A study was developed evaluating the K(q ) function by the instantaneous profile method with and without the suposition of unit gradient and with respect to the pedogenetic horizons, in an Oxisol, located at experimental fields of Escola Superior Luiz de Queiroz, University of São Paulo, in Piracicaba (SP) 22° 42' 43,3'' S, 47° 37' 10,4'' W, 546m. The determination of the function was made using mercury manometer tensiometers installed at the depths of 0.1; 0.2; 0.3; 0.4; 0.5; 0.6; 0.7; 0.8; 0.9; 1.0; 1.1 and 1.2m and soil water retention curves determined for the same depths. The result analysis was made using an F-test in order to verify the paralelism, the intercept equality and the coincidence of the lnK versus q straight lines, taking and not taking into account the assumption of unit hydraulic gradient. The depths from 0.2m to 1.1m were compared, as well as the correlations among the depths of each pedogenetic horizon. From the results, it was concluded that, with the procedures used to delimit the experimental plots in this experiment to water the soil profile and to follow the water redistribuition, the unit gradient approch seemed to be adequate to assess the field K(q ) function and also that the pedogenetic horizons seemed to follow the layers of similar K(q) function, only for depths greater than 0.6m.
instantaneous profile; retention curve; tensiometer
