Ítalo Emannuel dos Anjos Santos

The acclimatization of packing houses is essential for human well-being, and, as it is a production environment, it is desirable that environmental variables are homogeneous. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the environment in the selection and packaging area of a climate-controlled grape packing house with an evaporative cooling system, characterizing the spatial thermal variability and identifying critical control points. The climatic variables temperature, relative humidity and wind speed were analyzed, at 10:00, 13:00 and 15:00 h during the dry and rainy seasons. Two treatments were evaluated: with evaporative coolers switched on and switched off. The spatial distribution of the variables was mapped by kriging. The evaporative cooling system improved the thermal conditions in the selection and packaging area of the packing house but did not ensure homogenization. Critical points were identified at the beginning of the processing line, in a region further away from the coolers. The use of geostatistics and kriging maps made it possible to identify the spatial variability of climatic attributes and localize problematic regions, which allowed targeted corrections to be made to the factors that compromise human thermal comfort.

Agribusiness workers are regularly exposed to high temperatures, even in covered environments such as packing houses. This study aimed to assess the effect of evaporative coolers on reducing occupational heat exposure for workers and consequently improving the thermal comfort of the selection and packaging areas in a table grape packing house. The evaluation was conducted as per the criteria of the Brazilian legislation, based on the Regulatory Norms (NR’s) 15 and 17 of the Department of Labor. The study was conducted during two climatic production periods, dry and rainy, with the evaporative coolers on and off. With the coolers on, the workers’ occupational exposure to heat was reduced without exceeding the wet bulb globe temperature index tolerance limit for the activities carried out according to the NR 15. However, it did not provide adequate thermal comfort indices according to NR 17. Under semiarid conditions, coolers rendered the environment thermally comfortable for local workers. To reduce the risks to workers’ health, it is suggested that they take breaks in case of discomfort from the heat and provide workers with water and mineral salts to replenish sweat loss.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a acurácia posicional planimétrica de um ortomosaico confeccionado com imagens obtidas a partir de uma aeronave remotamente pilotada. Para isto, foram georreferenciados 65 pontos de verificação através de um levantamento geodésico utilizando receptores GNSS em uma área de 4,9 ha. Em seguida foi realizado um levantamento aerofotogramétrico com uma aeronave remotamente pilotada, com dez pontos de controle para o georreferenciamento das imagens. O processamento digital das imagens foi realizado através da técnica SFM – Structure from motion, tendo como produto o ortomosaico georreferenciado. Após a confecção do ortomosaico, foi realizada a extração de coordenadas geográficas para determinar as discrepâncias posicionais horizontais entre os pontos de verificação foto-identificáveis e seus homólogos extraídos do ortomosaico. O ortomosaico confeccionado foi avaliado conforme os critérios estabelecidos pelo decreto-lei nº 89.817/1984 e Norma de Execução INCRA/DF/ Nº 02/2018. Apesar de não atender aos critérios impostos pelo INCRA para ser utilizada no georreferenciamento de imóveis rurais, o ortomosaico gerado apresentou alta precisão posicional planimétrica, com valores de discrepância médios em torno de 0,121 m dos pontos de verificação, sendo enquadrada na Classe A do Padrão de Exatidão Cartográfica (PEC-PCD) para a escala de 1:1.000, mostrando grande potencial de uso em levantamentos cadastrais.

Dentre os elementos climáticos a precipitação destaca-se como um dos mais importantes para os estudos climáticos, em virtude da sua variabilidade espaço-temporal e consequente impactos nos setores produtivos econômico, social e ambiental de uma região. Com isto, o objetivo desse estudo foi caracterizar os perfis da precipitação e, por meio da técnica de Quantis, demostrar a variabilidade temporal dos balanços hídricos climatológicos para a microrregião do Alto Médio Gurguéia, Piauí, assim como verificar a dependência da produtividade agrícola com as precipitações da respectiva localidade. Foram utilizados dados de precipitação e temperatura do ar de 1986 a 2018 registrados em uma estação convencional localizada na microrregião do Alto Médio Gurguéia-PI. O perfil histórico foi classificado através da técnica quantílica. Em seguida os anos foram agrupados de acordo com o regime pluviométrico para estimativa da disponibilidade hídrica, e posterior comparação com os dados de produtividade para as culturas de arroz, feijão, milho e soja. A microrregião estudada apresenta uma precipitação média de 1007,5 mm no ano agrícola, com anos muito secos com valores abaixo de 817,45 mm, e anos muito chuvosos com valores acima de 1224,18 mm. O balanço hídrico da região demonstra que o período de menor e maior disponibilidade hídrica se apresentam entre os meses de maio a outubro, e novembro a abril, respectivamente. Verificou-se que há tendência à redução da produtividade de arroz, feijão, milho e soja em anos agrícolas classificados como muito seco e seco, bem como um aumento em anos agrícolas classificados como chuvoso e muito chuvoso.

Although precooling by forced air is widely used to remove field heat from fresh table grapes, there is no knowledge about its use and efficiency. Factors influencing the process include temperature and relative air humidity, amount and initial temperature of the fruits, air velocity, and packaging. The objective of this study was to evaluate the cooling effect and efficiency of forced air cooling on table grapes in two types of packages. The experimental method used randomized blocks, in a 2 × 3 factorials, corresponding to two package types (polystyrene and cardboard) and three heights on the pallet - lower, middle, and upper - with four replicates. The temperature gradient in the direction of the airflow was evaluated. There was heterogeneity in cooling, both vertically and horizontally, on the pallets with a central heat zone for both the directions. None of the packages was suitable for fast cooling as both types of packages showed a cooling time of 15.5 h; moreover, relative humidity values were far below the ideal value for table grapes.

Free-range broiler producers are concerned with the thermal environment and lighting of their facilities and seek to improve these factors for the increased welfare of their broilers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatialization of illuminance and enthalpy in two free-range broiler sheds, one of masonry with a clay tile roof and the other built of wood with a straw roof. The data on air temperature, relative air humidity, and illuminance were recorded between September and October 2018 for five non-consecutive weeks in two periods during the day: morning (9 hours) and afternoon (15 hours). The data were collected at 42 points per shed, spaced 0.40 × 0.75 m. The experimental design was completely randomized in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme, considering two periods and two sheds. Spatial dependence was evaluated using geostatistics and interpolation maps by kriging. The facilities presented strong or moderate spatial dependence for all observed variables and periods. The small edges and lack of management of curtains resulted in the masonry shed having higher illuminance values during both periods. Although it did not present ideal values for a comfortable environment, the wood shed was more thermally efficient.