I've read that biochar is actually not great for notill soils. They are carbon negates and could actually push small % of carbon out of the soil. One big thing Notill soils provide are stored aggregated carbon pools in the soil.
Well if you want to get technical your way of growing is the worst thing we could ever do for our environment. I grow notill which keeps all the essential carbon atoms basically a key to life for microorganisms. You're plants are extracting the co2 and when the roots put out the carbon it is...
They seem to work for me but had to do some research to get actual quality ones. I definitely believe they make a difference but probably not for how much they cost. I never try and push uv on anyone. I grow at home for a hobby and have so much fun with it and experimenting here and there.
Humboldt seed company (not HSO fake Spain company)
Blueberry muffin
Bigfoot glue
Sol fire.
Bought at Humboldt patient resource center- Humboldt county ca
Switch out the coco coir with Pumice (lava rock) coco coir is inert and gives no benefits really to the microbial life in soil. Pumice will provide great aeration, ground your plant better than perlite, and has minerals beneficial to your microbes.
Just buy some Canadian spagnum peat moss, pumice, and high grade hummus/ewc/compost and make your own base soil by adding each of these main 3 into 1/3. Make sure to keep track of your cubic ft.
Check out Humboldt county's own Nutrients. They have some of the lowest residual salts, triple refined, and ph adjusted. I do NoTill now and use raw amendments now. All those bottle companies are scams are at least most.
HCO Gravity #10 would be great for you now. Found out that is basically...
I never had root aphids that I know of but I have had beneficial soil mites such as Adoamite Mites which help with decomposition and even eat fungus gnat larvae.