This study evaluated alterations in the physical properties water content, soil density and porosity in areas under no tillage and tillage systems in the cultures of soybean and maize in three agricultural years. The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Nucleus of Agricultural Engineering of Unioeste (Cascavel, state of Paraná). Soybean culture occurred in the first two years and in the third year maize, as summer crop, black oats and forage turnip as winter cover crops.. During these three years the study observed reduction of water content and soil density and increase of porosity . The variations as regards the physical properties of the soil showed direct proportional relation between water content and soil density and was in inverse proportion for soil porosity. The soil presented improvements on its physical conditions for the porosity increase and density reduction with the black oats and forage turnip crops and maize. The soybean/maize management in rotation with black oats and forage turnip showed more adequate in the improvement of the physical conditions of the soil as compared with the management systems, since neither of the systems had a major impact in the improvements of the physical properties evaluated throughout this whole period.
no-tillage; tillage; crop rotation