The proportions of sand, silt and clay particles determine soil texture, which can be broadly categorised into three main types i.e. sand, loam and clay soil.
The following definitions can be used to classify each general soil type.
sand : soil material that contains 85% or more of sand: 0-10% clay and 0-15% silt. The sum of clay and silt should not exceed 15%.
loam : Soil material that contains 7 to 27% clay, 28 to 50% silt, and <52% sand.
clay : Soil material that contains 40% or more clay, <45% sand, and <40% silt.
