Which of the following soil properties most directly determines the water-holding capacity of a soil?

Soil texture—the relative proportions of sand, silt, and clay particles—directly controls pore size and pore space, which determines how much water a soil can retain. Clay soils with fine particles have higher water-holding capacity than sandy soils with coarse particles. Soil colour indicates organic matter content or drainage status but does not directly determine water retention, while pH and temperature influence chemical and biological processes respectively.