Oxalic Acid Effect on Potassium Release from Typical Rice Soils of Kashmir

Abstract

Batch experiments were employed to examine the influence of oxalic acid on release kinetics of potassium (K) from soils along with adsorption and desorption of soil K⁺. The soils used were three rice soils from high-, mid-, and low-altitude zones. The results showed that soil K extracted using 0.2 mol L^–1 oxalic acid was similar to that of 1 mol L^–1 boiling nitric acid (HNO₃). The relation between K release (y) and concentrations of oxalic acid (c) could be best described as y = a + b log c, whereas the best-fit kinetic equation of K release was y = a + b √t. The K release for soils was in the order Bonbagh > Ganasthan > Kreeri. An oxalic acid solution with low pH was able to release more K. Oxalic acid decreased soil K⁺ adsorption and increased desorption, the effect of which tended to be greater at lower pH.

Keywords:

• Kashmir rice soils
• K⁺ adsorption and desorption
• K release
• oxalic acid