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Why an airy substrate It is common knowledge that plants with chlorophyll absorb carbon dioxide and product oxygen. Unfortunately people do not sufficiently realize that these same plants obtain this oxygen from the air above the ground, the roots must obtain it from the root environment. Therefore, the root environment should have a good free air exchange; this is only possible if there are sufficient pores in the root environment, which are not filled with water. It is generally believed that this should be 10%. In our cultivated crops, where high yields are expected, this is quite often insufficient. Furthermore, these pores are not uniformly spread throughout the substrate and indeed in parts an optimal oxygen supply may not be created. An insufficient optimum oxygen supply has direct influence on the uptake of nutrients and water. In the soil-less culture we have a system in the glasshouse available to enable water supply. Due to the small root volume, the possibility of water shortage is the greatest fear for the growers, during the first stage of the substrate cultivation. The large water buffer in the substrate was reassuring; the amount of air in the substrate was not a matter of discussion. With a large drip system the demand for water can always be satisfied and often too much water is administered. This mainly occurs during the darker days and most especially in the autumn period, causing the root environment to become too wet and in actual fact, lacking in oxygen. In recent years the oxygen supply in the root environment is becoming more and more an interesting factor amongst growers because a reduced water buffer has not proved anything, on the contrary. We must always remember that the grower can keep the substrate wet, but only the plants can keep it dryer, due to evaporation. We primarily want the substrates to be dryer if evaporation is only slight
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