Galt

Just thinkin' about shit that I've seen used in other applications and wondering about whether or not it might have a positive effect on a grow. I don't have the botanical, biological or chemical back ground to finger this one out so I thought I'd throw it out there.

On a molecular level plant nutrient uptake is a complex series of ionic exchanges. The molecules that make up the cells in a plant leaf or root are trading electrons with the nutrient and creating bonds and all of that happy crap that I slept through in chem class. I guess my question is can these cation/anion/amphoteric exchanges be enhanced through the introduction of ozone into the nutrient solution? A side benny might be that the ozone would help to control bacteria and/or algae growth in the solution allowing for longer safer storage.

Don't know what if any effect that this might have on Ph but that and EC are essentially tags that identify the particulars of the ionic exchange. Somebody with a bigger brain please fill in the blanks.

Also was curious if anybody had any ideas about whether or not elevated levels of atmospheric CO2 in the grow room can or will cause Ph crash in the nute solution? It happens with planted aquariums when supplemental CO2 is dissolved into the water without buffering .

__________________
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."
- Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
_________________

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)

Mafoo

i dont think itd be a good idea. plants evolved in the lower atmosphere so im not sure what exposure to O3 might cause. i know charged oxygen atoms can actually be damaging to the plant and lead to increased oxidative stress.

more CO2 in the grow room makes more carbon available to the plant which can increase yeilds. im not sure how much the increase would be or if itd be worth it.

as for keeping the roots free from bacteria, a healthy ecosystem of bacteria and even some fungi can actually increase a plants ability to intake nutrients, its symbiosis. ever see a bunch of lumps and nodes on the roots? they are called nodules and often contain colonies of bacteria.

i think its good that you are using your brain to come up with ideas like this, so maybe some of the more experienced growers will come by and tell me im wrong

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PLUR
For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return

farmergiles

Ozone Water Treatment, Ozonation, Ozonator Dirty bad tasting water, contaminated colored water, unfiltered water, bad smelling water

You are right about the sterilizing effects- this is a well used industrial water purification technique.

Obviously ozone would oxygenate the water too .

Another effect of ozonating would be to oxidise dissolved elements, tending to make them precipitate thereby lowering the ppm of the water.
So in this sense, yes the ionic exchanges will benefit as the EC is lowered you can use more nutrients with less chance of burning the plants.
I'm not sure if that was exactly what you meant.
There are concerns that some of the by products of this oxidisation could be carcinogenic but they use them in public swimming pools so IDK.
Edit- Ozonating the nutrient solution directly might not be a good idea as this would tend to oxidise the nutrients with unpredictable effects. But this is only a guess, I havn't heard of anyone trying this before.

Ozone breaks down rapidly in water. What effect it would have on pH would depend a lot on what elements are present in the water.
I haven't heard of it having a massive effect normally.




CO2- It would definitely lead to acidification if enough was present in water but I'm not sure how quick the take up is- I think airborne levels of CO2 would have to be ridiculously high (ie 2000+ ppm, non- beneficial to the plants) before this became an issue. As long as you didn't bubble CO2 directly from a cylinder straight through the water.

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Cultivate a stoic calmness

Galt

I've got a fairly simple DIY ozone injection system that works well with circulating water that I had thought of using on a nutrient line. The higher carrying capacity of nutrients by the solution sounds good but damaging the tricoderma and mycorrhiza sounds bad so I'm thinkin' of a slight adjustment.

The ozone injector uses a corona discharge generator (much more consistent and low maintenance than the U.V. lamp type) with a custom milled venturi with interchangable jets so that the amount of O3 input can be regulated. The reaction chamber (PVC pipe & some fittings) where the mixing takes place is fitted with a carbon filter to prevent any excess that might de-gas from entering the atmosphere. The carbon works quite well in this capacity since the ozone simply reacts with the carbon and poof it's gone. The carbon lasts a long while and is simple to change out but the amount of ozone that might be beneficial vs. harmful would still be a problem calculation for me.

I'm thinking a separate circulating pump that feeds the ozone injector directly from the solution reservoir. The solution could then be directed through a U.V. sterilizer before being returned to the reservoir. I need to do a bit more research first because I half remember something about ozone reacting with U.V. light in water purification systems and intensifying certain effects but I can't recall the details.

This solution circulation would have to be split and regulated since the flow rate for the U.V. sterilizer would probably be a lot lower than that of the ozone injector. Since my ozone generator depends on a vertical mixing column for the ozone uptake by the water, and the majority of excess immediately bubbles off to de-gas and react with the carbon scrubber I started thinking that the could be purposely over-driven and the carbon trap removed.

This would allow the excess to enter the atmosphere where ever I position the O3 generator's top vent. Let's say I were to connect it to a duct on the exhaust side of my ventilation system. Now I've got some supplemental odor control as a by-product of my solution sterilization system.

Ya see kids, this is the kind of shit that your preacher was talkin' about (between child molestations) when he was warning about the devil's playground bein' an idle mind.

__________________
"I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use."
- Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
_________________

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
- Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968)