Spatial Distribution of Bedding Attributes in an Open Compost-Bedded Pack Barn System with Positive Pressure Ventilation in Brazilian Winter Conditions.

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.