Angélica Signor Mendes

Conforto térmico de bovinos leiteiros confinados em clima subtropical e mediterrâneo pela análise de parâmetros fisiológicos utilizando a teoria dos conjuntos fuzzy

The objective of this study was to model and evaluate, through fuzzy logic, the level of thermal comfort experienced by housed animals as a function of their physiologic variables of rectal temperature (RT) and breath rate (BR), and setting their critical thresholds. The database was setup using two distinct environments: Subtropical climate (Sao Pedro area, Brazil) and mediterranean climate (Evora area, Portugal). Holstein cows temperature and breath rates were obtained in order to build a physiologic parameters database. meteorological data of environment temperature and air relative humidity were obtained for physical analysis during a 24 hours interval every 30 minutes. Data minning techniques were used for the initial data analysis aiming to build a decision making three and the further construction of rule database. For that, the computational program WEKA® was used. The results obtained were applied for the fuzzy logic application, using the Fuzzy Logic Toolbox do MATLAB® 6.1 software, according to AMENDOLA et al. (2005b). The use of this tool allowed the establishment of thermal comfort parameters for total confined Holsteins cows.

Desempenho de cultivares de soja em função do tamanho das sementes

Soybean cultivation because of its importance in global agribusiness, has been the target of much agronomic research. This study compared the performance of seed produced from lots of different seed sizes, during the 2006/2007 growing season. Three cultivars were used and the seed size was standardized with sieves of 5.5 and 6.5mm The experiment was carried out in the experimental area of the Federal Technological University of Parana, Pato Branco campus. After harvest, the following were evaluated : cultivar productivity, weight of a thousand seeds, number of pods per plant and number of seeds per pod. The results showed that the size of seeds used in planting did not affect the productivity of the soybean varieties studied.

Performance and Preference of Broiler Chickens under Different Light Sources

The present study evaluated the preference and the production performance of broiler chickens exposed to different lighting sources. The first portion of this study evaluated bird preference to white and yellow lighting provided by Light-Emitting Diodes (LED). Bird preference was assessed through images recorded during the experiment. The second portion of this study evaluated the performance of broiler chickens under the exposure of Light –Emitting Diodes and Compact Fluorescent bulbs. Performance was assessed in terms of mortality rate, bird weight, weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion.

Temperaturas de acionamento de sistemas de climatização para perus em épocas de baixa umidade relativa do ar

Este estudo teve o objetivo de avaliar distintos programas de acionamento dos sistemas de climatizacao (ventiladores e nebulizadores), visando a aprimorar o ambiente interno e o bemestar das aves, evitando possiveis perdas produtivas e gastos excessivos em energia eletrica. O estudo foi conduzido em dois aviarios localizados no municipio de Uberlândia - MG, durante a epoca de baixa umidade relativa do ar (junho a dezembro). Os aviarios foram comparados sob os parâmetros de concentracoes de CO2, temperatura e umidade relativa do ar, temperatura superficial da cama e indices produtivos. Os dados climaticos foram submetidos a analise de variância, e os dados produtivos submetidos ao teste de Qui-quadrado, utilizando-se do software MINITAB V.14. Os resultados apontados pelos tratamentos 1 e 2 mostraram que as concentracoes de CO2 no ar (372,70 e 379,46 ppm, respectivamente) estiveram abaixo dos limites maximos recomendados internacionalmente para ambos os sistemas. As temperaturas internas (26,23 e 26,56 oC, respectivamente) estiveram sempre acima do recomendado para as aves, e os niveis de umidade relativa do ar (69,73 e 70,42, respectivamente) estiveram, em media, na faixa recomendada, para ambos os sistemas. Conclui-se que o aviario programado para acionar o sistema de climatizacao mais tardiamente consumiu menos energia eletrica, apresentou melhor conversao alimentar, menor incidencia de artrite, porem maior percentual de mortalidade.

Bioclimatic Patterns within Tom Turkey Housing

The turkey productive chain has become competitive and highly specialized in the recent years. Desiring to achieve thermal and environmental equilibrium, a joint action of variables including the concentration of CO2, environment temperature and air relative humidity (RH) was evaluated. This study aimed to map the behavior of these variables along the poultry house interior in order to analyze the magnitude and homogeneity facing two different ventilation systems (A1 = poultry house with minimum negative ventilation and A2 = poultry house with minimum positive ventilation). Minimum negative ventilation means that fans on the roof worked to exhaust air, while minimum positive ventilation means that the fans directed the air into the poultry house. In the winter of 2007, two commercial turkey houses of initial production stage were used. The poultry house was located at Francisco Beltrao city. The data were submitted to an analysis of variance. It was concluded that the minimum positive ventilation system (which injects the air into the house) provided a better thermal environment to the birds: there were similar concentrations of CO2, higher environment temperature (not so much heat loss to the external environment and no need for supplemental heat), and lower internal RH (due to the highest internal temperatures and the highest air movement).