Thermal comfort of Nelore (Bos indicus) and Canchim (Bos taurus x Bos indicus) bulls kept in an integrated crop-livestock-forestry system in a tropical climate

CONTEXT Climate change presents challenges for livestock productivity and animal health. Thus, management strategies to mitigate the effects of the global temperature increase on livestock production have become progressively relevant. However, the use of integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems to optimize the beef cattle thermal balance has not been examined more deeply.OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to evaluate the microclimate in a non-shaded pasture system (NS) and in an integrated crop-livestock-forestry system (ICLF) and its influence on thermoregulatory and endocrine responses of zebu and composite bulls, during different climatic seasons. METHODS: The experiment was carried out in a tropical region, Sa & SIM;o Carlos-SP, Brazil (21 degrees 57 & PRIME;42 & DPRIME;S, 47 degrees 50 & PRIME;28 & DPRIME;W). Nelore (Bos indicus) and Canchim (5/8 Bos taurus x 3/8 Bos indicus) bulls were equally allocated in a non-shaded system (NS; n = 32) or in an integrated crop-livestock-forestry system (ICLF; n = 32). The animals were monthly evaluated and the data were analyzed using a GLM Model. Means were compared using Tukey test (P < 0.05). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The ICLF system reduced the air temperature (-0.6 C; P = 0.0010), the Black Globe Temperature and Humidity Index-BGHI (-3.8; P < 0.0001), and the Radiant Thermal Load (-104 W/m2; P < 0.0001) compared to the NS system. The infrared thermograms of NS bulls were characterized by higher temperatures on the surface of the back and in the trunk, during Autumn and Winter (P < 0.05). In addition, NS bulls presented higher respiratory rate (RR: 35.85 & PLUSMN; 0.88 vs 31.97 & PLUSMN; 0.88 breaths/min; P = 0.0210) and internal body temperature (BT: 39.54 & PLUSMN; 0.05 vs 39.35 & PLUSMN; 0.05 C; P = 0.0057) during Autumn. There was a significant reduction in cortisol concentration (-12.13 ng/mL; P < 0.05) in both systems throughout the experiment. Nelore bulls had lower RR and BT, lower mean concentration of cortisol, and higher secretion of triiodothyronine than Canchim bulls. The ICLF system was effective in mitigating the microclimate of pastures due to the action of natural shading, providing greater thermal comfort, especially for composite animals, and favored the maintenance of homeothermy in the bulls. thermoregulation of cattle raised in integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems. The insights gained from this