The objective of this study was to characterize the dependence and spatial distribution of bedding attributes in an open compost-bedded pack barn (CBP) system with positive pressure ventilation during the winter period in Brazil. The study was conducted in July 2021, in the Zona da Mata region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The bedding area (shavings and wood sawdust) was divided into a mesh with 44 equidistant points. At each point, the bedding temperature at the surface (t_B-sur) and at a depth of 0.2 m (t_B-20) and the air velocity at bedding level (v_air,B) were measured, and bedding samples were collected. The bedding samples were used to determine the moisture level and pH at the surface (M_B-sur e pH_B-sur) and at a depth of 0.2 m (M_B-20 and pH_B-20). The spatial behavior of the variables was evaluated using geostatistics techniques. For all variables, the occurrence of strong spatial dependence was verified. Through the maps, it was observed that t_B-sur, t_B-20, M_B-sur, M_B-20, and v_air,B showed high spatial variability, whereas pH_B-sur and pH_B-20 demonstrated low variation. On the surface, values of t_B-sur < 20 °C and M_B-sur > 60% were observed. At the subsurface, there was a predominance of t_B-20 < 40 °C, M_B-20 > 60%, and pH > 9, which are indications of low bedding composting activity.

In Compost-Bedded Pack Barn (CBP) systems, air velocity is linked with the thermal comfort of housed dairy cattle and bedding quality and, therefore, assessing ventilation efficiency is essential. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate and characterize dependence and spatial distribution of air velocity at the 1.5 m height (v_air,_M) and at bedding level (v_air,_B) in an open CBP system with positive pressure ventilation. The study was conducted in 2021, in a facility located in the Zona da Mata region, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The facility area was divided into a mesh composed of 55 equidistant points, where v_air,_M and v_air,_B data were collected in the morning (09:00 a.m.) and afternoon (03:00 p.m.) periods, during three weeks in Brazilian winter. Geostatistics techniques were used to assess dependence and spatial distribution. In both periods evaluated, there were a strong occurrence of spatial dependence and non-uniform v_air,_M and v_air,_B distributions. The v_air,_M and v_air,_B values were lower than recommended (1.8 m∙s–¹) in more than 65.0% of the area. Adequate ventilation levels were observed only in the first 20.0 m of the facility, from Southeast to Northwest, because of the fan lines present.

Coffee production in mountainous regions faces significant challenges to mechanization, particularly in management and fertilization. Fertilizer application remains largely manual, reducing accuracy and failing to meet the demands of variable-rate application (VRA). This study developed a portable VRA fertilizer applicator with an embedded electronic control system. The innovation lies in its electrically driven metering mechanism integrated with an electronic control unit (ECU), enabling site-specific fertilization based on prescription maps or predefined rates while recording application coordinates. The mechanism was tested under laboratory and field conditions, evaluating its performance across four fertilizer types, varying inclination angles, and rotational speeds. Results showed a coefficient variation of 0.41% for doses above 24 g, demonstrating high consistency irrespective of fertilizer type or terrain slope. Field tests using potassium chloride (KCl) prescriptions (55, 123, and 185 g/plant; 220, 492, and 740 kg/ha) revealed minimal deviations, with the largest at 22.72 g and the smallest at 0.384 g. These findings demonstrate the applicator’s precision and efficiency, addressing the challenges of mountainous terrains. This system provides technological advancement for sustainable coffee production, enhancing resource optimization and supporting precision agriculture in challenging environments.