situation of the technological transition to new technologies in drip irrigation in the Valencian Community (Spain). The study covers the last decade with data from interviews to managers of Irrigation Communities in 2010 and 2018. We analyze the main technological problems in seven topics: (i) Catchment & Pumping; (ii) Storage & Regulation; (iii) Treatment & Filtering; (iv) Transport & Distribution; (v) Maneuver, Regulation & Protection; (vi) Automation; (vii) Theft and Vandalism. We also have researched the influence of the performance of the Automation system, the presence of a technician in the Irrigation Community and the use of sensors or climatic data. Results show that problems related to technological maintenance of filtering systems or automation are very common and important and they are more important in large Irrigation Communities. We have also observed that mostly large ICs are using sensors or climatic data for their irrigation schedule. We can conclude that their current situation is focused in the daily maintenance of technological problems, inherited from the first modernization processes at the beginning of 21st century. Hence, they are far away from a second stage of modernization or the smart irrigation pushed by the new advances on technology.

Multioutlet hydrants as joint network infrastructure remain briefly addressed in the literature. Studies have always been limited to the individual treatment of the hydraulic components but not as a whole element. This study presents the main problems in the field of multioutlet hydrants within hydraulic infrastructure for pressure irrigation networks in Mediterranean agriculture. First, a field study with interviews was carried out in 30 water users associations (WUAs) between 2010 and 2018. Following this study, a laboratory test methodology was proposed to characterize this type of hydrant. Subsequently, four laboratory tests were performed on 12 multioutlet hydrants with different and common configurations found in irrigation networks: (i) head losses produced, (ii) global measurement precision in the multioutlet hydrant, (iii) blockage analysis in meters in vertical orientation, and (iv) hydrant behavior in response to hydraulic transients. The tests show that a horizontal configuration of the measuring elements with fewer than ten outlets and a suitable dimensioning of elements improve element maneuverability, instrument metrology, and irrigation emission uniformity. Finally, the importance of adequate design, dimensioning, and maintenance of the multioutlet hydrant devices is evidenced as a key point for the adequate management of collective pressure irrigation networks.

The cost-effectiveness of collective irrigation networks hinges on several factors, encompassing both construction and operational expenses. Optimizing these networks is crucial for the profitability of irrigation communities. Additionally, the placement of network elements on the irrigable surface significantly impacts future maintenance and repair costs. In conventional irrigation network sizing methods, only the optimization of pipe diameters is taken into account, leaving aside the rest of the factors. This study delves into the significance of factoring in the cost of multioutlet hydrants during network design and how their positioning affects the overall cost. Typically, the design phase overlooks this aspect, resulting in suboptimal placements that strain hydraulic capacity and neglect associated costs. To address this, the study proposes an optimization approach utilizing geographic information systems (GIS) and the greedy randomized adaptive search procedures (GRASP) algorithm. By determining the optimal location and number of multioutlet hydrants required, the methodology aims to enhance network efficiency, on the one hand, in hydraulic terms when considering the sizing of the multioutlet hydrant and in economic terms in reference to the cost of installation and subsequent maintenance. Comparative analysis with networks designed using conventional methods reveals significant improvements, with up to 31.1% more hydrants required and a 14.8% reduction in overall costs. By obtaining a greater number of multioutlet hydrants, both the diameter and the linear meters of connections to the plot to be drawn are considerably reduced, which greatly reduces land excavation. This underscores the importance of strategically siting multioutlet hydrants to minimize expenses associated with network elements like conduits and civil works. Ultimately, optimizing hydrant placement enhances service quality while simultaneously reducing operational costs, thus enhancing the sustainability of collective irrigation systems.

Laboratory practices in engineering education, and particularly first-year Physics laboratories, are traditionally considered a cornerstone for acquiring technical competencies. However, this study examines whether the correspondence between laboratory and theoretical-exam performance is uniform across student cohorts. We present a quantitative analysis of 477 student performance observations from the Universitat Politècnica de València across three degree programs with different aggregate admission profiles: Telecommunications Engineering (GITST), Agricultural Engineering (GIAMR), and Forestry Engineering (GIFMN). The methodology focuses on thematic course units designed under the established framework of constructive alignment, with GIAMR and GIFMN providing the closest within-study comparison because the same course is taught in both programs by the same teaching staff, with shared laboratory activities and procedures and jointly administered assessments. For GITST, only the laboratory and written partial-exam outcomes corresponding to the Magnetism and Induction thematic unit were analyzed, whereas GIAMR and GIFMN contributed separate assessment pairs for the two thematic units. GIAMR Partial 1 showed a positive association that reached the significance threshold under both Pearson’s chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests (OR = 2.53; Pearson $p=0.039$; Fisher $p=0.046$). GIAMR Partial 2, the GITST pairing, and GIFMN Partial 1 showed positive but non-significant associations, whereas GIFMN Partial 2 showed a pronounced inverse descriptive pattern that did not reach the significance threshold under Fisher’s exact test ($p=0.062$). In this study, “curricular decoupling” denotes a weakening or loss of correspondence between laboratory and theoretical-exam outcomes; the observational design does not establish that aggregate entry profiles caused the observed differences.