Seriously, this is hell. Its just a gambling system developed to keep research from makeing stuff too early.
Leave botany in, BUT make it so there is other ways to get the fancy chems, either buying them with points/biomass directly, or buying seeds that are garunteed to give them with points/biomass.
It is not, infact, impossible to delay research makeing stuff without rng slop.
It is optional, though. A lot of plat researchers get stimulants and projects done without engaging with botany, even by the 1hr mark. It’s really just about focusing on intermediate contracts.
I have yet to meet a plat researcher that ignores botany.
The plat researchers have learned to join 20 minutes late so roundstart researcher does the botany.
I can list a few off the top of my head, from Anna to Tao. They tend to be older players (obviously), but they do make it possible.