Conventional tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT) management systems alter soil nutrient availability and consequently modify soil microbial response to nutrient additions such as carbon (C) and phosphorus (P). The objective of this study is to evaluate microbial response to the addition of C (glucose) and P (Na2HPO4.7H2O) under CT and NT in the brazilian Cerrado. In response to glucose addition, the NT system yielded higher microbial respiration rates and glucose consumption than the CT system. The best microbial response to C addition was after 0 - 12 h incubation in NT and 0 - 24 h in CT. The addition of P produced higher demand under CT than NT. After incubation, biochemical indicators such as microbial respiration, glucose consumption, dehydrogenase activity and metabolic yield confirmed the higher glucose demands under NT and higher phosphorus demands under CT. These results demonstrate that C and P addition alter significantly the microbial response, suggesting that soil microorganisms present nutrient differential demands between CT and NT management systems.