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US-20260125330-A1 - METHODS OF TRACING AND/OR SOURCING PLANT MATERIAL

US20260125330A1US 20260125330 A1US20260125330 A1US 20260125330A1US-20260125330-A1

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.

Inventors

  • Gwyneth Gordon
  • Joseph Skulan
  • Odysseas Ladopoulos

Assignees

  • ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251231

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . A method of identifying the source of a traceable plant, the method comprising: providing a sample from a plant selected from the group consisting of cannabis, ginseng, a gourmet mushroom, a gourmet garlic, and a rare herb; removing extrinsic material from the sample; measuring the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of the sample; and if the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of the sample matches the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of an enriched growth medium, identifying the user of the enriched growth medium as the source of the plant, wherein the enriched growth medium comprises: a first element selected from the group consisting of strontium (Sr), neodymium (Nd), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), boron (B), chlorine (Cl), 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 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 the source of the traceable plant and the mixture of stable isotopes is selected from the group consisting of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, 87 Sr/ 84 Sr, 87 Sr/ 88 Sr, 143 Nd/ 144 Nd, 143 Nd/ 142 Nd, 143 Nd/ 145 Nd, 143 Nd/ 146 Nd, 143 Nd/ 148 Nd, 143 Nd/ 150 Nd, 42 Ca/ 44 Ca, 24 Mg/ 26 Mg, 25 Mg/ 26 Mg, 39 K/ 41 K, 11 B/ 10 B, 37 Cl/ 35 Cl, 65 Cu/ 63 Cu, 56 Fe/ 57 Fe, 56 Fe/ 58 Fe, 57 Fe/ 58 Fe, 55 Mn/ 53 Mn, 94 Mo/ 95 Mo, 94 Mo/ 96 Mo, 94 Mo/ 97 Mo, 95 Mo/ 96 Mo, 95 Mo/ 97 Mo, 96 Mo/ 97 Mo, 66 Zn/ 67 Zn, 66 Zn/ 68 Zn, 67 Zn/ 68 Zn, and combinations thereof.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the enriched growth medium is formulated as an aqueous solution or a seed treatment.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of removing extrinsic material from the plant sample comprises rinsing the sample in distilled water.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of the plant comprises determining, in the sample, the ratio of at least one of: 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, 87 Sr/ 84 Sr, 87 Sr/ 88 Sr, 143 Nd/ 144 Nd, 143 Nd/ 142 Nd, 143 Nd/ 145 Nd, 143 Nd/ 146 Nd, 143 Nd/ 148 Nd, 143 Nd/ 150 Nd, 42 Ca/ 44 Ca, 24 Mg/ 26 Mg, 25 Mg/ 26 Mg, 39 K/ 41 K, 11 B/ 10 B, 37 Cl/ 35 Cl, 65 Cu/ 63 Cu, 56 Fe/ 57 Fe, 56 Fe/ 58 Fe, 57 Fe/ 58 Fe, 55 Mn/ 53 Mn, 94 Mo/ 95 Mo, 94 Mo/ 96 Mo, 94 Mo/ 97 Mo, 95 Mo/ 96 Mo, 95 Mo/ 97 Mo, 96 Mo/ 97 Mo, 66 Zn/ 67 Zn, 66 Zn/ 68 Zn, 67 Zn/ 68 Zn.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of the sample is measured with isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS).
  6. 6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the mixture of stable isotopes in the enriched growth medium is at least 10 ppm.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture of stable isotopes comprises neodymium (Nd) in a ratio of 143 Nd/ 144 Nd of greater than 0.5130 or less than 0.5100.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture of stable isotopes comprises strontium (Sr) in a ratio of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of greater than 1.0.
  9. 9 . A method of identifying the source of a traceable plant, the method comprising: providing a sample from a plant grown in an enriched growth medium; removing extrinsic material from the sample; measuring the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of the sample; and if the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of the sample matches the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of the enriched growth medium, identifying the user of the enriched growth medium as the source of the plant, wherein: the enriched growth medium comprises: a first element selected from the group consisting of strontium (Sr), neodymium (Nd), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), and combinations thereof; a second element; and a mixture of stable isotopes that provides an isotopic fingerprint for tracing a source of the traceable plant; and the mixture of stable isotopes is selected from the group consisting of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, 87 Sr/ 84 Sr, 87 Sr/ 88 Sr, 143 Nd/ 144 Nd, 143 Nd/ 142 Nd, 143 Nd/ 145 Nd, 143 Nd/ 146 Nd, 143 Nd/ 148 Nd, 143 Nd/ 150 Nd, 42 Ca/ 44 Ca, 24 Mg/ 26 Mg, 25 Mg/ 26 Mg, 39 K/ 41 K, 11 B/ 10 B, 37 Cl/ 35 Cl, 65 Cu/ 63 Cu, 56 Fe/ 57 Fe, 56 Fe/ 58 Fe, 57 Fe/ 58 Fe, 55 Mn/ 53 Mn, 94 Mo/ 95 Mo, 94 Mo/ 96 Mo, 94 Mo/ 97 Mo, 95 Mo/ 96 Mo, 95 Mo/ 97 Mo, 96 Mo/ 97 Mo, 66 Zn/ 67 Zn, 66 Zn/ 68 Zn, 67 Zn/ 68 Zn, and combinations thereof.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the second element comprises nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in an amount sufficient to support the growth of the traceable plant.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising inducing nutrient stress in the plant prior to growing the plant in the enriched growth medium to increase uptake of stable isotopes in the enriched growth medium by the traceable plant.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising inducing drought stress in the plant prior to growing the plant in the enriched growth medium thereby increasing uptake of stable isotopes in the enriched growth medium by the traceable plant.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein: the enriched growth medium is produced by adding to a growth medium a nutrient solution with a unique isotopic fingerprint; the growth medium is a hydroponic or aeroponic growth medium; and the nutrient solution with a unique isotopic fingerprint is added to the hydroponic or aeroponic growth medium prior to exposing the traceable plant to the hydroponic or aeroponic growth medium.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein a volume of the nutrient solution with a unique isotopic fingerprint is at least 20% of a volume of the growth medium.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein: the growth medium is soil; the traceable plant is grown in a container; and the nutrient solution with a unique isotopic fingerprint is evenly mixed with the soil in the container.
  16. 16 . A method of identifying the source of a traceable plant, the method comprising: inducing drought stress in a plant to produce a stressed plant; growing the stressed plant in an enriched growth medium to produce the traceable plant; providing a sample from the traceable plant; removing extrinsic material from the sample; measuring the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of the sample; and if the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of the sample matches the radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or the mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint of an enriched growth medium, identifying the user of the enriched growth medium as the source of the plant, wherein the enriched growth medium comprises a mixture of stable isotopes that provide an isotopic fingerprint for tracing a source of the traceable plant and the mixture of stable isotopes is selected from the group consisting of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, 87 Sr/ 84 Sr, 87 Sr/ 88 Sr, 143 Nd/ 144 Nd, 143 Nd/ 142 Nd, 143 Nd/ 145 Nd, 143 Nd/ 146 Nd, 143 Nd/ 148 Nd, 143 Nd/ 150 Nd, 42 Ca/ 44 Ca, 24 Mg/ 26 Mg, 25 Mg/ 26 Mg, 39 K/ 41 K, 11 B/ 10 B, 37 Cl/ 35 Cl, 65 Cu/ 63 Cu, 56 Fe/ 57 Fe, 56 Fe/ 58 Fe, 57 Fe/ 58 Fe, 55 Mn/ 53 Mn, 94 Mo/ 95 Mo, 94 Mo/ 96 Mo, 94 Mo/ 97 Mo, 95 Mo/ 96 Mo, 95 Mo/ 97 Mo, 96 Mo/ 97 Mo, 66 Zn/ 67 Zn, 66 Zn/ 68 Zn, 67 Zn/ 68 Zn, and combinations thereof.
  17. 17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the enriched growth medium further comprises: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in an amount sufficient to support the growth of the traceable plant; and/or an element selected from the group consisting of strontium (Sr), neodymium (Nd), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), boron (B), chlorine (Cl), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), zinc (Zn), and combinations thereof.
  18. 18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the enriched growth medium comprises strontium (Sr) in a ratio of 87 Sr/ 86 Sr of greater than 1.0 or neodymium (Nd) in a ratio of 143 Nd/ 144 Nd of greater than 0.5130 or less than 0.5100.
  19. 19 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the enriched growth medium further comprises an agriculturally acceptable carrier.
  20. 20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the agriculturally acceptable carrier is a dispersant, a surfactant, an additive, a thickener, an anticaking agent, a composting formulation, a granular application, diatomaceous earth, an oil, a coloring agent, a stabilizer, a preservative, or a polymer.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is a continuation of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 18/765,107, filed Jul. 5, 2024, which is a continuation of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 16/668,618, filed Oct. 30, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/752,720, filed Oct. 30, 2018, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD The disclosure relates to the use of natural isotopes to identify the source of plant material. BACKGROUND The growing movement toward legalization of cannabis has created a demand for reliable methods of tracing cannabis products to their producers. This demand is both the result of laws requiring legally produced cannabis to be distinguishable from illegally produced material and the result of cannabis producers themselves wanting reliable methods of distinguishing their own products from counterfeits. Some states, such as California, accomplish this by carefully tracking all legally-produced cannabis. However, as the cannabis industry grows and as legal cannabis use moves from dispensary-controlled medical applications to recreational use, systems that rely on chain of custody alone, such as California's, to identify the source of cannabis products will become difficult or impossible to maintain. An alternative approach, such as the proposal Colorado bill S029, is to require the addition of a chemical tracer to legally produced cannabis. While in principle, this alternative approach is simple and effective, adding chemical tracers to cannabis has met with widespread resistance by cannabis producers and users. Rational or not, the term “chemical additive” has powerfully and perhaps insurmountably negative connotations. Accordingly, there is a need for developing tracers than can shed the “chemical” label and is, preferably, a natural tracer. SUMMARY The disclosure is directed to methods of producing a nutrient solution with a unique radiogenic isotopic fingerprint and/or a unique mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint. The unique isotopic fingerprints are based on the isotopes of strontium (Sr), neodymium (Nd), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and/or potassium (K). In some aspects, the unique radiogenic isotopic fingerprint is the ratio of 87Sr/86Sr 87Sr/84Sr, 87Sr/88Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 143Nd/142Nd, 143Nd/145Nd, 143Nd/146Nd, 143Nd/148Nd, or 143Nd/150Nd. In some aspects, the unique mass-dependent isotopic fingerprint is the ratio of 88Sr/86Sr, 42Ca/44Ca, 24Mg/26Mg or, 25Mg/26Mg, and/or 39K/41K. The disclosure also relates to methods of producing traceable plants and method of identifying the source of a traceable plant using the nutrient solutions with a unique isotopic fingerprint. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a method of producing a nutrient solution having a unique radiogenic isotopic fingerprint of strontium (Sr) and/or neodymium (Nd), wherein the unique radiogenic isotopic fingerprint of Sr is the ratio of 87Sr/86Sr, 87Sr/84Sr, or 87Sr/88Sr and the unique radiogenic isotopic fingerprint of Nd is the ratio of 143Nd/144Nd, 143Nd/142Nd, 143Nd/145Nd, 143Nd/146Nd, 143Nd/148Nd, or 143Nd/150Nd, the method comprising: providing a rock; leaching the rock with an organic acid or a mineral acid to create a leachate; drying the leachate; and removing the acid from the dried leachate. In another aspect, the rock comprises a ratio of 87Sr/86Sr of greater than 1.0. In one implementation, the rock comprises a Sr concentration of greater than 20 ppm. In another implementation, the rock comprises a ratio of 143Nd/144Nd of greater than 0.5130 or less than 0.5100. In one aspect, the rock comprises a Nd concentration of greater than 10 ppm. In certain embodiments, the rock is granite. In one embodiment, the method further comprises crushing the rock into powder, wherein the step of leaching the rock with organic acid comprises mixing the rock powder with the organic acid. In some embodiments, the method further comprises analyzing the leachate for elemental composition. In one aspect, the organic acid or mineral acid is selected from the group consisting of: acetic acid, oxalic acid, formic acid, ascorbic acid, nitric acid, and hydrochloric acid. In another aspect, the step of removing the organic acid or mineral acid from the leachate comprises ashing the dried leachate at 400° C. In some embodiments, the method further comprises removing iron from the leachate. In some embodiments, removing iron from the leachate comprises: dissolving the ashed leachate in nitric acid to produce a nitric acid solution; separating any solids from the nitric acid solution; and collecting the aqueous portion of the nitric acid solution. In certain aspects, the method further comprises drying the aqueous portion of the nitric acid solution to produce a composition of nitrate salt. In yet other embodiments, the method further comprises adding the dried leachate, ashed leachate, or the composition of nitrate salt t