ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate the physiological variables of the cultivar Opuntia stricta (Haw.) Haw in the first cycle and in the regrowth, under different frequencies of drip irrigation, cultivated in the Agreste da Paraíba mesoregion. Therefore, a randomized block design was used, with 2 treatments (irrigation frequencies) and 4 replications (blocks), with each treatment repeated 3 times within the block (triplicate) totaling 24 experimental plots. For physiological variables, data were evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means compared by t test at 5% probability using SAS ® (2002). The present study shows that the stress of environmental conditions had a greater impact on the frequency of irrigation every 28 days, since the forage cactus irrigated every 7 days had the highest internal concentration of CO2; CO2 absorption rate; instant efficiency in water use; intrinsic efficiency of water use; instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, both in the first cycle and in the regrowth period. Respiratory rate and stomatal conductance did not differ between irrigation frequencies for both cycles, showing the good adaptation of the cultivar to the semiarid region.

ABSTRACT Based on the temperature and humidity index, for quails from the 3rd to the 5th week of life, in the dry period in Paraíba state, Brazil, the objective was to carry out a bioclimatic zoning, identifying as regions suitable for the reproduction of quails and, when necessary, mitigating measures for greater animal comfort. The bioclimatic zoning was carried out for the mesoregions of the state, the climatic data used are from meteorological stations in the period from 1961 - 2015, from them maps were elaborated with the spatial distribution of the index, identifying as regions with ideal thermal comfort conditions for the animals. For quails in the third week, the Agreste mesoregion presents the best situation in the dry season, not requiring corrective measures to maintain the comfort of these animals. In the fourth week of life of the quails, the mesoregions that would provide THI values within the ZCT in the dry period would be the Zona da Mata paraibana and Sertão, while the ZCT for quails in the fifth week of life, could be found throughout the state of Paraíba.

ABSTRACT. This study aimed to carry out bioclimatic zoning based on the historical series of climatic variables such as air temperature, maximum, minimum and relative humidity collected in six conventional meteorological stations in the state of Paraíba, Brazil and from this to determine whether or not the animals are in thermal comfort by comparing with the results obtained in scientific research in each mesoregion in the rainy and dry periods. Then based on this the comfort conditions for small ruminants in the rainy and dry seasons of the mesoregions of Paraíba were observed using data from the literature, and demonstrated in spatial distribution maps. The variables air temperatures, maximum and minimum and relative humidity varied throughout the state for the rainy season between 22 to 27, 18 to 21, 25 to 31ºC and 64 to 82%, respectively, and in dry season is 23 to 27, 28 to 35, 19 to 23ºC and 49 to 76%, respectively. However, it is concluded that raising sheep and goats is viable in all mesoregions of the state of Paraíba in both periods.