Which soil property most directly influences a soil's ability to hold nutrients and affect drainage?

• A. pH
• B. Texture
• C. Organic matter
• D. Structure

Answer: (B)

Texture, which is the mix of sand, silt, and clay in soil, sets the size and connectivity of the pore spaces and the amount of surface area available for nutrient attachment. Soils with more clay have a lot of surface area and negative charges on mineral surfaces, which helps hold nutrients more tightly and slows their loss to leaching. They also have many micropores that retain water and slow drainage. In contrast, sandy soils have larger pores and less surface area, so they drain quickly and don’t hold nutrients as well. Because texture directly controls both how nutrients are stored and how water moves through the soil, it best explains a soil’s nutrient-holding ability and drainage behavior.