Soil use and management during the winter can affect soil physical properties, reminiscent straw and performance of the crop cultivated in succession. The effect of winter soil use on these variables, cultivating black bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris) under no tillage system in summer, was investigated. Three experiments were carried out in the North Plateau of Santa Catarina State, Brazil, during 2007/08 crop season, with five strategies of soil use during the winter: (1) multicropping with black oat+ryegrass+commom vetch+arrow leaf clover ( Trifolium vesiculosum) without grazing and N application (multicropping cover); (2) the same multicropping, with grazing and 100 kg N ha -1 application (pasture with N); (3) the same multicropping, with grazing and without N application (pasture without N); (4) oil seed radish, without grazing and N application (oil seed radish); and (5) natural vegetation, without grazing and N application (fallow). The highest straw dry mass was verified in multicropping cover, but the strategies of winter soil use did not affect significantly the soil bulk density and macroporosity. The soil use with winter annual pasture in crop-livestock system, cover crops and fallow did not affect the black bean performance in succession, under no tillage system.
