Thermal comfort of female buffaloes in a silvipasture system in the eastern Amazon

Authors

  • Jamile Andréa Rodrigues da Silva Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia
  • Airton Alencar de Araújo Universidade Estadual do Ceará
  • José de Brito Lourenço Júnior Universidade Federal do Pará e Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia
  • Núbia de Fátima Alves dos Santos Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia
  • Alexandre Rossetto Garcia Embrapa Amazônia Oriental
  • Benjamim de Souza Nahúm Embrapa Amazônia Oriental

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-3921.pab2011.v46.8275

Keywords:

temeratura and humidity index, shading, bioclimatology, Bubalus bubalis, Racosperma mangium, physiology

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effects of a silvipasture system on the thermal comfort of 20 female buffaloes, from which 10 raised in under nonshaded paddocks (SS) and 10 in paddocks shaded by Racosperma mangium (CS), in Belém county, PA, Brazil. All animals were fed in pastures with Urochloa humidicola, and had free access to drinking water and mineral salt. Every three days, measurements were made for air temperature (TA), relative humidity (UR), black globe temperature (TGN), rectal temperature (TR), respiratory rate (FR), heart rate (FC), and body surface temperature (TSC), in the morning (7 AM) and in the afternoon (1 PM). The values of TR, TSC, RR and FR, mainly for the SS group, were higher in the afternoon. The TR, TSC and FR showed a significant and positive correlation with TA and the temperature and humidity index (ITGU), and a negative correlation with UR. These correlations were higher for the less rainy period. The FR showed significant and positive correlations with TA and ITGU, during both the most and the less rainy seasons, and negative correlations with UR only in the rainy season. The forestation of pasture areas is efficient to increase the thermal comfort for Murrah females, especially in the afternoon.

Author Biographies

Jamile Andréa Rodrigues da Silva, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia

http://lattes.cnpq.br/5317781427844577

Airton Alencar de Araújo, Universidade Estadual do Ceará

http://lattes.cnpq.br/3994555219091253

José de Brito Lourenço Júnior, Universidade Federal do Pará e Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia

http://lattes.cnpq.br/2919433679918544

Núbia de Fátima Alves dos Santos, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia

http://lattes.cnpq.br/3118031502586180

Alexandre Rossetto Garcia, Embrapa Amazônia Oriental

http://lattes.cnpq.br/2678267039338224

Benjamim de Souza Nahúm, Embrapa Amazônia Oriental

http://lattes.cnpq.br/3173178677912707

Published

2012-01-02

How to Cite

da Silva, J. A. R., de Araújo, A. A., Lourenço Júnior, J. de B., dos Santos, N. de F. A., Garcia, A. R., & Nahúm, B. de S. (2012). Thermal comfort of female buffaloes in a silvipasture system in the eastern Amazon. Pesquisa Agropecuaria Brasileira, 46(10), 1364–1371. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-3921.pab2011.v46.8275