The aim of this work was to determine the differences and changes of agro-physical properties in the arable layer of the Endocalcari-Epihypogleyic Cambisol (clay loam and sandy clay loam) under different soil management systems and to determine the agro-physical soil quality according to the Amacher, O’Neill and Perry scheme. It was revealed that the optimal bulk density within the ploughed soil layer was ensured by applying a conventional tillage system. The appropriate bulk density under direct drilling was determined in the 0–10 cm layer only. In the 10–20 cm layer, bulk density was rather high and very close to the relevant crop growing limit. Penetration resistance in the 0–10 cm soil layer after crop sowing under conventional tillage and reduced tillage systems did not differ significantly, while after applying direct drilling it was by 49–54% higher compared to conventional and reduced tillage systems. After harvesting, changes in penetration resistance were the least under the conventional tillage system. The best air-permeability was registered also under the conventional tillage system. Reduced tillage and direct drilling did not ensure suitable soil air-permeability at the final stage of crop growing. Under global warming conditions, the application of the direct drilling system could be the right measure to preserve soil moisture at early stages of crop development.
Under direct drilling (in spring and autumn), in both 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm soil layers, the total and air-filled porosity were significantly lower as compared to the conventional tillage. Ploughless tillage has a positive influence on soil structure. The best soil structure coefficients were determined under direct drilling. Over 8 years of applying different tillage systems, the best agro-physical soil quality index (SQI_physical) in the 0–20 cm soil layer was determined under the conventional tillage system.

Keywords: agro-physical soil properties, tillage, agro-physical soil quality index