Yes, even though I’m using DWC (water) I’m still benefiting from beneficial microbes from the start of my seedlings. And my plant will benefit all the way through harvest.
USING MICROBES WITH GENERAL HYDROPONICS
Many people believe that since they are growing synthetically they can’t use any microbes, this is especially common with the hydroponic community. The truth is everyone can use microbial products to have a great beneficial impact on their plants’ health. The common misconception is that the synthetic nutrients will kill the microbes inside the media but this is completely false. While there is a slight possibility that a few microbes will die in the process this won’t matter in the end because most microbe products contain thousands and thousands of beneficial microbes.
What microbes do is protect the plant from potential pathogenic bacteria, this is very beneficial during the cloning or early veg stage since the plant is weaker and has less root zone. Microbes in simple words put up a no vacancy sign to all potential harmful pathogens. While being able to protect your plants from pathogens also allows the plants to absorb nutrition more effectively rather than absorbing it all at once. Microbes have a symbiotic relationship with plants and will store nutrition and distribute it to the plant as needed when microbes are added regularly.
Plants absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere through their leaves and convert it to simple sugars via photosynthesis. These simple sugars are then transported to the roots, where they drive the growth and development of the plant. The process of sugar allocation to the roots is controlled by a molecular mechanism within plants that involves the activity of a certain factor, the target of rapamycin (TOR) protein. TOR becomes active in the pericycle cells only when sugar is present there, and founder cells then form the lateral roots through cell division. A better understanding of the processes that regulate root branching at the molecular level could contribute to improving plant growth and therefore crop yields.
The target of rapamycin (TOR) protein is a key developmental regulator in both plants and animals. TOR kinase integrates environmental and nutrient signals to direct growth and development in all eukaryotes studied. In plants, TOR functions as a complex called TORC1 with the core components regulatory-associated protein of TOR (Raptor) and lethal with SEC thirteen 8 (LST8). TOR becomes active in the pericycle cells only when sugar is present there, and founder cells then form the lateral roots through cell division. A better understanding of the processes that regulate root branching at the molecular level could contribute to improving plant growth and therefore crop yield.