The total surface area of the sand, silt, and clay particles in soil. An analytical process applied to assess the capacity of soils to supply plant nutrients. Often a rapid, semiquantitative quick test to assess the availability of plant nutrients. A soil physical property that is determined by the relative proportions by weight of sand, silt, and clay. Organic matter does not affect soil texture but may modify soil structure.
Sands dominate in coarse-textured soils, which are referred to often as light soils.
Fine-textured soils, called heavy soils, have considerable portions of clays and silt. Loamy soils are medium-textured soils. Soil textural class is part of a name of a soil and refers generally to the A-horizon. Soil water-holding capacity. The water that is held in the fine pores and around the soil particles after water has drained from the large pores.