Soil tillage and crop systems have significant influence on the soil structure, affecting water and air flow. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects the management has on the soil properties of a Hapludox cultivated with maize intercropped with summer cover crops. Two experiments were carried out in Chapecó, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil under reduced tillage (RT) from 1993 to 1998 and conventional tillage (CT) from 1994 to 1998. Three cropping systems were evaluated under each tillage system: maize + Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea), maize + Stilozobiun niveun (mucuna) and maize in monoculture. For comparison purposes the soil of a adjacent native forest was also sampled. In comparison to the native forest, the tillage systems modified the soil structure by increasing the bulk density and penetration resistance and reducing macroporosity and total porosity. After five years of soil use, the reduced tillage with maize in monoculture had not recovered the properties of soil related to its structure while the use of intercropped maize-Stilozobiun niveun increased the soil macropores, total porosity and saturated hydraulic conductivity and reduced the bulk density. These improvements through the use of summer cover crops were not observed under conventional tillage. The use of intercropped systems improved the soil physical quality of this clayey Hapludox, especially due to the increase in crop residue inputs.
soil management; porosity; bulk density; soil physical quality
