Anibal de Moraes

Tree integration into pasture systems modifies microclimatic and edaphic conditions that can influence forage dynamics, especially during the establishment of overseeding annual cool‐season forage species in subtropical regions. This study evaluated the agronomic performance of black oat ( Avena strigosa ), overseeded into a warm‐season perennial pasture under two contrasting conditions: open pasture and integrated with eucalyptus trees. The experiment was conducted over 2 years (2021–2022) within the eighth year of a long‐term protocol, where trees had reached a mature height capable of canopy‐induced environmental changes. Microenvironmental and soil‐related factors, such as changes in radiation, soil moisture and soil physical properties, were assessed to understand their influence on pasture establishment and growth. Tree presence reduced 50% intercepted photosynthetically active radiation and soil volumetric moisture by up to 13%. These environmental modifications led to a 29% reduction in plant establishment and a 39% decrease in forage accumulation in livestock‐forestry system. Although sward height was 23 cm and similar between systems, pasture integrated with trees exhibited lower forage density and supported 44% lower live weight gain per hectare. These findings provide evidence on the biophysical constraints of tree‐pasture interactions and emphasise the importance of considering tree‐induced modifications to soil and light conditions when implementing overseeding strategies in perennial pasture systems. Therefore, the integration of trees into livestock systems should not be discouraged; rather, tree spatial arrangement, row orientation and long‐term canopy management must be carefully planned to balance the environmental benefits of livestock‐forestry systems with sustained forage production and system productivity.

Background and aims: This study evaluated how increasing forage species diversity affects herbage and root mass, associated C and N accumulation, and soil particulate organic matter (POM). Methods: Over three years a field experiment compared a baseline system of warm-season perennial bahiagrass ( Paspalum notatum ) annually overseeded with black oat ( Avena strigosa ) to eight mixtures containing 3 to 6 species, including legumes and grasses, differing in seasonal growth (warm vs. cool season) and life cycle (annual vs. perennial). Added legumes included warm-season forage peanut ( Arachis pintoi ) and cool-season white clover ( Trifolium repens ), while added grasses included warm-season limpograss ( Hemarthria altissima ) and cool-season annual ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum ). Results: Increasing diversity from the two-species baseline to mixtures containing 3–6 species increased herbage accumulation, root mass and respective C and N accumulation under cool and warm seasons. The addition of legume species consistently increased herbage and root N accumulation. The addition of warm-season species increased annual herbage accumulation, while cool-season species increased both herbage and root mass during the cool-season. Only annual ryegrass contributed to greater soil POM-C and POM-N after three years. Conclusions: Increasing diversity in forage mixtures from two to 3 − 6 species had a positive effect on herbage, roots and C and N accumulation in a subtropical environment in Southern Brazil. The contribution of species varied depending on whether they were cool or warm-season species, or whether they belonged or not to the legume family. Selecting complementary species based on functional characteristics is therefore key to obtaining benefits from diverse forage swards.

Sward height is a practical indicator for defining management targets that reflect pasture structure. The complexity of integrated systems, including the coexistence of trees, crops, and livestock, can modify animal grazing distribution and microhabitat conditions, leading to different degrees of sward heterogeneity and botanical composition. This study investigated sward-height distribution and species composition in four systems: livestock (L), livestock–forestry (LF), crop–livestock (CL), and crop–livestock–forestry (CLF). Data were collected over two years in pastures of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.), Aries grass (Megathyrsus maximus cv. Aries), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), and other tropical grasses during summer, transition, and winter. Sward heights were classified into three categories (low, optimal, high) according to seasonal thresholds (winter: 30 cm; summer: 25 cm) and fitted to four probability distributions (normal, log-normal, Gamma, Weibull). Management based on target-height maintained 46% of observations within the optimal class, a satisfactory proportion for continuous stocking systems where structural heterogeneity is inherent. The CL system presented greater species diversity due to a higher frequency of Italian ryegrass and other grasses. Across systems and seasons, the Gamma distribution provided the best fit for sward-height frequencies. These findings offer a practical statistical tool for evaluating grazing management efficiency.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the external body surface temperature and the temperature and humidity index (ITU) of black and red coat cattle grazing in a comparison between pastoral and silvopastoral systems. To this end, six evaluations were carried out in two systems (with and without the presence of trees), at three different times of the day (8am, 11am and 2pm) in red and black coat animals. The body surface temperature of the steers was measured using a thermographic camera (FLIR C2®). ITU was calculated from the temperature and relative humidity obtained from automatic weather stations located in both systems. Body surface temperature was 2.7 oC lower in the silvopastoral system than in the pastoral system (P<0,05). Body surface temperatures at 11am and 2pm were 3.6 oC higher than at 8am. Body surface temperature was similar between the black and red coats. The ITU of the pastoral system was in danger, while the silvopastoral system remained at the critical level. For the average daily gain, no statistically significant differences were observed between the systems (P = 0.944). The presence of trees in pastoral systems is beneficial for thermal comfort, reducing heat stress and promoting animal welfare.

This study evaluated the effects of early potassium fertilization and integrated crop-livestock systems on forage production and soybean yields. The research was carried out in a randomized block design with four replications. The treatments consisted of a combination of two factors: animal grazing (without grazing and with grazing) and potassium application times (during the grazing phase and during the cultivation phase). The total production of dry matter (on average 9480 kg ha-1) and the residual forage mass of the pasture (6546 kg ha-1) was similar with the application of potassium in the pasture and in the grain phase. Residual forage mass was 5427 kg ha-1 lower with grazing, but this did not affect soybean yields. The potassium nutrition index of the pasture was on average 6% higher in the ungrazed area. After the end of the grazing phase and before the cultivation phase, the available K in the soil was 159.7 mg dm-3, similar between grazing and non-grazing. Grazing and the time of application did not alter soybean yields, which averaged 3305 kg ha-1. Potassium fertilization can be brought forward for hibernal pasture, guaranteeing forage production without reducing the yield of soybeans in succession, if the availability of K in the soil is above the critical level.

This study evaluated corn plantability in different agricultural/ crop-livestock systems. The experiment was conducted on a commercial farm in Candói. Paraná, Brazil. The soil was classed as Cambic Aluminic Oxysol. The area where the experiment took place was 24 hectares. The experimental design was of randomized blocks with three treatments: 1) Corn (Zea mays L.) that preceded the sowing of aruana grass (Megathyrsus maximus cv. Aruana) after winter grazing (ICLSaruana); 2) Corn sowed after winter grazing on a pasture composed by mixing rye (Secale cereale cv. Temprano), annual ryegrass (L. multiflorum cv. Ponteio), and prairie grass (Bromus catharticus) (ICLS); and 3) Corn sown after winter forages without animal grazing (CAS). The winter production cycle lasted 109 days for the levels ICLSaruana and ICLS, and 90 days for the level CAS. The occupation time length for the levels ICLSaruana and ICLS was 49 days with intermittent stocking rate. The average animal live body weight was 1,589 kg PV^-1 ha (3.5 UA ha^-1), and instantaneous stocking rate of 6,431 kg ha^-1 (13.9 UA ha^-1). Seventy three Aberdeen Angus cows (36 months old and 400 kg of initial bodyweight) were picked to graze the area. Sowing Aruana-Grass preceded corn sowing by a day, the seeder was equipped with double opener discs spaced 17 cm apart. Parameters evaluated related to corn plantability were: seeding depth, mobilized soil volume, furrow depth, plant distribution uniformity (acceptable spacing, failed or double), emergence rate and initial plant stand. No differences were observed (P > 0,05) amongst treatment levels for all varieties. The presence of grazing cattle, as well as anticipated aruana-grass sowing do not affect corn plantability.

Considering the increasing global population and demand for food, it is crucial to adopt agricultural practices that ensure both food security and environmental preservation. In this context, plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPM) and integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems (ICLF) have emerged as promising strategies for sustainable productive intensification. This research aimed to determine the effects of inoculating Azospirillum brasilense and Trichoderma asperellum on maize crops (Zea mays L.) grown in monocropping and ICLF systems. A complete randomized block design was performed in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement with three replications. The crop systems included maize monocrop (C), crop-livestock (CL), crop-forest (CF), and crop-livestock-forest (CLF). Concomitantly, the co-inoculation (A. brasilense + T. asperellum) was compared to the control management (with no PGPM). CL and C systems with co-inoculation showed the highest yields, while the CF and CLF systems, which include the arboreal component, showed lower yields because of tree shading. CL + co-inoculation treatment was the most significant with increases of 17.14% in shoot dry mass, 43% in 1000-grain weight, and 9.56% in yield (t ha-1) compared to the C + control treatment. Additionally, the CL + co-inoculation treatment overcame the CLF + control by 136.63% in yield. Results indicate that the PGPM co-inoculation in maize within the CL system is an effective strategy for optimizing crop production.

Microrganismos promotores de crescimento de plantas (MPCPs) têm surgido como alternativa promissora na busca por uma agricultura sustentável. Este estudo, de caráter teórico, baseou-se em levantamento bibliográfico de natureza exploratória e adotou uma abordagem qualitativa. Seu objetivo é fornecer informações abrangentes sobre os MPCPs, incluindo aspectos gerais, características principais, efeitos diretos e indiretos, com foco especial nos microrganismos Trichoderma e Azospirillum. Além disso, busca-se discutir os mecanismos de ação desses MPCPs, sua importância para a agricultura, o papel desses microrganismos na cultura do milho, sua aplicação em Sistemas Integrados de Produção Agropecuária (SIPA) e a prática da coinoculação. Os MPCPs têm demonstrado resultados positivos devido à sua interação específica com as plantas, promovendo ganhos produtivos em diversas culturas, com ênfase na coinoculação, que consiste na associação de dois ou mais MPCPs no intuito de proporcionar maiores benefícios às plantas do que a aplicação isolada do microrganismo. A cultura do milho pode se beneficiar e apresentar ganhos significativos em produtividade ao ser associada ao manejo conservacionista, com destaque para a implementação de SIPA e coinoculações com MPCPs.

ARCHIVES OF VETERINARY SCIENCE

Soil animal communities include more than 40 higher-order taxa, representing over 23% of all described species. These animals have a wide range of feeding sources and contribute to several important soil functions and ecosystem services. Although many studies have assessed macroinvertebrate communities in Brazil, few of them have been published in journals, and even fewer have made the data openly available for consultation and further use. As part of ongoing efforts to synthesize the global soil macrofauna communities, and to increase the amount of openly accessible data in GBIF and other repositories related to soil biodiversity, the present paper provides links to 29 soil macroinvertebrate datasets covering 42 soil fauna taxa, collected in various land use systems in Brazil. A total of 82,797 georeferenced occurrences of these taxa are presented, based on quantitative estimates performed using a standardize sampling method commonly adopted worldwide to collect soil macrofauna populations, i.e., the TSBF (Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme) protocol. This consists in digging soil monoliths of 25 x 25 cm area, with hansorting of the macroinvertebrates visible to the naked eye from the surface litter and from within the soil at depths of 10 to 40 cm). The land use systems included anthropogenic sites managed with agricultural systems (e.g., pastures, annual and perennial crops, agroforestry), as well as planted forests, and native vegetation located mostly in the Southern Brazilian state of Paraná (96 sites), with a few additional sites in the neighboring states of São Paulo (21 sites) and Santa Catarina (5 sites). Important metadata on soil properties, particularly soil chemical analyses (mainly pH, C, P, Ca, K, Mg, Al contents, Exchangeable acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, Base Saturation, and infrequently total N) and particle size distribution (mainly % sand, silt and clay, and infrequently soil moisture, bulk density), as well as on human management practices (land use and vegetation cover) are provided, in order to better estimate land use change impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Quantitative estimates are provided for 42 soil animal taxa, for two biodiversity hotspots: the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. Data are provided at the individual monolith level, representing sampling events ranging from February 2001 up to September 2016 in 122 sampling sites and over 1800 samples, for a total of 82,797 ocurrences.