i disagree. the only way to really test would be to have 2 clones in identical grow enviros with the only difference being the DO in each.
a plant exposed to 10.2 "could" grow better/faster/etc. vs 8.6 if those levels were maintained for the entire 12 weeks (3 wk veg/9 wk bloom).
Sorry to say, but you are wrong.
Of course you can disagree with me, and I have no problem with it.
But I guess you did not read or not not understand my explanation with the dog bowls.
Which hurts, because I did my best.
Let me give it another try.
Roots of most plants use 200 mg of oxygen per kilo of roots per hour.
They keep on consuming it.
Example: there is 10 mg in a liter at a certain temperature, and the plant has 1 kilo of roots and your DWC reservoir is 20 liter...
That means 200 mg of DO in the reservoir.
Then there would be enough oxygen for 1 hour.
In itself it is true, but something else will happen.
After 6 minutes (1/10th of an hour) the roots would have theoretically absorbed 1/10 of the oxygen they need.
So instead of 200 mg in 20 liters, there now is 180 mg in 20 liters.
But it is not true. Because of the movement of the water surface, the absorbed 20 mg will be replaced immediately by fresh oxygen.
So again there will be the maximum of 200 mg in the 20 liter.
The roots can absorb how much they want, there will always be the maximum DO in the water.
When the temperature is a bit higher, the maximum amount of DO in a 20 liter reservoir will be a bit lower.
But still there is plenty of DO.
For example: there is now 8 mg in a liter at a certain higher temperature, and the plant has 1 kilo of roots and your DWC reservoir is 20 liter...
That means 160 mg of DO in the reservoir.
It looks like there is not enough oxygen for 1 kilo of roots. You are missing 40 mg.
After 6 minutes (1/10th of an hour) the roots would have theoretically absorbed 1/10 of the oxygen they need (20 mg per 6 minutes)
So instead of 160 mg in 20 liters, there now is 140 mg in 20 liters.
It looks like it is not enough for the remaining 54 minutes.
But because the absorbed oxygen is replaced right away, the amount of DO is again 160 mg in the reservoir.
And after another 6 minutes (12 minutes total) the roots have absorbed another 20 mg, and the DO in the reservoir will be again 160 mg.
And after another 6 minutes (18 minutes total) the roots have absorbed another 20 mg, and the DO in the reservoir will be again 160 mg. Etc.
After 60 minutes the roots will have gotten all of their 200 mg of DO needed and the level of the DO is still 160.
Even if the roots would like to have more DO... let's say 500 mg per hour per kilo of roots. There still will be enough oxygen all the time. Just for the simple fact that everything the roots absorb is immediately replaced by fresh oxygen. It has to do with air pressure, that will 'push' oxygen into the water continuously.
So it does not matter if there is 10 mg or 8 mg of DO per liter > There is always more oxygen then the plant can absorb.
Only when the maximum amount of DO a liter water can hold becomes very low (at 40 ° C or something like that) then you get in trouble.
The roots then absorb much faster then fresh oxygen can get dissolved in the water.
Also when your reservoir is too small for the amount of kilo's of roots you can get into trouble.
But I guess in that situation it does not really matter if your water holds 8 mg or 10 mg of DO per liter.
Maybe your plant will die an hour later.
If you still disagree with me, I invite you to explain to me where I am wrong.
Maybe I missed something.