Methods of tracing and/or sourcing plant material
AssigneeArizona Board of Regents on behalf of Arizona State University
InventorsGwyneth Gordon, Joseph Skulan, Odysseas Ladopoulos
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed are methods of producing nutrient solutions having unique isotopic fingerprints; methods of producing traceable plants; and methods of identifying the source of a traceable plant that does not rely on expensive artificially separated isotopes. Plants grown with these nutrient solutions will have unique isotopic fingerprints that will be difficult or impossible to counterfeit.
Claims19
A method of producing a traceable plant selected from the group consisting of cannabis, ginseng, a gourmet mushroom, a gourmet garlic, and a rare herb having a unique isotopic fingerprint, the method comprising:
- adding to a growth medium a nutrient solution with a unique isotopic fingerprint to produce an enriched nutrient growth medium;
- and
- growing the traceable plant in the enriched growth medium, wherein the nutrient solution with a unique radiogenic isotopic fingerprint comprises:
- a first element selected from the group consisting of strontium (Sr), neodymium (Nd), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), boron (B), chlorine (CI), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), and combinations thereof;
- a second element comprising nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in an amount sufficient to support the growth of the traceable plant;
- and
- a third element comprising stable isotopes wherein stable isotopes of the third element are present in a mixture that provides an isotopic fingerprint for tracing a source of the traceable plant into which the mixture has been incorporated, wherein the mixture of stable isotopes is selected from the group consisting of 87Sr/86Sr, 87Sr/84Sr, 87Sr/88Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 143Nd/142Nd, 143Nd/145Nd, 143Nd/146Nd, 143Nd/148Nd, 143Nd/150Nd, 42Ca/44Ca, 24Mg/26Mg, 25Mg/26Mg, 39K/41K, 11B/10B, 37Cl/35Cl, 65Cu/63Cu, 56Fe/57Fe, 56Fe/58Fe, 57Fe/58Fe, 55Mn/53Mn, 94Mo/95Mo, 94Mo/96Mo, 94Mo/97Mo, 95Mo/96Mo, 95Mo/97Mo, 96Mo/97Mo, 66Zn/67Zn, 66Zn/68Zn, 67Zn/68Zn, and combinations thereof.
A method of producing a traceable plant having a unique isotopic fingerprint, the method comprising:
- adding to a hydroponic or aeroponic growth medium a nutrient solution with a unique isotopic fingerprint to produce an enriched nutrient growth medium;
- and
- growing the traceable plant in the enriched growth medium,
- wherein the nutrient solution with a unique isotopic fingerprint comprises:
- a first element selected from the group consisting of strontium (Sr), neodymium (Nd), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), boron (B), chlorine (CI), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), and combinations thereof;
- a second element;
- and
- a third element comprising stable isotopes wherein stable isotopes of the third element are present in a mixture that provides an isotopic fingerprint for tracing a source of the traceable plant into which the mixture has been incorporated,
- wherein the mixture of stable isotopes is selected from the group consisting of 87Sr/86Sr, 87Sr/84Sr, 87Sr/88Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 143Nd/142Nd, 143Nd/145Nd, 143Nd/146Nd, 143Nd/148Nd, 143Nd/150Nd, 42Ca/44Ca, 24Mg/26Mg, 25Mg/26Mg, 39K/41K, 11B/10B, 37Cl/35Cl, 65Cu/63Cu, 56Fe/57Fe, 56Fe/58Fe, 57Fe/58Fe, 55Mn/53Mn, 94Mo/95Mo, 94Mo/96Mo, 94Mo/97Mo, 95Mo/96Mo, 95Mo/97Mo, 96Mo/97Mo, 66Zn/67Zn, 66Zn/68Zn, 67Zn/68Zn, and combinations thereof.
A method of producing a traceable plant having a unique isotopic fingerprint, the method comprising:
- adding to a growth medium a nutrient solution to produce an enriched nutrient growth medium;
- and
- growing the traceable plant in the enriched growth medium, wherein the nutrient solution comprises a mixture of stable isotopes that provide an isotopic fingerprint for tracing a source of the traceable plant, wherein the mixture of stable isotopes is selected from the group consisting of 87Sr/86Sr, 87Sr/84Sr, 87Sr/88Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 143Nd/142Nd, 143Nd/145Nd, 143Nd/146Nd, 143Nd/148Nd, 143Nd/150Nd, 42Ca/44Ca, 24Mg/26Mg, 25Mg/26Mg, 39K/41K, 11B/10B, 37Cl/35Cl, 65Cu/63Cu, 56Fe/57Fe, 56Fe/58Fe, 57Fe/58Fe, 55Mn/53Mn, 94Mo/95Mo, 94Mo/96Mo, 94Mo/97Mo, 95Mo/96Mo, 95Mo/97Mo, 96Mo/97Mo, 66Zn/67Zn, 66Zn/68Zn, 67Zn/68Zn, and combinations thereof, and
- wherein drought stress is induced in the traceable plant prior to growing the traceable plant in the enriched growth medium to increase uptake of stable isotopes in the enriched growth medium by the traceable plant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.