Fruticulture is a prominent component of Brazilian agriculture. Studies have shown that climatic variability and its impact on the physiological development of plant species are fundamental for planning the agricultural calendar, resource conservation, and sustainable management of production. In this context, one of the first criterion for planting a crop is agroclimatic zoning, since it provides information on climate-related risks and aids decision-making and agricultural planning. The objective of this study was to carry out climatic risk zoning for avocado (Persea americana Mill.) in the basin of Paraná River III, Paraná State, Brazil. Meteorological data from 43 stations, from 1976 to 2018, were used. The climatic risk analysis was based on the requirements of the avocado for precipitation, water balance, average annual temperature, and frost tolerance. Statistical and geoprocessing techniques ensured full regional coverage of data and contributed to decision-making. The results identified favorable climatic conditions for all climatic variables in the western part of the river basin. Despite water deficits in some months, rainfall and water balance were not restrictive for avocado production in the region. Avocado tree cultivation is not recommended in the eastern part of the basin, where there is a considerable risk of frost.

Thermal discomfort is one of the main causes of production losses in animals fully exposed to solar radiation under extensive livestock farming. The inclusion of trees in this farming system is the most efficient strategy to decrease the temperature and increase animal productivity without the need to explore new areas. In this context, the objective of this study was to characterize the microclimate in a silvopastoral system (SPS), a refuge area, and an open pasture, and evaluate thermal comfort and the ingestive behavior of animals under shade. The study was conducted at the Agronomic Institute of Paraná (IAPAR), located in Ibiporã, Paraná state, Brazil, in three areas with distinct management systems: a SPS of Eucalyptus grandis with Tifton 85 (Cynodon spp.), a woodland of Leucena leucocephala that provided shade to cattle, and a pasture in full sun (PFS). Automatic meteorological stations were installed in the SPS (one station beside the tree lines and the other in an average distance perpendicular to the rows), one in the refuge area, and one in the PFS. The measured variables were air temperature and relative humidity. The mean temperatures of the shaded treatments were compared to those of the PFS using a t-test. The mean values of the temperature and humidity index (THI) were calculated for each season of the year. The animal ingestion behavior in the SPS was analyzed in three typical days in different seasons of the year. Significant differences were observed between shade treatments and full-sun pasture, with a temperature decrease ranging from 0.4 to 1.6 °C in the shaded systems. The comparison of animal thermal comfort between the study areas in different seasons of the year indicated that there were no significant differences in thermal comfort between the SPS and refuge area relative to the PFS, suggesting a need to monitor the animals’ body temperature to better estimate thermal comfort. The evaluation of the ingestive behavior evidenced the animals’ preference to perform activities under tree shade and that the SPS led to changes in their food habits, optimizing grazing time. Therefore, the trees directly affected the microclimate of the studied environments, attenuating the temperature, protecting the animals against direct solar radiation, and providing better thermal comfort.

A phenomenon called thermal inversion, in which there is the accumulation of colder and denser air in the layers closer to the soil, occurs in radiative frost nights, resulting in a temperature gradient with differences between the meteorological screen and grass, which vary depending on cooling conditions. Knowing this temperature difference assists in taking preventive measures against radiative frosts, as well as in estimating the probability of their occurrences. In this context, this study aimed to verify the adjustment of different probability distributions to determine the differences between the minimum temperature measured in the meteorological screen and grass temperature below 0 °C for eight regions of the Paraná State, as well as the probability of occurring these differences and adjust estimation equations of grass temperature from minimum air temperature. Temperature differences between the screen and grass were calculated and probability distributions of their occurrences were adjusted in order to determine risks per intervals of temperature differences. Estimation equations of grass temperature were adjusted from minimum screen temperatures. Average gradients of minimum temperature were observed between the screen and grass ranging from 4.2 to 6.3 °C in the analyzed regions. The average temperature difference measured in the meteorological screen and grass for the Paraná State was 5 °C. The probabilistic model of normal distribution is the most suitable for determining the probability of occurring the differences between the screen and grass temperatures for the Paraná State. Regional relief and climate conditions influence the magnitude of the minimum temperature gradient measured in the meteorological screen and grass. Estimation equations can be useful to determine the grass temperature based on the minimum air temperature for periods in which there is no such data and thus provide a subsidy for studies of risk analysis of frosts. The results of this analysis are empirical and the equations should be used in regions in which they were adjusted aiming at a higher accuracy.