What if, in the future, we don't need a plant to grow tomatoes? A group of Dutch scientists published research on cultured fruit —an approach that could revolutionize agriculture, making it more sustainable and resilient in the face of climate change. In their preliminary study, they demonstrated that tomatoes continued to grow without a plant.
Cultured fruit, also known as lab-grown fruit, represents a novel approach to food production. Unlike traditional agriculture, which relies on growing entire plants, cultured fruit involves cultivating edible fruits directly from plant cells or seeds. This method eliminates the need for soil, extensive land use, and, potentially, the plant itself. By decoupling agriculture from land, cultured fruit systems offer a way to grow food indoors, making them less vulnerable to climate change and reducing the environmental footprint associated with farming.
"If we can produce fruits in factories rather than in fields, we could shield part of our food supply from the impacts of climate change," says Lucas van der Zee, PhD candidate with the Horticulture and Product Physiology group at Wageningen University & Research. "It would also mean that we need far less land to grow food."
The Dutch scientists have achieved initial success in growing small tomatoes without a plant, suggesting the feasibility of growing tomatoes from the very beginning using cultured methods. This involves understanding and manipulating the molecular regulation of flowering to produce flowers and fruits without vegetative tissues.
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