in short, oxygen level, not news as such...but aerate the reservoirs was the part i was missing (0hydroexp)... but then would i get any benefit from aerating my tank, using my automatic watering system in dirt?
The higher o2 level the water had going in the better. But thats temporary and this is where drainage comes in. With good drainage as the water goes through and drains it pulls oxygen rich air in through suction. The looser the soil the better the gas exchange and drainage. IMO this is why we see aeroponics grow the fastest, then hydroponics, then soiless like coco, then peat, then soil. Although peat and soil mixed with perlite will help increase the aeration/gas exchange of the soil/peat and in turn give faster growth rates.
I have no definitive proof other than just what makes sense to me and why but I feel very strongly the gas exchange and available o2 levels at the roots are directly tied to maximizing growth rates for the conditions they are in.
For eg. I think you will see a bigger increase in growth when increasing light with more o2 in the given media like hydro as opposed to high light in a compact soil. But this all has a balance and each has thier benefits such as more biodiversity etc.
