This work was to create an assessment methodology of the global irrigation efficiency in systems with alfalfera valves. The purpose was to identify areas for improvement, from the time of extraction to the time of application to increase or maintain the potential efficiency of the system, and the optimal electromechanical efficiency of the pumping equipment. The methodology was based on the following procedure: 1) topographic survey of the area assessed, 2) water and soil sampling, 3) assessing the electromechanical efficiency, 4) gauging the irrigation system, 5)assessing the operation of the pond, and 6) evidence of irrigation progress per surface. An average value of global irrigation efficiency of 61.2 % was observed based on the evaluation of 1,792 hectares. An average value of 51 % was determined from a total of 58 pumps assessed regarding electromechanicalefficiency. These efficiencies can be increased by applying two improvement actions focusing mainly on monitoring land leveling and watering times according to the phenological stage of the crop. However, the training for the persons operating the irrigation systems is fundamental for these actions to be implemented properly.

Hydrological models are tools for making decisions about natural resource management, mainly in unguaged watersheds. In grassland areas, the manipulation of vegetation has a direct impact on the behavior of some hydrological variables such as surface runoff. Rainfall and hydrological information from a 46.8-ha watershed with livestock use in the State of Zacatecas was used to calibrate the WIN TR-55 model and evaluate the impact of different range condition scenarios (poor, medium and good) on surface runoff. Improving the range condition represents only 19 % of the calculated runoff going out of the watershed area, for the poor condition (<50 % plant cover).

he Manzanillo olive is the most important cultivar at the Caborca, Sonora region, and frequently it exhibits erratic productions. Hence, with the aim to offer another options to the local growers and growers from similar zones a trial was carried out to test the adaptative performance of six Italian olive cultivars. The cultivars are Grossa di Cassano, Leccino, Nocellara Messinesse, Nocellara del Belice, Coratina y Carolea; established at the Sitio Experimental Caborca; olive trees were five years-old, 8 x 8 m spaced and drip-irrigated. Trees have not exhibited fruit in previous years; olive pollen was artificially applied in this year. Fruit yield and quality was evaluated, as well as the blooming and harvest period. All the cultivars showed a good yield (20 - 41 kg·tree-1) representing from 3.1 - 6.4 t·ha-1, from which Grossa di Cassano and Coratina exhibited yield over 6 t·ha-1, while Leccino and Carolea were less productive with yield ranging between 3-4 t·ha-1. All the cultivars showedmedium-large fruit size, except Coratina. Also, all the cultivars exhibited a late blooming and harvestperiod for black-ripe fruit compared to Manzanillo.

Soil erosion is a natural phenomenon that agricultural activities accelerate. In Mexico, it is estimated that 29 to 97 % of the land has some degree of erosion, where the protective action of the soil vegetation cover is well known; however, for crops such as tequila agave or even corn or grass, the erosion process needs to be documented in time lapse when the soil is exposed to the erosive effect of rain or runoff. The objective of this study is to describe the erosion process in corn, grass, tequila agave and bare soil. We used field plots with corn, tequila agave, grass and bare soil, where soil loss (SL) was measured in five years. The results showed that the highest SL was in tequila agave and bare soil, whereas it was intermediate in corn and the lowest in grass. The SL in tequila agave followed the trend of rainfall events. The accumulated SL in corn is high only until the crop completely covers thesoil, while water erosion in grass was low in all the study years.

Climate change has affected vulnerable populations in Mexico and the world. Coping mechanisms used by populations affected by this phenomenon include migration to surrounding places or to the United States of America. The immigrant population is concentrated in big U.S. cities, where they live in slums lacking all basic services. Migration in Mexico is closely related to the origin of the people, their economic activity and vulnerability to extreme events.

In assessing extinction risk, the species must be considered as the core of the evaluation. There are a variety of methods for measuring biodiversity, but in Mexico official methods are used to determine the degree of deterioration that a species may have, or to establish the risk category to which taxonomic groups or species should belong. Specifically, regulatory appendix I of the document Nom-059-SEMARNAT-2010 sets out the method known as MER to determine the risk category for Mexican species.