What is the trade-off in nutrient availability concerning clay soils?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Clay soils have a high cation exchange capacity, which means cations tend to stick to the clay particles instead of leaching out of the soil. However, this can also make it difficult for plants to extract these cations from the soil. Anions, on the other hand, are not held as tightly by clay particles and are more likely to leach out of the soil, reducing nutrient availability. Option A is incorrect because anions are more likely to leach out of the soil in clay soils. Option C is incorrect because while clay soils may not hold water well, this does not necessarily mean anions will leach away. Option D is incorrect because while clay soils may have a low pH, this does not necessarily make root uptake of ions difficult.

What Is the Trade-Off in Nutrient Availability Concerning Clay Soils