The wind has influence on sprinkler water distribution and it can make a given irrigation system inefficient. Under this circumstance, the use of mathematical models can ease evaluations of conventional sprinkler irrigation systems, even before they are set up in the field. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of the Richards & Weatherhead semi-empirical model using medium-sized sprinklers (Agropolo/NY and Naan/5024) under windy conditions. The Christiansen coefficient of uniformity (CUC) values, based on in-field sprinkler tests, were compared to simulated values, resulting in the following indices: (i) for individual solid set sprinkler system R²= 0.88, average absolute deviation (AAD) = 4.75%, and performance index (c) = 0.91; (ii) for block sprinkler system R²=078, AAD = 4.1%, and c = 0.76. These results emphasize the applicability of the Richards & Weatherhead model on water application uniformity prediction for conventional sprinkler systems operating with medium-sized sprinklers, reducing the efforts and the time required in field trials.
conventional sprinkler irrigation; semi-empirical model; in-field tests
