Influence of water content and soil compaction on the potassium diffusion flow into soil.

Potassium, as well as phosphorus, is transported by diffusion to the absortion zone. Eight levels of soil moisture (10, 20, 40, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 100%), defined as a percentage of the soil total porosity, were combined with two soil densities (the natural bulk density and a compaction corresponding to 30% above the natural bulk density) in three soil samples, varying in their physiochemical characteristics, and the potassium diffusive flux (KDF) was measured using resin strips. To determine KDF, the resin strips were placed on the top of the soil samples. Chambers made of PVC rings (10 cm in diameter and 5 cm high) were used, which were placed in plastic bags to avoid evaporation, and maintained under controlled temperature (25 ± 3 oC) for 15 days. After this period of time the resin strips were removed, washed with destilled water, and K extracted by a NH4Cl 0.8 mol L-1 + HCl 0.2 mol L-1 solution. KDF increased with soil moisture levels and decreased with compaction. When the soil was compacted, a linear relation between moisture levels and KDF was observed. However, for non-compacted soils, this relation was observed only for the sandy soil, not for the more clayey ones. It was concluded that the linear relation between KDF and soil moisture content, as predicted by the diffusion equation, is not universal and depends upon the range of soil moistures under consideration.