What do micropores mainly store?

• A. Air
• B. Nutrients
• C. Drainage
• D. Plant available water

Answer: (D)

Micropores are the smallest soil pores, and they hold water tightly due to capillary forces. The water kept in these tiny pores isn’t readily drained by gravity, so it remains available to plant roots during dry periods. That retained water constitutes the soil’s plant-available water. In contrast, larger pores (macropores) drive drainage and aeration, not long-term water storage, and nutrients aren’t stored primarily in micropores but in the soil solution and on particle surfaces.