Structural changes caused by management systems to soil can result in compaction and may change crop root development. With the aim to evaluate the effects of the farming systems on the soil structure by qualitative (cultural profile) and quantitative (soil density) methodologies, a field study was carried out in Maringa, state of Parana, Brazil (23degrees29?S, 51degrees59?W). A conventional tillage system with crop succession of corn ( Zea mays L.) and soybean ( Glycine max) and a no-till system with crop rotation of wheat ( Triticum spp.), corn ( Zea mays L.), common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris), black oats ( Avena strigosa), and soybean ( Glycine max) established for more than 20 years were evaluated. An area under natural forest near the experimental field was evaluated as reference. After the description of the cultural (soil) profile, deformed samples were collected from the homogeneous soil volumes: two samples under forest, two samples in the no-till system and three samples in the conventional system. The physical and morphologic analyses of the soil structures of the layers 0-20 and 20-40 cm showed: (a) the two different tillage system promoted distinct depths of anthropic horizons; (b) the soil structure affected root distribution; (c) soil compaction under conventional system occurred in vertical and horizontal directions (d) soil structure was best under the no-till system; (e) the cultural profile methodology is efficient in soil morphology evaluations.
