I'm not sure of my take on this thread or theory.
There are heavy relations between plant growth potential and its root size and usually its considered 1:1 -
With the introduction of advanced hydroponics ,- theories of hormone balance shifted from being centered around root complex size to roots potential nutrient uptake / fixed amount of time.
Why would the plant measure its roots growing space and how , - how would the plant determine resistance and in what way could it react and with what.
If you look at it from an evolutionary perspective ,- it makes no sense for the plant to add this into its equation. - Marijuana is not originated from pots.
A plant that is kept in 24 hours of light is stuck in vegetation -
A plant does not just "k , time to flower" - In nature it is determined by the most important factor and that is sunlight exposure.
The longer and more downtimes it experiences , - the more build up and "movement" of a specific a FT protein that progressively activates the plants flowering genes , or so new researches suggest.
That is not to say its the sole factor in the equation ,- the plant could have developed a system where flowering is limited till a certain amount of nutrient uptake / fixed amount of time is reached , which would explain flowering time being partially influenced by roots. - It would be beneficial to late sprouting plants as immediate flowering from seed would not be as beneficial -and explains why flowering takes a certain amount of time to initiate for SOG growers who keep it strictly 12/12
I wouldn't know though , - im not a plant <.<