Soil Testing

To determine which type of soil has the highest water retention capacity, it's essential to understand the characteristics of each soil type provided:

• Sandy soil: This type of soil has large particles and low cohesion, leading to poor water retention. Water quickly drains through sandy soils.
• Loamy soil: A balanced mixture of sand, silt, and clay, loamy soil has moderate water retention capabilities due to its balanced composition.
• Sandy silt soil: Similar to sandy soil, this soil type still has larger particles than clay, allowing for better drainage but less water retention compared to clay-rich soils.
• Clayey soil: Composed of very fine particles and known for its high plasticity and cohesiveness, clayey soil retains water efficiently due to the small size of its particles and its ability to compact tightly.

Understanding the properties of these soils, clayey soil is identified as having the highest water retention capacity. This is due to its finely textured particles that create minimal space for water to escape, thus allowing it to hold and retain water more than other soil types.

Therefore, the correct answer is: Clayey soil