Just kidding, but Jarno Mooren, the Plant Specialist, and the research team at Signify have been busy experimenting, and it shows. "When I brought a small pineapple shoot from my personal collection to our GrowWise research center a few years back, I didn't believe it would ever bear fruit. Growing up in a forgotten and dark spot inside our single-layer cell, it had seen multiple tomato and raspberry trials come and go before it decided to give us this beautiful gift," Jarno affirmed.
According to him, this achievement showcases the power and potential of vertical farming while it serves as an inspiration to revolutionize our food production. If a pineapple can flourish without daylight, imagine what more we can achieve by exploring, innovating, and collaborating to shape a brighter, more sustainable future.
"The next crop in the R&D pipeline will be coconut palms to complete our Pina Colada?" Jarno giggles. This pineapple's life cycle ultimately ended at Signify's pre-summer-holiday-City-Farm-Team-Drink. And as Jarno let us know, it was worth the wait.
So, I guess we'll be seeing Piña coladas at Signify's booth rather than chocolate-dipped strawberries next year. Count us in!
All jokes aside, "I don't think that growing pineapples indoors is going to be profitable anytime soon," Jarno concludes.
For more information:
Daniele Damoiseaux, Global Marcom Manager Horticulture
Signify
[email protected]
www.philips.com/horti