A soil has rapid infiltration and low nutrient retention. What soil is it MOST likely?

• A. Peat
• B. Silt loam
• C. Sandy soil
• D. Clay-rich soil

Answer: (C)

Rapid infiltration occurs when pore spaces are large and well connected, which is typical of sandy textures. Sandy soils drain quickly because their large, mainly horizontal pores let water move through with little resistance. They also have low nutrient retention because they contain little clay and organic matter to hold onto nutrients; their surface area for cation exchange is small, so nutrients are more easily leached away.

Peat tends to hold water and nutrients because of high organic matter, and its drainage is often slower unless it’s highly decomposed or well-drained, so rapid infiltration isn’t the defining feature. Silt loam has more clay and organic matter than pure sand, giving it better nutrient retention and slower drainage than sand. Clay-rich soils have the finest pores, leading to slow infiltration but high nutrient retention due to high cation exchange capacity.

So the description points to sandy soil.