Low molecular organic acids have been utilized in kinetic studies of potassium release from K-bearing minerals in soils; these studies can improve the knowledge about the availability of this nutrient to plants. This study was undertaken to investigate the kinetics of potassium release from a Planosol of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Sample of A horizon (0-20cm) were equilibrated with oxalic acid 0.01mol L-1 up to 3.409 hours. Oxalic acid induced K release from sand, silt and clay, that decreased in the sequence: silte > argila > sand. The parabolic diffusion equation showed that potassium release occurred in two phases for sand and silt, and in three phases for clay, at different rates, ranging from 0.65 x 10-2 h-1 to 3.55 x 10-2h-1. The amount of potassium released from soil fractions, taking in account the amount released by each fraction and its percentage in the whole soil, were only 2.1% of total K. The role of organic acids in affecting the potassium supplying power in tropical soils must be better studied.
diffusion equation; non-exchangeable potassium; flooded rice
