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Significance of Soil Texture

Soil texture is one of the most studied property of soils. It is often accessed in almost every soil test analysis, thus showing it's high level significance in the understanding of soils.

 From the knowledge of soil texture we can get the following:
Ø  An idea of the accumulation or loss of clay from different horizons.
Ø  Information about the parent material from which the soil originated.
Ø  A lot about the other soil properties.
Ø  A judgement of soil usability and overall productivity etc.



Some Properties/Behaviours of the Soil Separates

Property/Behaviour
Sand
Silt
Clay
Surface area to volume ratio
Low
Medium
High
Water-holding capacity
Low
Medium to high
High
Ability to store plant nutrients
Poor
Medium to high
High
Nutrient supplying capacity
Low
Medium to high
High
Aeration
Good
Medium
Poor
Internal Drainage
High
Slow to medium
Very Slow
Organic matter levels
Low
Medium to high
High to medium
Compatibility
Low
Medium
High
Susceptibility to wind erosion
Moderate
High
Low
Susceptibility to water erosion
Low
High
Low if aggregated, high if not
Sealing of ponds and dams
Poor
Poor
Good
Pollutant leaching
Poor
Medium
Good
(Brady and Weil, 2008)




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