This study aims to verify that the equation proposed by Dexter et al. (2007) for calculating the soil resistance to penetration, based on the reciprocal of the S index and on effective stress is applicable to 'Cerrado' soils. Correlation was established between the calculated values and soil attributes and it was compared with critical values in the literature and field data. The study was conducted with 2242 soil samples of 'Cerrado' soils, which contained information on textural classification, bulk density and soil water retention. It was found that value of soil penetration resistance equal to or greater than 1900 kPa, determined at soil water content equivalent to field capacity, can be considered indicator of compacted soils and that the equation proposed by Dexter et al. (2007) to estimate the soil resistance to penetration is adequate for 'Cerrado' soils. However, it should be further tested to determine its predictive power.
soil compaction; bulk density; soil water content; soil texture
