Rationale: CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity) measures a soil’s ability to retain nutrient cations (like Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺, NH₄⁺). Soils with low CEC cannot hold nutrients well, making them prone to nutrient loss through leaching. Why not the others? A. Hold nutrients efficiently ❌ – low CEC soils cannot retain nutrients efficiently. B. Be highly fertile ❌ – fertility is limited because nutrients are easily lost. D. Have high organic matter ❌ – high organic matter usually increases CEC; low CEC soils t