Abstract
Improvements in animal husbandry environment have resulted in major benefits to dairy farming in tropical regions. The aim was to evaluate the effect of changes in sun/shade regimes—restricted shade (RSR), moderate shading (MSR), and intense shading (ISR)—on the behavior of crossbred dairy cows. Massai grass with eucalyptus trees were used in the system. The experiment was conducted at Brazil from 2017 to 2018. Eight dairy cows were observed in each regime over three days by seasons every 30 min from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The behavioral variables considered were localization, posture, and activity. Microclimatic variables were studied and hourly averages were calculated for seasons. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete blocks with split-plots; evaluation times were allocated to subplots and sequential days of analysis were considered replications in time. Multivariate analysis (principal component analysis) was performed using Excel. The results showed that the RSR had a higher proportion of idle cows, which was associated with a higher intensity of radiation (1.2 MJ m−2 h−1). The MSR and ISR differed in radiation levels by 17% and 58%, respectively. The opposite was true when shade was available, as cows performed activities such as grazing more frequently, mainly in the morning shift (difference of 20.7% in the RSR for the shade regime). The behavior of crossbred dairy cows subjected to climatic stress environments was benefitted from microclimatic conditions provided by trees. The provision at least moderate shade around the paddocks, alleviates the stress and regulates the vital activities of the animals.
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Source: Automatic meteorological station located in the experimental field of Embrapa Agrosilvopastoral in Sinop, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil
Source: adapted from Gabriel Faria—Embrapa Agrosilvopastoral
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Acknowledgements
The authors sincerely acknowledge by Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (Embrapa) for providing all facilities, the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel—Brazil (CAPES), and COOPERNOVA at Terra Nova do Norte, Mato Grosso state, Brazil, for funding.
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This Project received external funding by Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel—Brazil (CAPES)—Financing Code 001 and COOPERNOVA at Terra Nova do Norte, Mato Grosso state, Brazil.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by ABSM, CABC, RAC, DAM, IB and JL. The first draft of the manuscript was written by ABSM and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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da Silva Morenz, A.B., de Carvalho, C.A.B., Carnevalli, R.A. et al. Dairy cows on integrated livestock-forestry system in the tropics. Agroforest Syst (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-023-00883-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-023-00883-7