HWSD Global Soil Quality - Constraints on nutrient retention capacity

Nutrient retention capacity is of particular importance for the effectiveness of fertilizer applications and is therefore of special relevance for intermediate and high input level cropping conditions. Nutrient retention capacity refers to the capacity of the soil to retain added nutrients against losses caused by leaching. Plant nutrients are held in the soil on the exchange sites provided by the clay fraction, organic matter and the clay-humus complex. Losses vary with the intensity of leaching which is determined by the rate of drainage of soil moisture through the soil profile. Soil texture affects nutrient retention capacity in two ways, through its effects on available exchange sites on the clay minerals and by soil permeability. [...]