Course on the design of efficient irrigation facilities in urban gardening

COURSE PRESENTATION

The content of this course focuses on the design and sizing of irrigation systems that optimize the use of water in public gardening spaces, such as parks, urban green areas and public spaces. It addresses the main calculation techniques, design and evaluation of pressurized irrigation systems, the principles of efficiency and sustainability in the context of urban gardening.

This course is aimed at both students and professionals working in urban areas, such as civil engineers, agricultural engineers and forestry engineers.

Throughout the course, students will acquire theoretical and practical knowledge to size irrigation systems for gardens. After some introductory chapters, important concepts are studied such as the calculation of the water needs of plants and the analysis of the role of the soil as a water reserve; the study and selection of the elements that make up the installation continues and, finally, the sizing of complete installations is carried out, always with a focus on the rational use of water.

COURSE ELIGIBLE FOR BONUS BY THE STATE FOUNDATION FOR EMPLOYMENT TRAINING

Complete the order contract that you will find in the attached documentation. Delivery date of the order contract: 02/05/2025. Cost of managing the bonus for COIAA: €30+VAT.

RECIPIENTS

Professionals whose field is urban space, such as civil engineers, agricultural and forestry engineers and students

GOALS

The aim of this course is for students to learn and assimilate the basic and practical knowledge to size garden irrigation systems.

The first step is to calculate the water needs of plants and the role of soil as a water reserve. The second is to study and select the elements that make up the installation and, finally, to design complete installations, always taking into account the rational use of water. In addition, several practical cases are solved for each topic.

CONTENTS

The course presented is structured in a progressive manner, addressing the fundamental topics of irrigation from basic concepts to technical design and automation, distributed in a total of 20 hours of theoretical and practical training. Its structure is detailed below:

• 1. INTRODUCTION: PREVIOUS CONDITIONS (2 hours) This initial module establishes the bases for understanding the factors that influence the solution of the design and management of irrigation systems, establishing an essential context for the following modules.
• 2. IRRIGATION SYSTEMS: INSTALLATION COMPONENTS (1.5 hours) Focuses on the basic elements of an irrigation system, providing a technical understanding of how the components work and interconnect.
• 3. WATER REQUIREMENTS OF PLANTS (2 hours) This covers the calculation of evapotranspiration and water requirements in different scenarios, including lawns and gardens, highlighting the concepts of net and gross irrigation requirements.
• 4. AGRONOMIC DESIGN FOR DRIP INSTALLATIONS (2 hours) This module delves into the design of drip irrigation systems, exploring aspects such as wetted surface, number of emitters, and irrigation parameters (dose, intervals, duration).
• 5. AGRONOMIC DESIGN FOR SPRAYING INSTALLATIONS (2 hours)   Key aspects of sprinkler irrigation are analyzed, including the placement of emitters, the impact of wind, and critical areas such as curved corners or sensitive zones.
• 6. CALCULATION OF PRECIPITATION FROM EMITTERS (2 hours) A technical module detailing how to calculate the precipitation from different emitters (drippers, diffusers, turbines, among others), providing practical tools to optimize the design.
• 7. SOIL WATER RESERVE (1.5 hours) This topic deals with the capacity of the soil to retain water, a crucial concept for irrigation planning and efficiency.
• 8. IRRIGATION PROGRAMMING AND AUTOMATION (1.5 hours)   This module teaches techniques for programming irrigation schedules according to different needs, including gardens and parks, considering the type of system and the water reserve in the soil.
• 9. BASIC CONCEPTS OF HYDRAULICS (1.5 hours) An introduction to the principles of hydraulics, essential to understand how pressures, elevations and head loss work in an irrigation system.
• 10. SOIL AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN IRRIGATION (1.5 hours) This module reinforces the connection between soil characteristics and efficient water management.
• 11. DRAINAGE (1 hour) The design and importance of drainage is addressed to avoid water accumulation problems and ensure effective irrigation.
• 12. HYDRAULIC INSTALLATION DESIGN (1.5 hours) The module ends with the hydraulic design, focusing on the sizing of sectors, solenoid valves and primary pipes.

In summary, the course is designed to provide comprehensive training on efficient irrigation systems in urban parks and gardens, combining theoretical aspects with practical and technical applications. It is ideal for professionals or students interested in the design of urban garden irrigation system installations.

METHODOLOGY

The course will include 12 live video conferences, scheduled over the course of 6 weeks, with two weekly sessions taking place on Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

These sessions will begin on February 12 and end on March 26, totaling 20 hours of videoconferences. All recordings of these sessions, along with the complementary material, will be available on the Moodle platform of the College of Agrónomos. It is estimated that students will need approximately 20 additional hours to review this material.

The videoconferences have been designed to provide a complete understanding of the design of irrigation systems, from the estimation of the water demand of each plant group to the selection of the components of an irrigation system that are capable of meeting that demand.

Individual queries can be resolved via email or through Zoom sessions, which allow screen sharing to facilitate the resolution of queries.

TITLE/CERTIFICATE

At the end of the course, students who pass the evaluations will receive a certificate of completion issued by the Andalusian Foundation of Agricultural Engineers.

ASSESSMENT

Final Questionnaire

COURSE ORGANIZER

Official College of Agricultural Engineers of Andalusia through the Andalusian Foundation of Agricultural Engineers

FACULTY

Mr. Fernando de la Casa Reina (Agricultural Engineer)

D. Cándido Crespo Gallardo (Graduate in Agricultural Engineering. Bachelor of Environmental Sciences)

PRICE

Members and students: €160

Non-member 220 €

Students must provide tuition for the 2024/2025 academic year

REGISTRATION PERIOD

28/11/2024 - 16/02/2025

DURATION

40 hours

PLACES

10 - 20